Pre-Shave Wash Important

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I personally believe that many a wet shaver has bemoaned a blade or a shave soap/cream when possibly a greater factor was what they used to wash their face with before the shave. I say this after using a popular men's face cleaner, L'Oreal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Charcoal Face Wash, which is better used for a face wash at night before bed as it completely strips all oils from the face leaving it dry as a desert. When used before a shave there is far greater tugging and just generally results in a piss poor shave. :(

When using one of my two usual face washes, Barbasol Pre-Shave or Phisoderm Face Scrub, the shaves are light years better. One can deduce that a pre-shave wash needs to add some lubricity to the hairs, or at least not completely denude them of everything.

I have determined this by using different pre-shave washes while using the exact same shave tackle. However, perhaps a true test of a shave soap/cream would be to just prep with water to eliminate extraneous factors. ;)
 
I agree that pre-shave preparation is important. I find that I get significantly better results using a glycerine-based soap (such as MR GLO or Wickhams) followed by a thorough drying of my face and application of a pre-shave oil. This has been the biggest factor in enabling me to now use razors that once gave too rough a shave (such as an ATT R1) and more aggressive razors (such as the Rocnel SE-G) without problem. This routine may not work for everyone, but it certainly works for me.
 
I'm another one in the 'rinse and get on with it' category. I did used to try the whole warm damp towel on face + pre-shave oil lark, as well as trying Wickham's glycerin soaps (which I highly rate) but found that, although there was better performance, the effort and additional time required didn't work for me personally. I'm happier just lathering up on a freshly-wetted face as I know I don't have to rely on something additional for the shave. As a result, travelling is lighter as I'm packing less stuff.

What I will say is that for beginners, using something to aid slickness will almost certainly help them along with the process of learning to SR/DE shave (or at least, stray away from carts if required). Where a substandard lather might be present, the affect of pre-shave oils/soaps will likely be greater.

I'd also say that the additional slickness from a glycerin soap would probably help with SR shaving to a greater degree than DE shaving, where I found additional slickness to be the main factor in positively assisting my shaves.
 
I'm another one in the 'rinse and get on with it' category. I did used to try the whole warm damp towel on face + pre-shave oil lark, as well as trying Wickham's glycerin soaps (which I highly rate) but found that, although there was better performance, the effort and additional time required didn't work for me personally. I'm happier just lathering up on a freshly-wetted face as I know I don't have to rely on something additional for the shave. As a result, travelling is lighter as I'm packing less stuff.

What I will say is that for beginners, using something to aid slickness will almost certainly help them along with the process of learning to SR/DE shave (or at least, stray away from carts if required). Where a substandard lather might be present, the affect of pre-shave oils/soaps will likely be greater.

I'd also say that the additional slickness from a glycerin soap would probably help with SR shaving to a greater degree than DE shaving, where I found additional slickness to be the main factor in positively assisting my shaves.
+1 sir
 
I find a shower is the best prep & then a splash of bloom water to start off face lathering.

A glycerine soap prewash did help when the soap isn't the slickest, with a good soap it doesn't matter. If I'm using a cream I sometimes use a dab of cream as a prewash leaving my face wet in place of the bloom water.
 
My feelings, and I appreciate that YMMV, is that a pre-shave face wash is an essential part of the routine, in terms of comfort and efficiency.

The wetter the face/stubble, the easier the physical cutting of the hair will be - from memory, the more water the hair absorbs, the easier the cut as the stubble will be further raised from the skin?

I think if the face is clean, then there is less debris for the blade/razor to pass through, which also aids the shave. I remember shaving after a sauna/steam room (back in my hotel room) and it was one of the best shaves I ever had. I put that down to all the gunk and dead skin cells having been exfoliated / removed from the skin.

I also find that after a face scrub I get amazing shaves - although I do not do that that often.

As ever, YMMV.
 
I always wash my face first, and usually shave on an evening. I tried shaving mid-afternoon on Saturday, with nothing more than a warm water splash as prep. I could definitely tell the difference in my shave quality, and irritation on my neck.


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Pre-shave products work for some; for others it makes little or no difference.
I am in the former camp; they make an appreciable difference to the quality of my shave. I should preface that by stating that I have sensitive skin; I cannot use alcohol-based post-shave products in the first few hours after shaving, although I love to use alcohol aftershaves as fresheners during the day or on days between shaving.
What works best for me, after a hot shower, is a face wash with a glycerine/lanolin facial soap (Valobra Glycerlanolina), followed by a quick massage of the face and neck with either Myrsol Emulsion or Castle Forbes Pre-shave gel. The key difference for me is that this overall process softens the whiskers in my "problem" areas, thus allowing a much cleaner cut without irritation in said areas.
 
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