wikipedia says shaving oil = olive oil

[vincent]

Read in Wikipedia:
"Olive oil is an effective and economical shaving oil."
Anybody can corroborate this?
And also, how exactly do you use shaving oil? I am thinking of using a drop under my jaw for my buffing pass. What is your experience with that?

 

[bandrus1]

yep olive oil works fine...... you put it on after your prep and pre lather

helps protect your skin

some argue it also hurts the shave because it doesnt let the lather get to the hair of your beard

I use oil every shave

 

[vincent]

Just a few drops before lather right? Doesn't it interfere with the soap, if I face lather? And does it wash well?

 

[bandrus1]

ahhh face lathering is a bit of a concern but not impossible...

and yes a little goes a long long ways

I use shave oil from wal mart and the bottle says 2 to 3 drops and some hot water...

 

[jstutman]

so if a bottle of shaving oil says "all natural ingredients" its just a bottle of olive oil? Does this mean, the olive oil in my kitchen cabinet can be used?

 

[BroJohn]

From an old post...

LeisureGuy's Shave Oil

A commenter suggested making one’s own shave oil, so I came up with:

Leisureguy’s Last-Pass Shaving Oil: After an experimental batch, I’m now using the following formula. As noted above, I’m not using Jojoba oil because (a) it didn’t seem to add anything special, and (b) all the other oils are cooking oils—so that if I mix up a little batch and have some left over, I can then just pour the leftover oil into the sauté pan or onto a salad (before any essential oils are added, of course).

2 parts Almond oil
2 parts Avocado oil
2 parts Olive oil
1 part Grapeseed oil
1 part Macadamia nut oil
1-2 drops essential oil(s) (for fragrance)—or however much you want

The essential oils I picked to try: sandalwood, lemon, vanilla, neroli, ylang ylang, and majmua. (One at a time, generally speaking, though I did do a batch of lemon + vanilla, which was very nice.) It’s important, BTW, to add only one (1) drop of the essential oil and then try the mix—you can always add another drop if needed, but removing a drop is impossible.

Useful equivalences for making small batches: 2 Tbs = 1 fluid ounce, and 3 tsp = 1 Tbs. Knowing this, you can readily figure out how many ounces you’ll make if you use regular measuring spoons: for example, if 1 part = 1 tsp, the result 1 1/3 fl oz. If 1 part = 1 Tbsp, the result is 4 fl oz (which is 1/2 cup).

All the oils listed have well established histories of cosmetic use and don’t go quickly rancid (as, say, flaxseed oil would). They are all listed as being good for the skin. And with the Jojoba oil out of the mix, they are all cooking oils.

I don't use shave oils myself, but they have a following that waxes and wanes. Have fun with the above.

-- John Gehman

 

[SUMMERSRL]

One common receipt is 1/3rd Olive Oil to 2/3rd Castor Oil. Plus a few drops of your favorite essential oil. This is the receipt I use.

Pre-shave oil helps preserve the hydration of your skin. So... it is best applied while the face is wet. I put mine on just before I get out of the shower. I suspect it will have no benefit used as an aid to buffing.

I bowl lather. My brush is full of lather when I first apply it to my face. I've never had my brush negatively impacted by the pre-shave oil. I do not know how face lathering may impact the affects of the pre-shave oil on your brush. However, since lather is made from soap I suspect it won't have as negative an impact as you may believe.

Good luck finding a routine that works for you.....

 

[shmeegs]

I just might give this a try, thanks for the advice.

 

[christopherh]

I gave up on shave cream and brush about 6 months ago and went with olive oil only. I've had wonderful results ever since. Plenty (and I mean plenty) of forgiveness when 'overshaving' an area. I use a Gillette Slim Adjustable on 9 and do 2 passes - one WTG and one ATG (except my neck - that's a second pass of WTG), and use Feather blades. I have yet to cut myself or have any razor burn since switching. To top it all off - my skin is super smooth and moisturized after I'm done. I do about 8 drops of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with damp hands on the first path. Second pass is with about 4 drops. Best shaves I have ever got - and I've tried lots and lots of creams, soaps, etc...

The only issue I have is hair sticks to the razor and is kind of a pain to get off. I solved that problem by getting an extra toothbrush to do a quick scrub a couple of times throughout my shave routine. Problem solved!

Give it a try... might not be for everyone, but I doubt I'll ever go back to any other method.

Sometimes I think we overcomplicate things. This is simple, cheap, and it works.

 

[Kevan]

Read in Wikipedia:
"Olive oil is an effective and economical shaving oil."
Anybody can corroborate this?
And also, how exactly do you use shaving oil? I am thinking of using a drop under my jaw for my buffing pass. What is your experience with that?

The ancient Romans used olive oil for shaving. I'm sure it works fine.

 

[flycbyrd]

I use olive oil in place of glycerin in super lather, it works, while its probalby not exactly the same it will produce an ultra slick and heavy lather

 

[BillC]

If you've already got some oiive oil in the kitchen - give it a try. For me, olive oil is too heavy for a pre-shave oil. I didn't like the AOS oil which is Olive Oil and Castor Oil. I'm currently using Em's Place oil which is made from:

Ingredients: Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel, Prunus Dulcis (Sweet Almond), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba), Rosa Mosqueta (Rosehip), Oenothers Biennis (Evening Primrose), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary Extract), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Salix nigra (Black Willow Bark) and Essential Oils of Lavender and Tea Tree.