Shaving oil? How it works?

[EmreMusovi]

Dear gentlemens,

im trying to use shaving oil as pre shave to reach a more comfortable shave

I just put 2-3 drops to my wet hand and apply it to my wet face, the question follows...

After that i use badger and soap and face lather... The oil still rests? Or i remove it with soap & badger? Any good using this way? Since its occitane and maybe i have to spend 60-70 $ yearly...

Any suggestions?

 

[djh]

You are using the oil in the correct way, but many of us here find that it is not necessary. With enough hot water and soap/lather I get a great shave without the need for any other pre-shave products.

 

[dfoulk]

I've found that most guys on the forum that have been doing this for a while have gotten away from shave oil all together.

It made a huge difference when I was using a cart razor and shave gel in a can, but with a good soap and a nice razor you will find that the shave oil is a complete waste of time and money.

Maybe use the money you would have spent on shave oil to buy yourself some nice soaps instead.

If you use it you will eventually drop it from your routine.
If you insist on using it I can't see you spending $70 on it, so if you find that you absolutely must have the shave oil, then skip buying it and make your own.
Just do a search for shave oil recipes. There are different recipes but it's basically made from oils you can find in your kitchen.
The Art of Shaving founder's wife made their oil recipe from things found in their kitchen after spending time in Italy.
It's made from olive oil, castor oil, grapeseed oil and some fragrance oil. In Italy the old school guys generally used straight Olive Oil.
You can even use just about any type of oil you have around the house, for example some almond massage oil. It all works the same.

 

[kiwimike]

No pre shave oil here either.
I just wash my face in the shower, face lather for 2-3 minutes, let the lather sit for a further minute while prepping my razor etc, and then I'm good to go.

 

[Redzone]

I did give preshave a go when I first started then gave it up and it didn't seem necessary YMMV.

 

[EmreMusovi]

Thank you very much,

I shave daily, on weekdays, not on weekends, im a banker ...

Let me clear with my setup, i use occitane soap, a ceramic (13 cm diameter) lathering bowl (but have trouble to get good lather), muhle r 89 and feather/astra for daily use, and sometimes feather ac/dx razor,

So maybe i should use it only before feather ac/dx shaves or only on mondays... While the shaving part is hard...

BTW do you have any suggestions for a razor instead of muhle or muhle is good? And any lathering bowl suggestions?

Regards,

 

[djh]

Sorry..... Welcome to Badger and Blade! I'm not sure where you are located, but there are plenty of soaps which are easier to use and better performing than L'Occitane. Feel free to drop me a PM should you need more help.

 

[kiwimike]

You mentioned you have trouble getting a good lather.
In my humble opinion, getting excellent lather is one of the keys, if not THE key to a great shave.
For a soap I have great success with mikes, and for a cream, proraso sandalwood.
Try face lathering also as some people tend to get better lather that way and that also doubles as great face prep also.

 

[NRK]

Ditto on the face lathering. I have a hard time understanding bowl lathering, it seems to me that you loose out on many of the benefits of wet shaving when you use a brush to paint on some lather. You may as well be using your fingers to spread on some goo from a can. The exfoliating properties of the brush are important. But even more important is the additional time that the hot water and soap get to work on your beard while you work up a good lather on your face.

 

[Alphonse]

I'm not going to bash your setup and tell you I use better products.

I use pre-shave oil and love the protection it gives my skin during a shave. Use the oil liberally after you've softened your beard with hot water/soap for a few minutes. Don't just use 2-3 drops... your face will require more than that when it soaks up the oil. The purpose of the oil is to protect the skin from nicks and cuts and it will leave your face feeling great. The oil is to be rubbed into your skin so that the skin absorbs it. This is like putting oil on your baseball glove for protection. The soap you apply to your face before you shave will not remove the oil that soaked into your skin. Oil is not required for a good shave. However, oil leaves my face feeling great and I get better results when using it. It adds to my shaving experience.

I make my own oil for very little money. Just find a small squeeze bottle(empty pocket sized hand sanitizer bottle) and use 1/3 olive oil, 1/3 grape seed oil, 1/3 castor oil. Then add 10 - 20 drops of essential oil of your choice, such as Lavender and Neroli.

