The Importance Of Pre-Shave Oil

Shaving oil? I for one would never use shaving oil by itself as some products claim you can do. Not with my sensitive skin! However I do use shaving oil every time I shave and it proves to be a great additive to get a good comfortable experience.

"That's all you need!"

I saw a video made by a company that sold shaving oil and as I watched the guy shave with it I thought "What a mess, And it has got to hurt!" At the end of the video, he said "such and such shaving oil. That's all you need!" and he was smiling like he had won the lottery. So one day, while I was at Wal-Mart, I picked up a bottle of Shave Secret. I thought, for three bucks why not give it a try.

Shave Secret

Shave Secret is a shaving oil that is promoted as a stand alone product that will give you perfect shaves without shaving cream. Three or four drops rubbed into your stubble is all that is needed before you shave (so says the directions.) If you need more lubrication just add water or a couple of more drops of oil.

Well, I was game (or lame) and gave it a try. The first time I added five or six drops and applied it to the face. After a couple of WTG passes I knew I had made a mistake. This stuff just didn't work for me like it was advertised to do. I pulled out the shaving soap and finished the shave. Funny thing is, when you look at Amazon, it has hundreds of 5 star ratings. All it did for me was pull the whiskers, give me razor burns and cuts. Not a pleasant shave. Disillusioned, I put it away in my drawer.

As a pre-shave

After a couple of months I began to think about it as a pre-shave. After I got out of the shower I applied three or four drops to my finger tips and rubbed it in. I let it sit there for about a minute or so as I got things ready for the shave. When I lathered up and started shaving I paid attention to the feel and if it was making a difference. I should say it did. The first WTG pass went a lot smother and the tugging was significantly reduced. I didn't bother to reapply between passes because at that time, the majority of the growth was removed.

I finished my shave was really happy at the way my neck and chin felt. It was as if nothing had been pulled out of the skin as I shaved. I started making it a part of my daily shaving routine ever since.

Does it really work?

Somersets

The only thing I can say about how it works (at least for me) is that when applied to the beard growth, it saturates the beard and leaves it oily slick on the outside and it seems on the inside as it penetrates. Not all oils seems to penetrate. Just those that are thinner and have a menthol, eucalyptus additive. At least that the way it feels for me. Since then I've picked up a bottle of  Somerset' s oil and routine use it in rotation with the shave secret. It is a little more expensive, but the menthol content is higher and the oil a little thicker. Both work great.

One evening, I was running late and had to do a quick shave and so I skipped the pre-shave oil and went straight to the lather and shave. I knew I was in trouble. The blade grabbed the whiskers and pulled as it cut. It was very noticeable, right down to the last pass. Afterwards, my skin was sore, and the razor burn was more noticeable. The extremely sensitive part of my neck reminded me all day that I had made a terrible decision by avoiding the oil.

The next day, I went back to the pre-shave oil and shaved with the same blade. I came away with a baby bottom smooth shave without irritation. Never again will I shave without the pre-shave oil.

Not a time killer

I am always trying to think of ways to reduce the amount of time I spend on the shave. Some guys can stand in front of the mirror for a have hour and clutter up the sink with all kinds of things that take forever to clean up and put away.  If it adds any significant amount of time, I don't do it. I'm a night shaver and just don't have the time to devote to vanity. I want a great, close shave as quick as I can get it. For me the goal is ten minutes from the time I pull my shaving gear out of the drawer until the last item is cleaned and put away.

Application of the oil takes just a few seconds and the "soaking in" time is about a minute. After I shower, I apply the oil and then use this time to get dressed,  comb the hair and get out the soap and razor. When it is all said and done, the few seconds spent is well worth the investment. The best thing about Shave Secret and Somersets is that it doesn't gunk up your razor or brush or leave your face with an oily feel. Just baby smooth and pain free.