Pb - Pre Shave Balm

[Pbgoose]

@nav1 got me thinking about my pre shave routine this week and I thought 'why limit myself to Coconut oil?'. @borked , I couldn't wait for the Argan oil to turn up so started without it.
So off I went wandering into another branch of the rabbit hole with nothing but a candle i.e. probably should've done some more research before going into the kitchen, but there's always 'trial & error' right?, after all it's only my face??!!.......... nav1, you need to live a little closer so I can use you as guinea pig.
Anyway.. first batch produced an emulsion that I have no idea how it will perform but looks like it might have potential. I noticed some use soap as part of their pre shave routine and other various products so I went for a semi soap that is probably more an oily cream. It feels the part on the face but I didn't leave it on long so it won't get a proper run til tomorrow's shave.

Ingredients: Coconut oil, Castor oil, Borage oil, Evening primrose oil, Filtered water (RO), Aloe Vera, KOH, Cetyl Alcohol, essential oils.
Essential oils: Lavandin, Basil, Rosemary, Black Pepper, Spearmint, Camphor.

I'm interested in what others think about what they like in pre shave products. Does oily skin come into the equation? I've assumed not in that most pre shave products are oily to create additional slickness?
As example the Alt-Innsbruck product is pre and aftershave. How does that balance out? Is it oily enough for pre shave and is it too oily for aftershave? I've never purchased pre shave products so I'm only speculating.
@Mark1966 ,wasn't sure if this is in the appropriate forum?

 

[fruityasu]

@nav1 got me thinking about my pre shave routine this week and I thought 'why limit myself to Coconut oil?'. @borked , I couldn't wait for the Argan oil to turn up so started without it.
So off I went wandering into another branch of the rabbit hole with nothing but a candle i.e. probably should've done some more research before going into the kitchen, but there's always 'trial & error' right?, after all it's only my face??!!.......... nav1, you need to live a little closer so I can use you as guinea pig.
Anyway.. first batch produced an emulsion that I have no idea how it will perform but looks like it might have potential. I noticed some use soap as part of their pre shave routine and other various products so I went for a semi soap that is probably more an oily cream. It feels the part on the face but I didn't leave it on long so it won't get a proper run til tomorrow's shave.

Ingredients: Coconut oil, Castor oil, Borage oil, Evening primrose oil, Filtered water (RO), Aloe Vera, KOH, Cetyl Alcohol, essential oils.
Essential oils: Lavandin, Basil, Rosemary, Black Pepper, Spearmint, Camphor.

I'm interested in what others think about what they like in pre shave products. Does oily skin come into the equation? I've assumed not in that most pre shave products are oily to create additional slickness?
As example the Alt-Innsbruck product is pre and aftershave. How does that balance out? Is it oily enough for pre shave and is it too oily for aftershave? I've never purchased pre shave products so I'm only speculating.
@Mark1966 ,wasn't sure if this is in the appropriate forum?

Hi Pbgoose....I have an oily completion but still enjoy using a pre-shave most times for that extra protection/slickness....Interested to see what feed back you get....

 

[nav1]

Very nice Bruce!!

Personally, I've tried so many pre shave products, such as oils, emulsions, lotions and soaps (specific pre shave and also good quality glycerin bars).

Honestly, I find that for my skin, oils always work the best. My main skin problem is that when it even a little dry, I feel the blade too much on my skin and also end up with many weepers.

If I add just a few drops of oil, my skin becomes supple enough to not get irritated or nicked.

Before DE shaving, I used shave oils and mach 3 and all my skin troubles went away due to switching from canned gels to the oils. But the draw to traditional soaps, brushes and razors as too strong otherwise I was actually very happy with the mach3/oil combo.

I always had the notion that nothing can improve on a good soap making a good lather. What I've actually realised is that soap, no matter how super-fatted, will also have its limitations for what it can do for the skin. On the most part, this is fine. But when my skin is dry, even my best soaps don't prevent the negative results. Since adding back pre shave oil, my shave is more comfortable, closer, smoother skin and better complexion.
I'm firmly back in the pre shave oil camp.

A note on pre shave soaps:
They just plain didn't work for me. I guess it's illogical to think a pre shave soap is going to achieve what a great shaving soap couldn't. I guess the alkaline nature of soap is just not conducive to moisturizing my skin beyond a certain level.

The climate is also a huge factor. When I was at my sis in law's place last year, I was having the most awesome shaves and it struck me later on that it was very humid there and skin dryness was just not a possibility (in fact, I had to wash my face 3 times a day to get rid of the oil build-up!).

Proraso lotion type pre shaves did nothing for my skin or my shave. It's one of the most useless products I've ever used!

I should add that Somersets shave oil is the gold standard IMO. I've used a ton of shave oils and this formula has been perfected!!

 

[sealer]

For what I know, oily skin came onto the equation, and skin by itself, as there are people that notices the effect than others (in my experience, the less protective the lather is, the better the effect of pre-shave products). Actually I was reading a bit about different oils being better than others as pre-shave, depending on how oily is the skin. I have also readed about interfering with face lathering, but if I face lather, I don't use because face lathering is already 'preparing' the skin IMO.
Of course some hot water, some glicerin soap, or a shower, helps, but I know people that had to use some extra. There are people using DIY pre-shave oil recipes also. I have experience only with two products of pre-shave, the proraso, and emulsion myrsol, and I prefer the lather. BTW, the texture of your balm reminds me quite a lot to Myrsol emulsion. I'll take a picture of it spreaded somewhere and post it here later, at the time of uploading my SOTD

 

[sealer]

here it is:

 

[Pbgoose]

here it is:

Thanks @sealer , looks like it's a similar 'type' of formulation as what I did.
Ingredients of the Italian Barber site:
Ingredients: Aqua, stearic acid, triethanolamine, lanolin, glycerin, sodium, methylparaben, menthol and parfum.
What's the Myrsol emulsion like to use? Does it feel more like soap or oily cream?

 

[sealer]

Thanks @sealer , looks like it's a similar 'type' of formulation as what I did.
Ingredients of the Italian Barber site:
Ingredients: Aqua, stearic acid, triethanolamine, lanolin, glycerin, sodium, methylparaben, menthol and parfum.
What's the Myrsol emulsion like to use? Does it feel more like soap or oily cream?

I feel it more like an oily-liquid cream than a soap, but it does not left the skin oily at all.