Source
r/wicked_edge•
DigitalCamel

About two weeks in to my DE addiction. Pre shave?

I have spent my entire life thus far dreading the morning shave. Wet shaving has turned my loathing of a daily chore into something I genuinely enjoy. I know I should shave after a shower and washing my face but after reading through here I see a lot of pre shave products being used. Is there an oil or cream I should be trying to up my experience? So far my shaves have been great but there is certainly room for improvement. At least my razor bumps have completely gone away. Sorry about the newb question. Thanks so much in advance.

Pic of my current little set up, http://i.imgur.com/LvaJNZal.jpg

tl;dr spend my money on a pre shave product

Posted Feb 1, 2015, 3:17 AM UTC

410
LeisureguyGourmet Shaver•

Preshaves work for some, not for others, like everything else in shaving. So you have to experiment. With any preshave product or routine: use it a week, skip it a week, use it another week and then decide based on your own direct experience.

For me, preshave oils, creams, salves, and gels failed the test. What did work (for me) was washing my beard at the sink following the shower, using a high-glycerin soap, rinsing partially with a splash, and then applying lather. (But test that using the 3-week test: it may not work for you, particularly if you have hard water.)

Some good soaps for this: Musgo Real Glyce Lime Oil soap (MR GLO), or Whole Foods 365 brand glycerin soap, or Dr. Bronner's bar soap, or Clearly Natural glycerin soap. Some shaving vendors also offer a high-glycerin pre-shave soap---for example, this RazoRock pre-shave soap is available from several vendors.

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DigitalCamelOP•

Thank you so much. I'll give one of the soaps a shot first. Your posts in this subreddit have seriously influenced what I've bought so far. I thank you very much for that.

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LeisureguyGourmet Shaver•

You're welcome. I'm delighted that you're enjoying your shaves.

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bambooshinobi•

I sometimes use prwshaves I sometimes use hand lather then hot towel depending on how pressed for time I am.

I personally use either Proraso preshave gel or Jack Black beard lube as per shave when I decode to. For me it makes a considerable difference. But you might have different results. Proraso is pretty cheap so if you wanted to try it that would be the route to go I think. Jack blacks line is pretty expensive but it is nice.

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DigitalCamelOP•

Thank you for the suggestions. I'm willing to give anything a shot. My beard is insanely wirey so I am hoping it improves the the discomfort in the neck region. I have a feeling my wife is going to be upset at the amount of products I will have in our bathroom in the near future.

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DigitalCamelOP•

Not sure if this belongs here but I received my first little set up as a gift and the blades I got just don't agree with my face. I have a sampler and have found different ones I like better already. If anyone is interested in free crystal de razor blades I'm willing to pay them forward. I have about 5 or 6 sealed packs I can send.

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SPAtreatmentShave Ship•

Coconut Oil is a great pre shave. Noxema too.

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DigitalCamelOP•

Wow thanks, I actually have coconut oil already. Never would of thought of that!

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Cadinsor•

If you are going to use a pre-shave oil, be sure to use the minimum required to create a slick layer on your face. Too much oil can actually lead to clogging of the razor, as the oil becomes viscous rathe than slick and traps the hair. Also note that some oils can make it harder to create and maintain a stable lather, especially if you are face lathering directly over the oil.

If interested, check out Part 1 of my wetshaving tutorial for some additional pre-shave advice.

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wvu_samNoob•

I've been putting a very thin layer of Noxzema on before each pass and it seems to help. I need to experiment with not doing it for a week now that I've settled in on a blade and soaps.

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