 

[EmreMusovi]

Ty bery much

 

[cpacamper]

I began using a homemade preshave oil a few weeks ago and noticed a significant difference, no matter the razor or soap. I either apply a dime size portion to a wet face while I complete a shower, or I wash my face at the sink, apply a dime size to my wet face, and hold a hot, wet washcloth to my oiled face for a minute or two.

I use sunflower oil with some lavendar eo for scent.

 

[rotarygov]

I use shave oil only on my third (atg) pass -- 3-4 drops after wetting my face. Rub in then brush lather on top. Gives me a great feel. Final rinse in cold water. I'm not convinced it makes any difference to the quality of the shave but it feels good. I use Somersets Original Shave Oil.

 

[graysonhenryrussell]

I have used shave oil but I can't tell that it makes any difference in the shave.

 

[Batman]

I'm just leaving Las Vegas. I drank some Art of Shaving Kool-Aid and bought the pre-shave oil. I don't see much of a difference between it and Shave Secret from Wal-Mart. I am always curious as to if it gunks up and shortens the life of my blade and messes up my brushes.

I will try it on the final ATG pass like RotaryGov and see what happens.

 

[es99]

Everyone is different, of course , but I find oil very helpful. As others have mentioned, I find it helps protect my skin. Admittedly, though, I'm a weird shaver. I get much better shaves before showering, for example. I wash my face with soap and hot water, let the water soak in, then spray straight olive oil from a little mister and rub it in. I let my skin absorb the oil while I prep the rest of my shave.

I've used AOS preshave oil and, personally, I find it to be no better than Trader Joe's EVOO. But then again, my post-shave (but pre-shower) is a few drops of straight glycerin mixed with some water.

 

[vickywally]

I make & use my own pre-shave oil (mostly grapeseed oil) and started doing so only over the last 6 months.

I've been wetshaving for 20+ years and the difference pre-shave oil made was significant (protection from nicks, post shave feel etc). Since then I've tried with/without pre-shave oil several times - and I've always found shaves without pre-shave oil to be of inferior quality.

My brother - also wetshaving for 20+ years - also finds pre-shave oils to be a very beneficial. So does my uncle (he's always used it). My grandfather does not find it useful. So clearly - YMMV.

 

[Mandina]

YMMV, but Cade is widely regarded as an excellent shaving soap--and is one of my favorites (out of my 25+ soaps, including Mike's, MWF, D.R. Harris, Cella, Proraso, etc.). It is, however, a VERY THIRSTY soap. You might try the following: lightly wet the puck's surface; soak your brush and give it a couple of shakes (leaving it fairly wet); swirl the brush on the puck for about 60 seconds (depending on how soft or hard your water is); and face lather for 2+ minutes, gradually but frequently dipping the brush tips in water as you work the lather into your beard. I end up adding a lot of water as I face lather, as I did this morning.

I use a home-mixed pre-shave (much as described above), but apply it during my shower and then, post-shower, apply a hot moist towel to my face for about a minute. I can do well without using pre-shave oil--and would not spend significant money on it--but using it this way seems to be good for my skin. Best of luck!

 

[dfoulk]

I would definitely skip the pre shave oil with a straight or a feather pro setup. You don't want to have slippery hands when straight shaving. Just skip it all together you don't need it at all.

 

[Jarick]

According to the Wiki, most people have a misconception about pre-shave oil.

It's not supposed to add lubrication but help moisturize the skin, which helps prevent irritation. Some people have skin that is plenty moisturized on its own. Others shave after a shower and that helps as well. Some people use a moisturizer at night.

The last couple weeks, I've been shaving before my shower and using pre-shave oil, and it seems to help quite a bit. My shaves are closer with less irritation and tugging/pulling. I wet my face, put a few drops of oil in my hand, then rub the face quite a bit. Then wet it again.

I don't know if there's a difference in shave oils or if expensive oils are worth it. I have a bottle of Shave Secret which is about $6 per ounce and some Art of Shaving "unscented" oil which goes for about $16 per ounce. They smell the same to me (like cloves) and I didn't notice a difference.