Pre Shave-To Oil or

I've tried both - and now I end up doing both. Oil, hot lather, shave, hot lather, shave.

For my skin, and where I shave (neck), oil is very helpful. I get fewer skin irritations and closer shave. But oil is not enough. A second lather and shave (and I'm using a Fusion multi-blade anyway) is needed to get a close shave everywhere.

You forgot school of thought #3: Shaving cream is unnecessary. Of course, this is only true if I shave immediately after exiting the shower, but I simply apply some pre-shave oil (either Shave Secret or a homemade blend of essential oils in coconut oil) and forego any additional creams or gels. I h ave found that applying a drop of Trumper's Skin food makes this an even smoother ordeal, and this combo works better than any shaving cream for me.

I have used oil, lather, and, oil and lather and I feel that while oil occasionally makes it more comfortable, it doesn't provide me with a closer shave.

The problem is that most unexpensive oils claim to cool the face which isn't a good idea. The menthol will essentially close up the pores you have opened and the menthol will counter act the moisture the oil gives.

I usually go straight from the shower with face still hot and wet, keep applying hot water till my lather is ready and go from there but I usually take 2 passes on my neck at least when Im shaving.

I shave under the shower with baby oil, which is just mineral oil. All the additives from expensive shaving oils (aformented menthol etc.) will do more harm than good.

I'm 25 and i can't even grow a proper mouthstache or beard..I can even count the number of hairs on my chin..thanks to my chinese genes..LOL.

But when i do shave its shaving cream---shave---rinse----after shave.

The first rule of shaving is to soften the beard and open the pores with hot water/shower or a hot towel around the face. (They do/did this in barber shops.) Some even use a cool/cold towel to close the pores after a shave. The second rule is to use a good blade! Discard blades or strop when the blade goes dull. (In the 19th century, a set of good, sharp razors was essential to the toilette. A good valet always made sure his master's blades were sharp!))

Oil is not necessary but if you like it, go for it! My husband does not use oil and gets great, close shaves without it. No razor burns or ingrown hairs. I would agree with Mario, but I guess it depends on what one prefers. IMHO, no oil needed.

You might experiment with glycerine and rosewater instead of oil. This is very inexpensive and can be found in chemists/pharmacies or in natural food stores in the toiletries section. It is also a wonderful moisturiser for the skin.

My husband has a very thick (virile!) beard but he clean-shaves his face. He has had great success with several products:

Kiss My Face Shave Cream (comes in various scents and unscented): available in pump bottle or tube. Very inexpensive and lasts a long time. This can be used for men or women. Available in discount department stores/chemists/pharmacies.

Burt's Bees Aftershave Balm: Comes in a tube, inexpensive. Very nice fresh scent of bergamot, lemon, orange, pettigrain, rosemary, patchouli and fir! Conditions the skin.

For the spenders of cash, the Truefitt and Hill line is also good. The shaving cream (my husband and I adore "1805") and aftershave balm are wonderful and luxurious, but you expect this after spending that much money! The ultimate in performance.

Still, the Burt's Bees and Kiss My Face products are superlative for the price. (They money you save on shaving toiletries can be used to buy more perfume!)

Before telling the way i go on with my shaving procedure, I would really like to mention the list of shaving products that i have used till date.

1) Gillette shaving gel
2) Pamolive shaving gel
3) Ralph lauren polo sport
4) Clarins
5) Clinque
6) Decleor
7) E-Shave
8) Men-u
9) Armani skin minerals
10) Elemis
11) Somerset shaving oil
12) Lancome

After having tried all these products i moved on to Zirh which is not as expensive as some of the products mentioned above.

Steps for a great close shave
1) Have a hot water bath with a good cleanser for your face
2) After the bath you can clean it again with a good scrub so that the beard stands out
3) Apply 7 to 8 drops of zirh pre-shave oil on the wet face and leave it for a minute
4) Apply zirh shaving gel
5) Use Mach 3 razor power blades for shaving

You can shave either with the grain or against the growth still you dont feel any burning sensation

Finally you can use an alum block that will cover your pores(Bascially acts as a toner)

I hope this will be helpful

I recently received a sample of Jack Black beard lube, and have used it to incredible results with method #1 (right after a shower). I've never been this smooth. I think this particular product is actually meant to be used independantly, but I found myself missing spots due to it going on clear.

no oil

a hot towel then a good shaving soap (Tabac)

Hate using oil.

Up until I found the greatest cream ever (Kiehl's white eagle) I used to use Dermalogica Pre-shave guard under my cream of choice.

It comes in a tub and has a chalk-like consistency until you scrape some out, mix it with a bit of water and put on your face. It does exactly what oil does, but thanks to it being water based leaves no residue whatsoever.

If possible, I would actually combine, even if it sounds strange, both approaches. Simply because my beard growth and my skin type require a great deal of moisturizing and lathering before shaving, though I am no expert to tell whether actually combining both methods would efficiently ensure a closer and more gentle shave.

Once you oil, you can never go back!