Shaving oils are well-kept shaving accessories secret.  Not many know about them and even fewer use them.  However for those few, their trusted shaving oil is a critical component allowing them to achieve a complete, comfortable shave.

Oils are massaged into the face prior to the lathering and the shave.  Their primary functions are three: to help soften the beard, protect the face and lubricate the shaving action.  They accomplish these goals by providing an extra layer of skin protection keeping the active ingredients in shaving creams, soaps and gels, designed to soften your facial hair, from being too harsh. Using shaving oil provides protection from razor burn by allowing blades to run over your skin more smoothly, and thereby preventing irritation to areas like dry patches and bumps.  The principal components of oils also provide conditioning properties that are absorbed by and soften the whiskers.

At a very basic level shaving oils are simply oils with a touch of glycerin added.  But they can expand well beyond that, as a quick review of the wide array of product currently on the market will attest. If you’re simply interested in the face protection and lubrication benefits, literally any old oil will do.  Baby oil, Olive oil or even vegetable oil will give you adequate protection.  If you’re looking for a bit more, and the idea of eating what you shave with puts you off a bit, then we need to dig a little deeper.  Most if not all shaving oils are composed of three elements.  The first is what’s called a “carrying oil”.  The second is one or more essential oils and the final component is glycerin.  The “carrying oil” is just that, a vehicle that carries the other ingredients.  Different manufactures employ different ones.  Some examples are almond oil, coconut oil, palm oil and jojoba oil.  Too this are added the essentials oils, a highly concentrated extract of the source material, usually a plant of some sort.  The list here is virtually endless.  Three of the most common are sandalwood, lavender and orange.  Many of the essential oils do possess some conditioning properties in addition to their pleasant and/or invigoration aromas.  The final ingredient, glycerin, is really the work horse in shaving oils.  It lubricates and moisturizes by actually drawing moisture up from and attracting it to the skin.  Plus it slows the rate of water evaporation.

There are a wide array of shaving oils on the market.  I took a look on Amazon and found that the top three selling brands in the category were “All Natural Shaving Oil” followed by “The Art of Shaving Pre-shave Oil” and “The King of Shaves for Men Kinexium Shaving Oil”.  Prices on these three range from $7 to $22.

If you have dry skin or frequently suffer from razor burn, do yourself a favor and try one of these shaving accessories out and see if it doesn’t give you a better more comfortable shave. 

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What’s the key to a great shave?  Can anyone guess?  Simply put, it all starts with a great lather.  Why? Because the basic function of the lather is to moisten the whiskers and lubricate the face for a nice, smooth razor pull that gets the entire beard quickly and effectively. 

What medium works best?

Opinions differ between the chief shaving accessories contenders: cream, foam, gel or soap.  My personal opinion?  It’s creams and soaps hands down.  With foams and gels you really can’t affect the outcome.  You get simply whatever comes out of the can or tube.   Since creams and soaps need to be whipped into lather, they can be manipulated to deliver the maximum benefit.  Performed correctly a well whipped soap or cream lather can dramatically impact you shave’s comfort and results.

Preparation

The first phase is the warm up.  This is a key step toward enhancing the basic comfort of your shave.  Two basic items need to be warmed in preparation for a shave: the brush and the mug.  Insuring that both are warm, will ultimately result in a warm comfortable lather applied to your face….one of the truly pleasurable aspects of a classic wet shave.   If you use a cream heat the bowl and brush in hot water for 30 seconds, the hotter the better. If you are a soap user and employ the same mug for soap  storage and lather generating, add hot water to the mug  and soak the brush and soap, again for about 30 seconds or so, remember, the hotter the better. Some suggest that the soap be kept in a container other than the one in which it’s lathered but I’m not quite the purest.  Shaving cream users should add a small dab of cream (about the size of a pea) to the warm mug.  

