One of the MS videos mentioned using regular hair conditioner as a pre-shave. "Why not?" the video guy asks. Well, in the shower, I noticed the back of my Pantene bottle seemed to have and answer. It shows a strand damage, dry, fizzy, "unhealthy" hair next to a strand of smooth, strong, "healthy" hair, presumably how your hair will be after using the product. The unhealthy hair showed the cuticles opened, and the surface dull. Meanwhile, the healthy hair showed the cuticles nice a flat, closely fit together, and a shiny surface. My understanding is that the outer surface of the hair is very tough, while the inner core is soft and fragile. Prepping the beard for shaving supposedly opens the cuticles so the blade doesn't have to cut through it. So it seems like hair conditioner does the opposite of what one wants for shaving. OTHO, hair conditioner obviously lubricates and moisturizes the the hair. maybe the cuticles close up after the hair is rinsed and dried. Comments? Thanks!
This is my thought as well, and I agree with your line of reasoning. Now I do understand some people get great results using conditioner as a preshave.....but it never did any good for me.
It dries the skin and hardens the stubble which is the exact opposite of what you want to happen. Work on your pre-shave routine and you will get better results. Raf