I have no idea. Scent, maybe? The menthol? I use TSD ISZ PSB (The Shave Den Iced Sub Zero Pre-Shave Balm) because I like the menthol. I use Art of Shaving unscented pre-shave oil because (even though it says unscented) I like the scent - smells a bit like a pine forest. Do I notice any difference in performance? Both help my str8 razor shaves go a bit smoother.
I usually make my own preshave that's Noxzema and oil based. After seeing a video I tried straight Tea Tree Oil a few times in a row with different razors as a preshave and as a shave oil and didn't care for it as a stand alone.
So it sounds like "balm" and "oil" are often interchangeable, depending on whether or not the "balm" contains oil, or the oil contains other ingredients? In either case, one generally uses one or the other, right?
Right. If you're wondering if one would put an oil over the top of already applied balm, NO. Which one to use? It's your shave. Enjoy it your way.
I bought a bottle of RazoRock Shave Gel. I bought it with the intention of shaving with it brushless (which works well) but the site says you can use it as a preshave. I find when I apply it to my whiskers it foams up a little (again I like that because I can see better where I have shaved) but doesn't coat the same as an oil. my .02
I have two options.Often i use my "Proraso Preshave" but now and then i also use my Preshave Oil from "American Crew". I love the Proraso but the Oil isn´t that bad for me.Both have menthol in it (Proraso more than American Crew) but both build a nice layer so that the razor can glide well over your skin. Onother thing why i prefer the Proraso is my sink.With the oil i have a lot of sliced off whiskers in it and have to clean up the sink very good after each shave.I think it is the consistence of the oil.When i rinse my razor out, the whiskers drop into the sink and "stick" on the ground.That´s not really nice. In my opinion the Proraso has even the better scent.That´s the point why i´m using the oil only 3-4 times a year. Greetings
I started wet shaving using Proraso and Jack Black preshave balm. Recently after reading about using it here in TSD I've begun using Corn Huskers hand lotion as my preshave. I find I.M.O. at least all three work equaly well as a preshave, with the Corn Huskers being "CONSIDERABLY" cheaper!! Like ChiefShaver I also find the oil is messier to clean up with no real performance advantage over the other 3 at least for me.......
