This is a post from the blog that I thought I'd put here for those who don't follow the blog. I'll continue to update and revise the post---the next step, for example, is to compare the homemade mix with the commercial products. If you really want to keep it simple, just go with olive oil---from my experience so far, that seems to be the best. Steve of Kafeneio made a most excellent discovery during his foray into Method shaving. In Method shaving, the final pass is a “touch-up” using Hydrolast Cutting Balm, a combination of oils and essential oils. That Cutting Balm pass worked so well that Steve decided to try other oils. The idea is this: after you finish your regular shave—for me, a three-pass shave (with, across, and finally against the grain, lathering before each pass)—rinse well, apply a few drops of oil to the palm of your left hand (assuming you hold your razor in your right) and rub it across your wet beard, and then do a “polishing” pass, feeling with your left hand for rough spots, then buffing those with the razor against the grain. Rinse, dry your face with a towel (which removes most of the oil, with the oil remaining acting as a skin conditioner), and apply aftershave of choice. If you want to use the alum block, use it after that final rinse. I’ve had superb results with the Oil Pass, so I experimented with different oils. I'll continue to update the post on the blog as I continue experimenting. The oils: Hydrolast Cutting Balm is one component of the Method shave, but certainly it can be used on its own. It’s a “proprietary blend of vegetal oils, proprietary blend of essential oils.” This was the origin of the idea, and thanks to Charles Roberts of Method shave fame. On my first try, I used too much of the balm—only a few drops are needed—but got good results, which piqued my interest. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/His-Formula-most-menthol-Solution/dp/B000BKVMRO?tag=word08-20"]Total Shaving Solution[/ame]: The vial I have was made in Ireland, but home offices are (I now discover) in Peoria IL. Ingredients: sesame seed oil, soya bean oil, grapeseed oil, menthol, clove bud oil, and lavender oil, including eugenol, isoeugenol, limonene, geraniol, and linalool. It struck me as very mentholated. I didn’t remember to splash a little more water on my face after applying, but it did a good job anyway. All Natural Shaving Oil, often called Pacific Shaving Oil since it’s made by Pacific Shaving Company. Ingredients: hybrid sunflower oil, laureth-4, cyclopentasiloxane, bergamot fruit oil, avocado oil, meadowfoam seed oil, cucumber fruit extract, organic aloe vera leaf juice, kukui nut oil, tocopherol, tangerine peel oil, grapefruit peel oil, menthol. I got this at Whole Foods. This oil immediately mixed with the water, while providing an excellent surface for the oil pass. Though it lists menthol among the ingredients, the menthol was subdued and polite. All of the following oils I found among the cooking oils at my regular supermarket, except Jojoba oil, which I found in the cosmetics section at Whole Foods (which also carries the other oils, of course). Almond oil: Frequently used as a massage oil, almond oil feels good on the skin and the small residue is absorbed quickly and acts as a moisturizer. Almond oil seems more pleasant than the jojoba oil and works extremely well for the Oil Pass. The usual routine: a few drops into the palm of the left hand, rubbed over the beard, and then the polishing pass. Superb result. Avocado oil: This oil is used in Taylor of Old Bond Street Avocado shaving cream, one of my favorites and an excellent choice for a novice. Avocado oil seems slightly thicker/denser than almond oil—at least that’s my impression. It did a fine job on the Oil Pass, but I think my idea of using it combination with other oils is good. My skin feels very nice post-shave, and the avocado oil undoubtedly contributes to the feeling. Grapeseed oil: The Wife tells me that Grapeseed oil is the New Hot Thing in cosmetics and skincare, and indeed it did a fine job. It seemed lighter than the Avocado oil, though the differences are subtle. Definitely worth a go, and it will be in my final mix for sure. Jojoba Oil: “Jojoba is grown for the liquid wax (commonly called jojoba oil) in its seeds. This oil is rare in that it is an extremely long (C36-C46) straight-chain wax ester and not a triglyceride, making jojoba and its derivative jojoba esters more similar to sebum and whale oil than to traditional vegetable oils. Jojoba oil is easily refined to be odorless, colorless and oxidatively stable, and is often