Lathering

After the preparation soak, empty the bowl and shake off the excess water from the brush.  Be sure to give it a good shake.  Too much water in either the bowl or brush will give you a runny lather.  You can always add more water if necessary.  Whip the soap or cream by turning the brush in a rapid circular motion, alternating clockwise and counter clockwise.  Continue this for about 30 seconds or so until the bristle tip of your brush has a ¼” layer of foam, covering it completely, and the lather is stiff enough to come to a nice peak.   If you’re having difficulty getting enough lather, try adding a tiny bit more water to the mug.  A tiny splash will do.

Application

The final step is to apply the lather to the face.  The best results are achieved by rubbing the foam onto the face is a circular motion, again alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise motion.  Work it in.  If you’ve got a warm lather the experience will be worth spending a little time at it. Massaging the lather into the face enhances the beard moisturizing, acts a mild defoliant and opens pours and cleans the skin. Don’t apply the lather in a paint brush fashion you won’t get the in-depth coverage you need for a great shave.  Once that’s accomplished it’s on to the shave.

A good shave starts with a good lather.   I’ve found he best lather comes from a shaving soap or cream.  It takes a bit more time than pressing an aerosol can button but as shaving accessories go the results can’t compare. 

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Opti ons, Options, Options.  Sometimes it seems as though  we have too many choices to make, too ma ny decisions on too many issues.  Being a wet shaver offers no respite.  Pre and post shave oils and lotion, type of razor, brand of blades and brush shaving accessories that all require some thought and scrutiny.  Probably one of the most important however is the source of the lather we apply to our face. Although there are a wide variety of brands there are only four basic mediums: Foams, Creams, Gels and Soaps.  Which to Choose? What are their differences? Advantages? Disadvantages?

We’ll not pass judgment on which is the best medium since it’s largely a personal preference issue.  We’ll simply provide some basic information and you can make up your own mind regarding which you prefer.  “One man’s preference, another man’s poison.”

Foams

For this exercise foams are defined as being can contained and aerosol activated. What 2/3 of the shaving population use every day.  Relatively new, they were first introduced in 1949.  Because of their primary advantage, convenience, they meshed well with emerging cultural trends of the 50’s and 60’s.  While canned foam certainly gets you out of the bathroom quickly, there are a couple of downside issues to consider.  Many brands contain significant levels of alcohol.   Alcohol tends to dry skin when is should be hydrated and conditioned. Additionally, the canned foam product contains a good deal of air which negatively  affects its’ ability to adequately suspend your facial hairs upright during the shave.  This ultimately decreases its’ softness and thoroughness and also increases the likelihood that the razor will drag across your skin and ‘burn’ it.

Gels

Gels come in a tube or aerosol can.  They are applied directly to the face and typically remain clear and don’t lather-up upon application.  Herein lays their principal advantage.  They can be useful for those who need to skillfully maneuver around the shave of thier goatee or mustache.  You’ll alwyas be abot to see the hair beneath and avoind trimming too far into your beard.  In addition, for those with easily irritated skin or “problem areas” (due to break-outs, etc.), the gel makes it easier to avoid cutting in affected areas.  Disadvantagre.  Many find them gunky, over reliant on chemicals and harsh on the skin.

Creams

Creams are cross between soaps and gels, and are available in a tube or jar. You can use your fingers to apply it directly to your face and lather up or in conjunction with a brush and/or mug.  They often contain glycerin which helps create a smooth and creamy lather that holds plenty of water and leaves the skin smooth and soft.  Since they need to be lathered, creams lack the convenience of Gels and Foams.

Soaps

Traditional soaps come in a cake form.  They produce a thick, whipped, creamy foam when lathered with a decent shaving brush.   They often contain oils, herbs and plant extracts that not only leave a pleasant fragrance but help hydrate and condition the skin, resulting in a smoother shave.  They may also help with some skin conditions.  Soaps, like creams, require a bit of time to work up lather, so they too rank a bit lower on convenience scale.

So there you have it.  If your shaving accessories preference is convenience the first two are for you.  If you’re looking for a bit more from you daily shave then creams and soaps are it.  Regardless which you chose be sure to look at the ingredient and avoid products that contain harsh chemicals or additives.

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