How Important is Preshave oil?

Im new to wetshaving, and I am wondering how beneficial it is to use preshave oil, before I bother buying some and adding another step to my process...

 

Opinions on this topic vary all the way from doing magical things to the shave to the stuff is useless and it wrecks the lather. I personally don't think the oil does much for me. Short answer is you're going to need to find out for yourself to really know for certain if the oil is right for you. Best thing to do when your experimenting with any new component is to keep all the other variables as constant as possible while the test is going on. Happy shaving..

 

Me personally when I bloom my soap I use that soapy water as a pre shave

 

I dont think its something you need to rush to buy/try....i didnt try it for a long time. I like it but use it really only when me whiskers start getting long and when i shave the mustache...i often have a goatee so the stach isnt always shaved....its also the only area that i feel a slight sensitive, and i find the oil helps. I think you should try it if when you come across it or find a good deal

 

Some like it, some don't. Will you? You'll only know if you try it. And don't spend money on what you might not like. PSO is easy enough to make; see the Tutorial forum for more recipes.

 

This works great. What is bloom? Add a little bit of hot water on top of the puck while you're showering, feeding the dog/cat. Dump bloom water in palm of hand and rub soapy water all over face. You now have a pre-shave.
As far as importance, only you will be able to answer that.

 

Make some home-made PSO and give it a try. I used PSO for months and enjoyed it very much. Then I discovered Proraso preshave cream and Noxema Classic as a preshave treatment. These are both great additions to a shave routine. Are any of these necessary for a great shave? No. But they are lots of fun. I tend to use Noxema because it is less expensive. And, no, none of the above interfere with my lather. Find what works for you!

 

From what I understand, the benefit of PSO is more what it does to your skin, than added slickness. I put some on my wet face before showering and wash my face last with Nivia face wash. So there's not really any oil laying on my skin at that point. The oil makes my skin softer, thus less likely to nic or get razor burn. It also helps lift old, dry oils off the beard hair and soften the hair a bit. That makes more difference when it's been a couple days since I shaved. I made my own with equal parts Olive, grape seed, sweet almond, jojoba and castor oils. I can't say it's a huge difference, but I can notice it.

 

I'm of the opinion that PSO is counterproductive. Adding a water repellent to ones beard just doesn't make sense to me. Water and what it does to prep a beard for a shave is the important ingredient.
For me, the only prepatory step before lathering is the morning shower. That five to ten minutes of steamy, wake up washing is all it takes.

 

To me once the steel razor blade

 

To me once the steel razor blade gets dragged across your skin cutting hairs there shouldn't be anything left behind. So I very rarely go over the same area unless there's more lather applied. After my 1st pass I relather then pass again with lather in my left hand to coat my skin before I try and get any closer. I try and never let steel and skin compete. The skin looses every time.

 

It's also why the double open comb razor works very well. It tends to leave some lather behind so you can what they call buffer the razor.

 

You don't need to buy it to try it. If you have olive oil in your kitchen then you have pre shave oil.

 

I don't use it. Tried it but found two hot towels was more than relaxing and all the prep I need.

 

I've never tried it. There are some guys that post about it in their SOTD posts. I've found that face wash or anything like that tends to dry out my face and I get a lesser quality shave. I just use warm water to wash in the shower.

 

I made my own and I love it. I enjoy the feel and it does seem to make a difference in my shave but that's just my opinion.

 

That's pretty. What razor is it?

 

I made my own and scented it with lavender essential oil. I only use it when I use my lavender scented soap. Personally I find it does nothing for my shave, but I like the scent factor only. I find that using a little lather and hot water gives me a better prep than the oil. I would recommend trying it for your own evaluation, and use whatever works best for you.
I recollect hearing somewhere that "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way".