I use pre-shave oils every time I shave because my beard is so thick, but I have had a hard time finding an oil that could actually hold its own on my face while a lather was being generated on top of it with a brush. I had tried a few different oils such as King of Shaves, Pacific Shaving, and even T&H Ultimate Comfort, but none of them could hold up. After searching Em's website, I noticed she made a pre-shave oil for just $4 an ounce, and bought some.

Price
Pacific Shaving's Oil is 7 dollars for a half ounce.
T&H is over 20 dollars for two ounces.
At 4 dollars an ounce, it's a fantastic buy in the world of pre-shave oils.

Quality
This oil is really quite remarkable. After a shower and a face wash, applying this stuff told me right away that this is a different beast altogether. Only 2-3 drops are needed to give your face a slick, moist, viscous layer upon which you can build your lather. Due to the very thick nature of the oil, it will not disappear once you apply your brush to your face.

Moisturizing
Man does this oil deliver. Other oils can be a bit much on the greasy side, where as others, like Pacific, can make it feel like you didn't put anything on your face. This oil makes your face feel healthy, not overly greasy or too light.

Scent
The scent packs a pretty nice wallop. There are numerous essential oils used in it, but the two that give the most to the scent are lavender and tea tree oils.

Efficacy
Just really fantastic stuff. Whether I used a soap or a cream, it enhanced the quality and closeness of the shave like no other oil I had used.

Packaging
Nothing special. Just small clear plastic bottles, but it gets the job done.

Overall
If you use pre-shave oils in your regular shaving regimen, you owe it to yourself to pick up this fantastic product. At $4 an ounce, you can afford to apply it before each pass and have it last for months on end.

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Shane - Member since 6-10-06

I bought a small bottle and it seems to do a very effective job of lubricating my face. The smell, slightly minty, is inoffensive. A small amount does the trick. I liked it so much I bought the largest bottle they offer.

I have been using this pre-shave oil for just about a week now, and I could not be happier with the results! For the sake of being thorough I'll let you know I've been wet shaving for about 6 weeks and am using a '54 SS with a variety of blades (Persona, Crystal, Merkur) and soaps and creams along with my trusty Vulfix pure badger brush.



Price: Outstanding value, especially in comparison with other pre-shave oils out there. I got 4 ounces for about $16; considering how little of the oil is necessary to be effective this should last me a number of months.



Quality: Again, I have to give it high marks, this oil does exactly what I expect it to do.



Moisturizing: I would not say it necessarily moisturizes like a balm or cream, but it does keep my skin from drying out as much.



Scent: I really enjoy the freshness. It is not a strong scent and does not linger after the shave, but it is very pleasant.



Efficacy: This is where this stuff shines. I apply a small pump of oil and rub it in to my skin after the steam towel and before I lather up. As others have commented, this is not a watery oil and it really absorbs into the skin nicely. I love the softness and smoothness it brings; the razor just glides over the surface and mows down the whiskers without damaging the skin. I have not had any razor burn or irritation since I started using this product.



Packaging: Not very important to me, but serviceable. I like the pump bottle as it is very handy to use.



Not everyone needs a pre-shave oil, but if you have sensitive skin, or just want a smoother, closer shave, you owe it to yourself to try this product. Also, the shipping was very fast. Good service and great product. Smiley face and thumbs up! for Em's place... though I think the official web site is now shaveplace.com.