Pre Shave

I've used a number of commercial and homemade preshave products, and while I am not completely convinced, I suspect that they do help me to get a really smooth shave.  Currently I use a touch of Noxzema Classic Clean deep cleansing cream, rinsing it off just before applying my lather.

I'm with you, John...still unsure if pre-shaves do much of anything for me. I know for sure that I do not like pre-shave oils though...gum up the razors too easily.

I've used a number of commercial and homemade preshave products, and while I am not completely convinced, I suspect that they do help me to get a really smooth shave.  Currently I use a touch of Noxzema Classic Clean deep cleansing cream, rinsing it off just before applying my lather.

I'm with you, John...still unsure if pre-shaves do much of anything for me.  I know for sure that I do not like pre-shave oils though...gum up the razors too easily.

I was on the same page as you guys until I tried Grooming Dept's Moisturizing Pre-Shave.  That stuff's amazing.  Not gooey or gummy, it works up with a little water Like a thin lather and isn't even noticeable when you apply your lather to your face.  I've been applying it before the first and second pass and going commando on the third   - apparently some residual pre-shave gets into the brush and carries forward.  In any case, I'm a convert to the GD pre-shave.  There's lots of scents but I'm sticking with unscented so as not to interfere with the smell of my soap.  I've found it to be so effective that it even improves the performance of some of my soaps that I love the scent of but haven't used in a long time because their performance just hasn't been up to snuff.  It might not make Ogallala Bay Rum soap perform like a Grooming Dept soap but it will certainly improve it to the point of giving you a very decent shave indeed. 

I have used a few pre shave oils and creams mostly with good results. The winner for me is aloe vera gel, effective and cheap.

Tried dozen of different pre-shave products. Try to avoid pre-shave oil as it messes up your badger brush. The only pre-shave that not only works for me but also enhances your shave is Grooming Department pre-shave. I use either the Lavender or Unscented.

I've tried several pre-shave products with the best being Trumper Skin Food until about two weeks ago. I decided to give Cremo a try. Cremo is perhaps the slickest product on the planet but doesn't offer much cushion. So I tried a combination: Cremo as a pre-shave for slickness, and my regular soap on top for cushion. Unconventional. Inexpensive. As the saying goes, "it works for me!" You can buy a 1-ounce trial of Cremo very inexpensively at Target in the travel/sample products section.

I have been using Cremo Original for my pre-shave for over 2 years, since I started traditional wet shaving with SE and DE razors. I had used Cremo as a shaving cream in my old Gillette Fusion days, so I knew it had great slickness properties (As the tube says..."Impossible Slickness"). I tried other products and none of them worked as well as Cremo. Also, Cremo is not an oil based product and rinses off well with water, does not leave an oily residue, and combines well with every soap and cream I have tried (40+ and counting). Thanks for letting me know that I am not the only one out there who uses Cremo as a pre-shave!

I've tried several pre-shave products with the best being Trumper Skin Food until about two weeks ago. I decided to give Cremo a try. Cremo is perhaps the slickest product on the planet but doesn't offer much cushion. So I tried a combination: Cremo as a pre-shave for slickness, and my regular soap on top for cushion. Unconventional. Inexpensive. As the saying goes, "it works for me!" You can buy a 1-ounce trial of Cremo very inexpensively at Target in the travel/sample products section.

I have been using Cremo Original for my pre-shave for over 2 years, since I started traditional wet shaving with SE and DE razors.  I had used Cremo as a shaving cream in my old Gillette Fusion days, so I knew it had great slickness properties (As the tube says..."Impossible Slickness").  I tried other products and none of them worked as well as Cremo.  Also, Cremo is not an oil based product and rinses off well with water, does not leave an oily residue, and combines well with every soap and cream I have tried (40+ and counting).  Thanks for letting me know that I am not the only one out there who uses Cremo as a pre-shave!

I confess that I am a big fan of Grooming Dept's pre shave, but I am curious about the Cremo too.  Could you each please say a few more words about how you apply the Cremo?  Do you apply a light coat and face lather?  Do you mix some in with another soap and bowl lather?  Do you reapply for each pass?  A little? A lot?

Thanks in advance.