How Important is Preshave oil?

Your perception is your reality.

 

There is a big rift in the wet shave community on whether or not to use PSO, and im glad @Bama Samurai added the other side.
I believe PSO helps. But i agree that if your lathering skills are great, you may not need it. For beginners, those with course hair, or those with seriously sharp tools (like shavettes), I feel PSO can make a big difference. As such, this is why i recommend a 1 week challenge with a great (but cheap) PSO like shave secret. If it doesnt work, no loss. If you love it, then you have scored bigtime.

 

Evidence that folks can get caught up in the minutiae of any or seemingly every aspect of wet shaving.
We're discussing the varied processes of facial (in most cases) hair removal (or more accurately, reduction). If some one wants to oil up before lathering or not is a personal choice, not one that needs to be settled once and for all by a community at large. The relative importance of shaving oil and the use thereof is dependent upon the individual—not a communal decision.

 

My perception of chemistry or economics? Opinion is great and all, but some things are just facts. My main point is that commercial PSO is the worst of the choices due to its insane price point. Commercial PSO is designed to make tons of money, any benefit to the shaver is merely incidental. People that use PSO have developed a lather technique that compensates for the chemical clash, and naturally, if getting good results, should and will continue. But as far as necessary goes, you can put me in the unnecessary (but maybe helpful to some, somehow) camp.

It's your face, oil it (or not) your way.

 

I wasn't talking specifically about your perception, but John Q. Public's perception.
My point was toward how people feel about the "functionality" of PSO, if they think it works or not. If John Q. perceive it works for him, then the reality is it works for him.

 

Apologies for being grumpy. Correct.

 

How is the exposure on this killer razor?

 

I wanted to jump in here: where I am in Canada, Shave Secret will run $9-$15 before shipping. I find that prohibitive for 100ml. Also, Art of Shaving is sold at expensive cosmetics stores, so I am not optimistic about free samples. However I am able mix 1L of my own for $14 (no shipping) based on tested recipes listed elsewhere on this forum.

I think my situation is a great case study for when an oil could help someone who normally does not need it. I have never heard anyone say that pso made their face less slick, so that was the question I was asking.

About pso being a delicate balance of oils: I am not sure that available information supports this. If you look at the recipes elsewhere on this forum, it suggests that the proportions really are a matter of taste. Someone even said that they use olive oil alone in a pinch. There is no chemical reaction here that would require precise proportions between the oils. But yes, experience would guide a professional to optimize the formula toward particular tastes.

I will find castor oil and create the 3:1 mixture recommended. I have also found where I can get proraso preshave cream. So I will test both of these and report back when I am able.

If pso can help some men under some conditions then it's a good thing!

 

I don't think you'll find a single person on these forums who would argue against your point that commercial pre-shave oil is extremely overpriced. That's why the homebrew recipe exists in the tutorial section. However, there are some relatively inexpensive solutions like the aforementioned Shave Secret or Maggard's pre-shave oil. Having used oil myself, I don't feel that it was prohibitive to building a lather. When I wash my greasy pots and pans in the sink, I still get a generous lather from the soap. Your skin is covered in natural oils but I'm sure that when you shower, you're still able to build a thick lather from your soap.

As for the utility or pre-shaves, I think that I mentioned this already but I find that they are most useful for moisturizing my skin. I wash my face thoroughly in the shower so dragging a razor across skin that has been stripped of its natural oils doesn't do me any favors. Compound that with the fact that I have very dry skin to begin with and it's almost asking for razor burn. I dropped the oil in favor of pre-shave creams and balms, or regular face creams that are on the greasier side, but the principle is the same. Sometimes I skip the pre-shave when I'm in a rush so it is indeed a superfluous element to the shave routine, but it's still added protection that affords me the ability to shave daily without turning my face into minced meat.

 

I do have a bottle and I do use it. It works very well to remove wax from my moustache.

As for the shaving aspect, I don't want oil in my brush.

 

@Flanigan
IMO, worthless. But...you asked.

 

hmmm... never tried it for wax removal. Just massage in and shampoo out?

As far as oil gumming up a brush, I used to use PSO and PSBalm on a regular basis. Never had it gum up or otherwise alter any of my brushes.

 

Ive tried preshave lather and dont find it to be neccesary. If you use a good cream/soap, you dont need it, IMO.

 

I only shampoo 2x per week but after the oil sits, it rinses out pretty well. The oil breaks down the wax pretty good.

 

After several days of testing, this is what I learned. (I will summarize rather than bore everyone with raw test data.)
Homemade PSO:
I found anything short of 1:1 (castor/grapeseed oil) to be tacky on my skin and to create friction. The real benefit, as Demidog has already pointed out, seems to be moisture. Even after the first day of using this PSO, I could not believe how hydrated my skin felt all day long. After three days, it was like I was wearing someone else's (better) face. Badger & Blade has a posting which seems to support the idea that it's all about holding moisture in the skin, making it pliable and resistant to cuts. The "layer of lubrication" seems to be a myth - at least with the products I've observed. The Shave Secret could very well contain oils that are not absorbed by the skin, but the oils I'm talking about are absorbed.

Perhaps some of my problem relating to the increase in friction, was the volume I was using. More than a few drops, and I think I'm at risk of increased friction.
Proraso sensitive skin pre-shave cream:
Not exactly a PSO strictly speaking, but in the same family of product. When I was rinsing between passes, it seemed that my face was more slick to the touch. I did not like that the smell of the product was not compatible with the smell of my soap - I liked the homemade odorless PSO better in that regard. My face did not hold the hydration all day as it did with the homemade PSO.

Overall:
In each of my tests, I never perceived a problem generating lather. I usually add a spoonful of olive oil when I melt down Van Der Hagan pucks, and I have never perceived a problem doing that either.

Ironically, the tackiest PSO mixture (100% grapeseed) was the only case where I did not get a few weepers. As a reminder, the reason I wanted to use a pre-lather product was to try to give me an extra margin as I improve my technique with a shavette. Can't explain this.

The overall quality of the shave seemed unaffected by any of the products or mixtures. It was about improved comfort during and after the shave.

I probably would not use a pre-shave product in a "regular" shave, but while I'm getting up to speed on the shavette, I think I will continue using both the cream and the homemade recipe (1:1). If I have a particularly rough shave under normal conditions, then I usually use a more moist balm in post. Having to anticipate the roughness of my shave in the pre-stage seems like thinking too much early in the morning. But when I know to expect trouble, it seems like a nice option to have.

I hope this is helpful to folks.

 

It seems to me that there are a lot of misconceptions of pso as you mentioned above. I really find my best results with 3-4 drops and massaging them "into" the skin. It loosens the hairs deep down, moisturizes, and therefore adds cushion to the shave and a better face feel.

Pso isnt always necessary, but it does help those with moisturizer needs, those breaking in a new blade, and those with blemishes.

I hope it continues to work well for you.

 

What is the mechanism of action in the "loosening" process you describe? I can't find any info on it.

 

I used preshave oil for a couple of years. It helped with my irritation, but as my soaps, lathering, shave skills, and aftershaves improved, my irritation lessened.
So, I ditched the preshave oils, and realized the oil hindered the facial hairs ability to absorb water and soften. Thus, the shaves were not as smooth as they could be. A few months shaving without preshave oils and I will not go back.

 

I started wet shaving with AoS PSO, that lasted for a month. Now I use the bloom water from whatever soap I use and it works great. No more PSO for me.


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