Witch Hazel used in preshave

[MattyG]

Today I tried something different because I was really tired and not thinking straight.

Had a shower which I washed my face with preshave soap as usual, then I wasnt thinking and applied Witch Hazel instead of the shave soap to my face to soak in while im making a lather.

I realised as soon as I smelt it what I have done, but thought I would give it I shot. I proceeded to make my lather, splash my face with hot water just before I applied the lather and proceeded to shave.

The result? The smoothest shave of my life. The area where I normally have trouble shaving (lower third of my neck) was no issue.

I then rinsed with hot water, applied Witch Hazel again and then cold water and aftershave balm.

So give it a shot and let me know your results.

 

[dpmtherrien]

Never thought of using witch hazel before shaving. When I think about it though, it does make sense as it'll get the skin really clean. I'd think it would remove any protective oils though, but I'm going to have to give it at least one try. We'll see how it works out.

 

[Hughies_online]

Hmmm. I never thought of it as a preshave. I'll give it a go too

 

[BROWNS]

WH being an astringent and closing pores might cut down on irritation, maybe there's something to be said for that? Hm, worth a shot!

 

[WittyAg]

I rubbed some witch hazel in about 30 minutes before my shave, and then went through my normal routine. Got a pretty good shave without any irritation so it definitely didn't negatively impact anything.

 

[tgarza]

I'll have to give this a try.

 

[MattyG]

The onlything with the closing of the pores might be a less smooth shave, so I guess it might be alright for beginners that are more likely to apply too much pressure etc in order to cut down on irritation

 

[MattyG]

I tried this again today. Had a very comfortable shave with no nicks or cuts.

It was also one of the best shaves I have had, if not only because I could go against the grain on my face.

Im convinced that applying witch hazel preshave is fantastic for reducing cuts etc

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

I'll need to try this. It beats using the olive oil from the kitchen, and would be a lot cheaper than using brand name pre-shave oils.

 

[tgarza]

I was going to try this but, I couldnt get up the nerve. I dont need to fix something that isnt broken.

 

[MattyG]

True, but where is the spice in life if you dont mix stuff up occasionally?

 

[taffy]

Fancy trying it once but not to keen to apply w/h every day as it does dry your skin out i am currently using w/h as a aftershave product before my a/s itself goes on but only use it twice a week and a alum block the rest, worth having a go though i suppose.

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

Great Scot! I tried your little suggestion just about 5 minutes ago, and I must say that I am in eternal gratitude. Today I got my first BBS (99% anyway. I don't think my Adam's apple will every be BBS), no nicks no weepers, no irritation. This is a great day in shave history. I'd like to say that my technique just got amazing overnight, but we all know that's not true. This is how I got it:
1) applied olive oil
2) shower
3) witch hazel
4) shave soap
5) Wilkinson's Sword DE's, in a Gillette Slim set to 5
6) Baby Butt Smooth!



Edit: as an important note the witch hazel I am using is the Thayer's Medicated Superhazel. I don't think my result would have been as good with a normal WH.

 

[just1nsturm]

Interesting. I would have never thought that witchhazel as preshave would yield good results, as it is an astringent.

 

[MattyG]

Great Scot! I tried your little suggestion just about 5 minutes ago, and I must say that I am in eternal gratitude. Today I got my first BBS (99% anyway. I don't think my Adam's apple will every be BBS), no nicks no weepers, no irritation. This is a great day in shave history. I'd like to say that my technique just got amazing overnight, but we all know that's not true. This is how I got it:
1) applied olive oil
2) shower
3) witch hazel
4) shave soap
5) Wilkinson's Sword DE's, in a Gillette Slim set to 5
6) Baby Butt Smooth!



Edit: as an important note the witch hazel I am using is the Thayer's Medicated Superhazel. I don't think my result would have been as good with a normal WH.

Congrats and Im glad I could help.

Like I said, I came across this completely by accident but was impressed by the shave I got so I thought I would pass it on

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

I have to wonder if the astringent properties hold the hairs on end when the WH closes the pores. Anybody have any thoughts on this new phenomenon, and why it seems to work?

 

[grump]

Actually, I've read some shaving creams contain witch hazel. So there may be something to that.
I'm going to give it a go.

 

[Tzar]

Interesting idea...

I'm going to give it a go tomorrow morning and see what it does for me. I'll report back.

 

[DirtyDave]

I am going to guess that the main ingredient in a bottle of witch hazel is water and water is the main substance that softens hair. A possibility is that the astringent properties in witch hazel integrates and binds water molecules into the hair, softening the stubble.

Just a guess and I could very well be wrong. I will give it a go tomorrow.

 

[Topgumby]

Oooh, Andy, they've figured out my secret.