You may think I'm crazy for recommending this, but ...

[Goblin]

Several weeks ago a female DE shaver (legs, arm pits, etc.) mentioned that exfoliating prior to shaving helps her immensely. She works for one of the online wet shaving outfits and recommends this to all guys, most of which say heck no, apparently

So, since I'm always looking to try things and gain an edge, I bought some exfoliating grit cream stuff, generic Walgreens brand, like $4.

I've shaved several times with same (new) blade, same soap, etc. and ... IT WORKS

There are grit pads and creams with grit in them, either seems to work the same, would avoid the chemical efxfoliation stuff .... a minute or so grinding on my beard (face and neck) always makes for a better shave overall .... worth a try .... I'm a daily shaver, btw, and do 2-3 passes daily

I am not sure about this. Shaving is a pretty aggressive exfoliation process by itself. A gentle scrub with a brush also provides a little exfoliation when face lathering.

If you go on social media shaving sites, you will encounter lots of young people with "skincare routines" who are applying 5 different things to their face and exfoliating vigorously before shaving, then wondering why their skin is red and raw.

I am old enough that I reached maturity in the days before cosmetic companies realised they could double the size of their markets by putting their product in a different package with "Men" written on it, so I have never felt the need for any skincare products (apart from medications for dermatitis). I also kind of wonder what young men are hoping to achieve by slathering themselves with all these unguents. Is it vanity? Because I have some bad news: you are still going to get old and wrinkly eventually!

Sure, if you have excessively dry skin or live somewhere with a harsh climate, a bit of extra moisturisation is probably good. Likewise, if you live somewhere with fierce sun, it makes sense to apply some sun protection if spending a lot of time outdoors. Otherwise, I would leave the "skincare regimes" to the girls.

Our forefathers got perfectly good shaves without all that stuff, and so can we - plus it will save you time, money, bathroom space (to make room for more soaps and razors), packaging waste, etc.

 

[Iridian]

If you go on social media shaving sites, you will encounter lots of young people with "skincare routines" who are applying 5 different things to their face and exfoliating vigorously before shaving, then wondering why their skin is red and raw.

Yeah, I am particularly wary of moisturizers. Excessively washing hands and showering can also cause more issues than help with hygiene. My personal observation for me is that balms are not needed, I am doing better just applying some alcoholic aftershave on the skin. Some add alum, I only do rarely so in case of a deep cut.

 

[nav]

I certainly get my best shaves after a light scrub.
But my skin is too sensitive to do this just before shaving.

The night before works well and I find I need to scrub 2-3 times a week for best results.

 

[cmbrow]

I've been using the same brand of exfoliating soap in the shower for years. It uses ground walnut shells to achieve what feels to be about a 180 grit. Love the stuff! When I don't shower beforehand, I wash my face with the same stuff before shaving, but, then, my daddy taught me to shave the same way he learned in the Marine Corps, with a brick.

 

[Bsamps]

I do believe that exfoliating is healthy…even for men. I use my regular face wash but, with a stiff synthetic shaving brush and I do this about twice a week. It’s a gentle exfoliating process and it works well for me. I have found that the gritty stuff is too harsh for my face. It’s like sandpaper on my face but, that’s just me. YMMV.

 

[reformedshavr]

The abrasive particles in these products are actually plastic products

There are plenty of products that avoid plastic/non biodegradeable ingredients to achieve said exfoliation. Proraso to name one, uses nut shell granules.
In my experience, those products do nothing to affect the shave, but I do like a felling of a good 'ol face scrubbin'

 

[DesertIguana]

Several weeks ago a female DE shaver (legs, arm pits, etc.) mentioned that exfoliating prior to shaving helps her immensely. She works for one of the online wet shaving outfits and recommends this to all guys, most of which say heck no, apparently

So, since I'm always looking to try things and gain an edge, I bought some exfoliating grit cream stuff, generic Walgreens brand, like $4.

I've shaved several times with same (new) blade, same soap, etc. and ... IT WORKS

There are grit pads and creams with grit in them, either seems to work the same, would avoid the chemical efxfoliation stuff .... a minute or so grinding on my beard (face and neck) always makes for a better shave overall .... worth a try .... I'm a daily shaver, btw, and do 2-3 passes daily

Crazy no, wiling to think out of box yes, and best part worked.