What do you like to wash your beard with before shaving?

[Billy Love]

This is the best stuff I've found so far. It's also readily available at Walgreens or Walmart for $5.00 a tube.

 

[Porgy Tirebiter]

Ivory Soap Bar right now since the wifely unit bought a pallet of the stuff about a year ago at Costco. Once a week I’ll slough off some skin with St Ives apricot scrub...it’s on those days that I’ll be wielding the mild Techs in my arsenal. No need to scrape off any further layers of flesh

 

[amateriat]

Just everything else I wash with in the shower: pine tar soap, a face wash, shampoo, then conditioner. Whiskers are so hydrated at this point, they practically explode off my face when touched by the edge.

My routine is similar to yours, and I've found it's the conditioner that makes the difference - not necessarily night-and-day, but makes my shaves more consistent.

 

[Badgerstate36]

I just use face wash in a tube. Lately, Ive bee using Dove exfoliating scrub but it varies.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

It's also my understanding that alkali helps by breaking down sebum which is raised to the surface through the hair follicle. The hair is well protected by the sebum which acts as a moisture barrier. Properly breaking down the sebum assists in water ingress to the hair which makes it softer and easier to cut.

Interesting theory, and makes perfect sense. I often wash with just water, and wonder if this is contributing to my blades not lasting longer in the Excaliber Club (waterproof stubble not getting thoroughly hydrated).

I can get up to 30 shaves already with the right blade, but this might make a further difference. However, I also don't tend to get irritation and rarely need to use alum or a balm, so maybe the sebum is protecting the skin too. I'll give this a whirl for a while (bar soap is the only other thing I use anyway) but if I start getting any redness, I'll got back to water only and shorter blade life.

 

[BigJ]

CeraVe glycerine soap works well for me.

 

[TheKman]

Interesting theory, and makes perfect sense. I often wash with just water, and wonder if this is contributing to my blades not lasting longer in the Excaliber Club (waterproof stubble not getting thoroughly hydrated).

I can get up to 30 shaves already with the right blade, but this might make a further difference. However, I also don't tend to get irritation and rarely need to use alum or a balm, so maybe the sebum is protecting the skin too. I'll give this a whirl for a while (bar soap is the only other thing I use anyway) but if I start getting any redness, I'll got back to water only and shorter blade life.

I know personally a good wash and a few minutes of hydration halve the shave effort required, though it doesn't tend to add to skin damage. However a long hot shower will cause my skin some grief. It's a balancing ask.

 

[dotKomo]

I like to use a high glycerin bar soap or CVS Daily Facial Cleanser. Nothing fancy. I usually wash my face twice, just before shaving.

+1. I use Pears or Essentials Glycerin Soap.

 

[jcs266]

Dove bar soap (pink). I scrub my face vigorously then rinse with hot water and load the brush with VDH. A single pass shave with the H1, rinse... a generous splash of Skin Bracer and I'm ready to face the day.

 

[Whilliam]

Noxzema (though I'm currently using Wally's house brand). Doesn't strip the oil from my face, and leaves my whiskers slick, hydrated and ready to lather.

 

[duke4423]

I shave before shower. So I use a small amount of any cheap shaving cream in tube like Palmolive or Godrej to wash my face before I apply lather. This has given me very good results.

 

[EternalBachelor]

Water.