Pre shave commercial or otherwise.

[bald as]

I have always been pretty basic with my shaves but since taking hold of a cut throat I have noticed prep is just that bit more important.

So!! ?

Do you use any particular pre treatment? Is it an off the shelf product or something you have built yourself? For any type of wet shaving method.

I have never tried the Proraso pre shaves or equivalent so what say ye?

I have made a nice pre shave oil in the past but do find oil of any small amount on my skin using a straight causes me issues when stretching the skin and concern with razor movement.

 

[khun_diddy]

I have used the green & the white Prorasos. I love the smell of the green in particular but I haven't used them for a long time. I find that soap alone is slippery enough as is.

My pre-shave routine is simply splashing on cold water, the colder the better.

 

[bald as]

@khun_diddy I suppose next you will be telling me to use a good olive oil based shaving soap

 

[Pjotr]

..........My pre-shave routine is simply splashing on cold water, the colder the better.

Hot water. When I'm a bit worried that the water isn't quite hot enough I console myself in the knowledge that there are people mad enough to use cold water and obviously get away with it.

 

[Nick the Knife]

I'm with @Pjotr , hot water is a must. Hair follicles swell and are much easier to cut when they've been hydrated (test with with you face dry/unsoaked and AFTER a shower where they've been exposed to water for 3-5mins+ - HUGE difference!). Hot water hydrates the hair follicle faster than cold water, though I'm sure the latter could still work if you gave it enough time - though I suspect there's a good reason barbers have used steaming hot towels on your face pre-shave for hundreds of yrs. Again this said I don't mind using cold water for the ACTUAL shave on very hot days in summer, does make for a nice change of pace.

I'm a complete doubter on pre-shave oils or pre-shave soaps. I'm not saying these don't work rather that IMHO they won't add anything if you're properly preparing & applying a reasonable quality shaving soap. So if one is rushing a shave etc they could well have a place but otherwise I think they're somewhat redundant.

 

[filobiblic]

It's always great to follow @Nick the Knife with the opposite opinion. [emoji13]

I've been using the Occams Pre-Shave soap for a few months now and find it gives a greater slickness to my shaves. (I'm fairly certain @alfredus is a fan of the Occams Pre-Shave as well.) I usually use it if I'm not having a shower immediately before I shave. I apply a bit and then hand lather it, before using a hot water soaked face towel applied to the throat/face area.

I've also used the Proraso Pre/Post Green in summer and that's quite refreshing. Not sure if it adds extra slickness- but certainly adds menthol to the shave!

 

[gthomas04]

It's always great to follow @Nick the Knife with the opposite opinion. [emoji13]

I've been using the Occams Pre-Shave soap for a few months now and find it gives a greater slickness to my shaves. (I'm fairly certain @alfredus is a fan of the Occams Pre-Shave as well.) I usually use it if I'm not having a shower immediately before I shave. I apply a bit and then hand lather it, before using a hot water soaked face towel applied to the throat/face area.

I've also used the Proraso Pre/Post Green in summer and that's quite refreshing. Not sure if it adds extra slickness- but certainly adds menthol to the shave!

If you analyse your reply @filobiblic you are not coming up with the opposite opinion to @Nick the Knife but validating his post. You apply some pre-shave stuff and then apply a hot water soaked towel to your face/neck. This I suspect would remove your pre-shave stuff and instead as @Nick the Knife suggested help expand and soften the hair making it smoother to remove. Try an experiment one day with just the hot towel. Might save you a few cents and take up one less line in your SOTD postings.

 

[Dale.Whiley]

Cold water shaves everyday (hey, when the shave apocalypse comes I figure all the power will be turned off too so I may as well get used to it now) with the bloom water from my soap rubbed into my face/stubble before I lather up.

 

[filobiblic]

If you analyse your reply @filobiblic you are not coming up with the opposite opinion to @Nick the Knife but validating his post. You apply some pre-shave stuff and then apply a hot water soaked towel to your face/neck. This I suspect would remove your pre-shave stuff and instead as @Nick the Knife suggested help expand and soften the hair making it smoother to remove. Try an experiment one day with just the hot towel. Might save you a few cents and take up one less line in your SOTD postings.

You're right in that it's not quite the opposite. But still slightly different.

Barbers often use hot towel over lather. A pre-shave soap is often a high glycerine soap. I find that even after applying the hot towel, there's a terrific slickness left over on my skin.

I agree that the hair on your face must be hydrated, but I feel a pre-shave gives the skin slickness (& also cleans the face/pores).

(And I never post my pre-shave in my SOTD as it would be repetitive.)

 

[alfredus]

For me it is a balancing act of hydrating the whiskers, but not hydrating my skin. That's why I do mostly cold water shaves and Occams nicely hydrates with glycerine...

I used to do hot towels, but cold water is just better for my skin. It is a bit of blade killer and using the shavette is problematic. But with a good DE/blade combo it is certainly the right way for me.

 

[StueyB]

I'm still undecided on pre-shave oils, they definetly help with my skin and to soften my whiskers but I don't think they really help with glide.
Pre-shave soaps definetly help to keep water on my face long enough for my whiskers to hydrate, especially when I'm shaving without showering first.
My all time favourite, especially in summer, is the proraso green pre-shave. It definitely has a softening effect on my whiskers but can react with some soaps to feel waxy. So now I always rinse it off prior to applying lather.
I've done half face tests with proraso pre-shave and the side that had proraso applied always had a more comfortable shave.