There's a long post describing the Oil Pass, including a recipe for a homemade version, but I thought people might not happen across it, so I thought a quick summary of the idea might fit here. The idea, which has its origin in Method shaving, is to use a shaving oil of some sort for the final, polishing pass. After the last lather pass, rinse your beard, put a couple of drops of oil in the palm of your left hand (assuming you shave with your right), and rub it over your wet beard. Then feel with your left hand for rough spots and gently buff them away against the grain with the razor in your right. A final rinse, and drying your face with a towel will remove all but a trace of the oil (which your skin will gratefully absorb). Then do your usual aftershave routine. The simplest way to try it is to use olive oil, which you may already have on hand and which works quite well. For me, the oil pass has produced significantly smoother shaves. More info at the link. I'll be interested to read about your own experience.
I do something like that. I use CVS vitamin E oil, the 4.2 oz bottle in the skin care section. I has Vit E and safflower oil. I think it's about 50-50. After my last pass I oil my face. It makes it easy to feel rough spots. I usually apply a light covering of lather for the touch up. I also apply a couple drops of oil at night. I forgot to mention this in the other thread about pre-shave oil. I like to use Shave Secret oil as an aftershave.
I have some pre-shave oil which works pretty well. I think I'd be slightly scared to use olive oil tough. Skin doesnt like most oils and reacts rather disgustingly to them if they're not thoroughly cleaned off your face. I'm scared of the thought of one of these
I doubt that olive oil would have that effect, though you should be guided by your own experience. In ancient Greece, athletes rubbed their bodies with olive oil, and it is still used today in cosmetics, as a skin treatment, and the like. Use of olive oil as a pre-shave oil (though I don't do that) has been acclaimed by several.
Some classical guitarists will also use olive oil on their right hand fingernails to help strengthen them.
Sorry. I'm a biologist and spend most of my nights around dead animals and the such. If all I had to look at were pictures of that all day my life would be a lot easier (and I'd smell much better after lab). Either way, I take it sensitive to the oil. Because I'm a sensitive guy and all, I've got the sensitive skin to go with it
I use the olive oil/castor oil/glycerin mix from the 800-pound gorilla prep method just before the last (touch-up) pass, but I've been putting a layer of lather over it with my left hand. I think I'll try it without lather tomorrow. Also, your mixture sounds pretty nice, lots of good stuff in it, may give it a try as well.
Quick Results Well, after 5 days of using this Last Pass Oil, a short summary of my opinion: I like it! Good stuff, Maynard! I couldn't find any Macadamia nut oil at my local Whole Foods, so I used instead some Vitamin E oil which has sunflower, safflower, and grapeseed oil. It works as well for me as the olive oil-castor oil-glycerin mix as an oil cleanser, but is slicker and easier to spread. (I need to update the 800-pound gorilla post, as this makes the third alternative to the original olive oil-castor oil-glycerin mix that I've found works well for softening.) I used it underneath the lather before the ATG pass, and continued to use it with additional lather for touch-up. Out of 5 shaves, I twice have tried using the oil without lather for touch-up, and felt it was slightly more comfortable with the lather. The best thing is that it makes my face feel really great! Used as an ASB after the alum block and Thayer's WH rinse (face still a little wet with WH) it absorbs quickly but leaves my face feeling smoooooth all day. Applied some to the rest of my face & forehead & ears as well. Probably, I just hadn't realized how rough and dry my skin was getting this winter. It works best for me if there's some liquid on your skin before applying, makes it easier to apply and absorb. Warm water or Witch Hazel seems to work, and a splash of high-alcohol AS will also help it absorb. Thanks for sharing , Michael!
You're welcome, and I'm glad it worked well for you. I'm continuing to try various commercial oils in comparison to the mix I made up with the food oils, and today I used All Natural Shaving Oil, by Pacific Shaving Company. This must have some sort of emulsifier in it---the oil seemed to mix somewhat with the water as I spread it. The result was that it didn't feel so oily as the others, but still presented a slick and protective surface. And after the rinse and towel dry, practically no oil feeling. But, oddly, I've sort of come to like the temporary oil feeling (it goes away within minutes), so I guess I don't like this one so much. It does contain menthol, but the menthol is quite subdued and barely noticeable (at least for me). I used it without lather, but that's an interesting idea, Fritz. I'll have to give it a try. Tomorrow I'm going to try another commercial brand that hyperwarp recommended---this one is pretty much artificial oils.