used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and as a carrier oil for specialty fragrances.” — Wikipedia I got a bottle of this at Whole Foods: 4 oz for $6. The jojoba oil worked fine for the Oil Pass, but since it’s not a food oil, I decided to leave it out of the final formula—by using only food oils, any extra I made could be used in cooking. Macadamia nut oil: Macadamia Nut Oil has a distinct macadamia fragrance—rather strong, in fact. I would not use this oil by itself, but as part of the blend, I think it will do a good job. Wikipedia notes that “macadamia oil’s rich, cushiony skinfeel and high oxidative stability make it especially suitable for heavy creams and suncare formulations,” and also notes its use “in cosmetic formulations as an emollient or fragrance fixative.” Olive oil: This was a big surprise: it was the lightest and most readily absorbed of all the oils, and it did a terrific job for the Oil Pass. I’m going to increase the proportion of Olive Oil in the final mix. Extremely pleasant. A commenter suggested making one’s own, so I came up with: Leisureguy’s Last-Pass Shaving Oil: After an experimental batch, I’m now using the following formula. As noted above, I’m not using Jojoba oil because (a) it didn’t seem to add anything special, and (b) all the other oils are cooking oils—so that if I mix up a little batch and have some left over, I can then just pour the leftover oil into the sauté pan (before any essential oils are added, of course). 2 parts Almond oil 2 parts Avocado oil 2 parts Olive oil 1 part Grapeseed oil 1 part Macadamia nut oil 1-2 drops essential oil(s) (for fragrance)—or however much you want The essential oils I picked to try: sandalwood, lemon, vanilla, neroli, ylang ylang, and majmua. (One at a time, generally speaking, though I did do a batch of lemon + vanilla, which was very nice.) It’s important, BTW, to add only one (1) drop of the essential oil and then try the mix—you can always add another drop if needed, but removing a drop is impossible. Useful equivalences for making small batches: 2 Tbs = 1 fluid ounce, and 3 tsp = 1 Tbs. Knowing this, you can readily figure out how many ounces you’ll make if you use regular measuring spoons: for example, if 1 part = 1 tsp, the result 1 1/3 fl oz. If 1 part = 1 Tbsp, the result is 4 fl oz (which is 1/2 cup). All the oils listed have well established histories of cosmetic use and don’t go quickly rancid (as, say, flaxseed oil). They are all listed as being good for the skin. And with the Jojoba oil out of the mix, they are all cooking oils. You could also pierce a few vitamin E capsules and add 2000 IU of vitamin E if you want. (We used to squirt some vitamin E into the cooking oil in the sauté pan so that it wouldn’t oxidize so quickly.) But several of the oils already contain vitamin E, so it’s probably coals to Newcastle. You can readily find plastic dispensers: for example, this one (natural) or this one (cobalt blue). The “treatment pump” top (which you can get in white or in black) works just right to dispense a drop or two per push: exactly the right top for this application. Now I’ve printed up some labels with Leisureguy’s Last-Pass Shave Oil™ and I’m good to go with gifts for all the shavers I know. (Great stocking stuffers, eh?)
Michael, that's very good information. The only oils I've used in shaving is T&H's preshave oil and AOS preshave. Between the two, I prefer AOS but I used it before I start shaving. I never thought of using it as a last pass oil. I'll have to give that a try. I always appreciate reading your posts as I always learn something from them.
Oil pass I too have been trying a last oil pass. I picked up Shave Secret at Walmart. Works nice. I like it as an after-shave balm even if I don’t shave with it. Conditions my dry winter skin nicely. The menthol in it has a nice cooling effect too. It’s like a Proraso oil. http://www.shavesecret.com/
It seems as though a lot of oils will do the job. One guy who read the post on my blog said that he looked around his bathroom, found some Body & Bath Massage Oil, and tried that---worked fine. As I noted: if you want to try it without buying anything, try olive oil, which seems to work extremely well. I never did like using shaving oil at the beginning, but this last-pass idea seems to work very well indeed.
I did this... used Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, and few drops of Olive Oil. Shaved, did my oil pass, then slipped right out of the bathroom.
Tried the oil pass for my touch-up 'buffing' pass, works great. I used some pre-shave oil from Anthony Logistics I wasn't using.
