Pre-shave oils, do i need them?

D

DPTC

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So i've never used a pre-shave product before my shaves, i shave 3 times a week and usually get a good close comfortable shave. Sometimes i'll get a few spots and breakouts and stuff but no real irritation or redness.

I've been reading about pre-shave oils and lotions, to help with the shave process. Been looking at the Edwin Jagger pre-shave lotion in particular, thinking of giving this a go as i've heard good things.

Don't want to use an oil though as apparently it messes up your razor?
 
I find proraso pre shave cream the best option, it leaves the skin feeling cool (before and after the shave) and provides a nice slick base layer before any shaving cream/soap is added. I recently tried a shave without the above and found it more tuggy and slightly heated, (all other variables kept the same) so for me its well worth it
 
I have the EJ Mentholated pre/post shave cream. It's fun ... cooling and acts as an extra glide for the soap or cream on top. Completely and utterly abstracted, it probably is not strictly necessary but nice to use as part of the ritual. It is fun as a post-shave cream, applied as a tiny dot to a cold wet face. Lovely menthol breeze.

Otherwise, if I'm using a soap, I use olive oil as a pre-shave. Yup! Just olive oil ... then the soap. I find this help prevent the soap from drying my face out. That's where it can make a difference.

Messes up your razor? Nah ...
 
As you shave every other day, I'm not sure a PSO would benefit you greatly - a shower and a good lather are what you need.

On stubble, I find a PSO very useful. Out of the shower, on with PSO, cup of coffee and TSR and email, into the bathroom and on with Proraso Green Pre-Shave and by the time I lather up my beard is soft and slippy, razor passes as smoothly as smooth.

Not all PSos are equal and you must find what suits you. As for clogging the razor, all I can guess is very hard water and soap scum.. The oil is neutralised by the application of soap/lather - it is a very light oil, even the more viscous ones.
 
This is more of a pre-shave lotion than an oil, apparently many top barbers use it too.

I usually shower in the evening, so pre-shave i wash with a cleanser, hot flannel then proceed to lather the cream onto my face.
 
I've used Proraso Pre in the past, but found that my skin feels best when I use the fewest possible products. (I stopped using witch hazel and alum post-shave for the same reason.) You just have to experiment and decide what works best for you.
 
My personal experience is that it makes very little difference in the shave.

The post shave using an oil however is quite different. Sometimes it suits sometimes it doesn't.

I do worry about my brush and the oil however.
 
Not an oil user, but I do use Proraso pre-shave cream, as I can't shave from the shower (disability) and therefore wash my face and do a hot flannel prep to soften my beard growth. Using the Proraso helps keep the growth nice and soft when I'm using a soap (while loading the brush I can find my growth drying-out and losing some of the softness from the hot flannel), and, even when I use a cream (where there's no delay which would let my face dry-out, the pre-shave does seem to improve the razor glide, even with optimal lather..
 
DPTC said:
So i've never used a pre-shave product before my shaves, i shave 3 times a week and usually get a good close comfortable shave. Sometimes i'll get a few spots and breakouts and stuff but no real irritation or redness.

I've been reading about pre-shave oils and lotions, to help with the shave process. Been looking at the Edwin Jagger pre-shave lotion in particular, thinking of giving this a go as i've heard good things.

Don't want to use an oil though as apparently it messes up your razor?
Click to expand...

Village barber oil and balm.. I also shave 3 times a week, shave using the village barber oil as a pre shave oil applied to my face straight out of the shower. Personally I find it works well with cella but one mans meat is another mans poison. The oil also can be used on its own for wet shaving!!?? I was dubious of this at first but boy do I get a close shave and along with the balm my skin feels very good.
Some time ago there was a discount code on here, not sure if it still applies though.
 
Ok the EJ pre-shave lotion arrived earlier today, will report back on how it goes after my next shave!

Thanks for the replies everyone, seems like the majority don't seem to think a pre-shave product is really needed!
 
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