Do I need a Pre Shave treatment.

Lose the beard

Lose the beard

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Essex, UK
I'm new to this DE shaving, just waiting for my razor to turn up.

I can Wet Shave with a Gillette Fusion and some dodgy Gillette Gel without any pain or rash so I'm assuming my skin is not exactly sensitive, but I keep seeing Pre Shave Oils and balms, which I've never come across before.

Are they needed, or is it purely down to personal preference.

I intend to use some proper shaving Soap with a proper lather, and I have ordered some After Shave balm as well, along with an Alum block in case of some minor scrapes.

Is there anything else I'm missing.

Oh yes, I have also ordered a selection of blades.
 
I'm also new, and I learned LOADS from mantic59's YouTube channel. Fortunately I had already been using soap and a brush, so that wasn't new (except for the amount of lather!). I looked at oils etc and was told that olive oil was just as good ... by my local barber!
 
Having tried several pre shave products and practices I now stick to showering first then before applying lather I just rinse my face again and leave it wet. All other things I tried did not make a significant difference to the effectiveness of my shave.

But if you are tempted, I doubt we will deter you!
 
I've been DE shaving for two weeks. I sometimes use a couple of drops of pre shave oil before I apply a hot towel to my face, but this is more because I like the menthol scent than anything.

Best advice I can offer is wash your face really well, make sure stubble is as warm and as wet as you can get it. Then REALLY work that lather. I spend more time lathering and working that lather into my stubble than I do actually shaving.

As Mister G said, the Mantic59 vids are a really good point of reference. Id deffo reccomend checking those out.

Good luck buddy, and dont be afraid to ask as many questions as you feel might help you. The guys here are really friendly, and theres no such thing as a stupid question!
 
Lose the beard said:
I can Wet Shave with a Gillette Fusion and some dodgy Gillette Gel without any pain or rash so I'm assuming my skin is not exactly sensitive, but I keep seeing Pre Shave Oils and balms, which I've never come across before.

Are they needed, or is it purely down to personal preference.
Click to expand...

Hi there,

Some people do use pre shave stuff with good results, but I think the majority doesn't get into it. If it helps, then great, but I don't think there's a need to start out using a pre anything. Yeah, you definitely need a prep of some kind, but often just a hot towel applied for 1-2 minutes does the trick.

Anyway, it's one point of view to consider,

Martin
 
Preshave oils gained some credence because the canned crap is so shit, once you start prepping and lathering properly with good product you won't really need any pre shave.
 
Thanks all for your rapid responses, what an excellent and helpful forum this is.

Hopefully I will be able to return the favour one day when I know what I am talking about.

I think I'll see how I go for now without any Pre Shave Oils, Sticking with my normal routine of having a shower in the morning when I come back from walking the dogs, then shaving straight after I get out of the shower.

I can always buy some later if I find I need it.
 
I've been using a mix of mainly Noxzema and natural oils that I put on after a warm water wash. I use it as a face cream/cleaner and it does seem to make a difference in the shave and also the way my skin feels. Cost is minimal and I think it's worth it.
 
A hot shower should soften things up as well as anything, it's all most of us do for prep. Having said that I have some pre shave oil (I've had it about a year, it's still half full) and I do occasionally put some on. I don't think it helps the shave but it smells really good and it just feels nice to massage the face for a minute. So I do it purely for the enjoyment of the process when I have the time.
Get some if you want, it won't harm your shave but it's not necessary for a good result.
 
Lose the beard said:
I can Wet Shave with a Gillette Fusion and some dodgy Gillette Gel without any pain or rash....
Click to expand...

Just an observation, but if you are shaving with this set-up and not suffering any irritation, why are you looking for pre-shave treatments?

If you are okay with your current set-up, I would stick with it.

Jules
 
I want to abandon the Gillette fusion as the blades are very expensive and only last a few days.
I was just inquiring what I should do when switching to a DE razor, as I wasn't sure if I needed any more pre or post shave treatment.
 
I use alt innsbruck pre and post emulsion sometimes before lathering, there does appear to be a small improvement but not massive. The main benefit is the smell and the effect of the menthol on the skin.
 
sjedwardz said:
I use proraso pre every now and then, not too sure it makes much of a difference but I do like the tingle from the menthol.
Click to expand...

i usually use prorasso because it makes your face slightly sticky so it helps with face lathering if your stubble doesn't grow evenly
 
I shower, leave face wet and lather up with Vergulde Hand shave stick. Let the lather on for 4-5 minutes then rinse and put on Klar Kabinett (also used as a stick) to shave. Must admit I am not sure if the "pre-shave lather" adds anything to the shower, but as I have a hugh stock of Vergulde Hand sticks, it is a way of getting "rid" of them.
 
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