Homemade Shave Oil

**Uffizzi** · 08-07-2010, 09:52 AM

Greetings from our nation's capitol! I am making my first batch of shave oil, and I have some really great kukui nut and coconut oil from Maui to add to the mix. However, I am concerned about adding the coconut oil as it is a bit thicker and much more viscous than the other oils (almond, avocado, jojoba, olive) - any thoughts/suggestions are much appreciated. Thank you, kindly!

**ackvil** · 08-07-2010, 10:50 AM

Don't know anything about making home made pre-shaving oil - but Welcome to B&B!

**Crowort** · 08-07-2010, 10:58 AM

Not much you can do about the coconut oil you have bar keeping it warm to keep it liquid. You can get coconut oil which is treated so that it is liquid at low temperatures.

All the info I've read also suggests shave oil should contain some castor oil. Castor oil is a 'short oil' Something about the strings of fat being different from most other oils that have long one.

I can't really explain why this is important as I don't really understand it, but if you read recipes for shave oil online it will almost always have castor oil in it.

**Uffizzi** · 08-07-2010, 11:56 AM

Here is the recipe from Leisureguy (I believe):

2 parts Almond oil
2 parts Avocado oil
2 parts Olive oil
1 part Grapeseed oil
1 part Macadamia nut oil
1-2 drops essential oil(s) (for fragrance)—or however much you want

I was going to use Kukui nut oil in place of the Macadamia. And thank you kindly for the welcomes!

**Baartel Van StratenShaven** · 08-07-2010, 11:59 AM

Olive oil or Palm Oil are the traditional bases from what I've read. Thus we get Palmolive.

**Crowort** · 08-07-2010, 12:01 PM

I think I that recipe the grapeseed oil takes the place of the castor oil. Pretty sure I've read it has properties like castor oil.

The recipes I see mostly are just 75% olive and 25% castor.

I'd say the only thing you can really do is give it a go and report back your findings. I haven't read of many people that have made the oil then came back with feedback.

**The Last Chimney** · 08-07-2010, 01:18 PM

What's the point of adding all these different oils? I just use olive oil and it seems to work fine. How do the other ones improve it?

**wazazzle** · 08-07-2010, 01:24 PM

I paid $4 for a minty shave oil from rite-aid, but then read olive oil works just the same. So now i'm just using olive oil. Performance wise i don't notice a difference except one smells like mint.

**Apothecary** · 08-07-2010, 01:52 PM

I hear that Mobil 1 is pretty slick.

**GDCarrington** · 08-07-2010, 01:58 PM

Uffizzi, now that Mobil 1 has entered into the thread, be aware that we are very capable of moving into the usage of Bacon Grease at any time on this board.

Welcome to the good ship B&B. Take a stroll on the promenade deck and enjoy the voyage.

Always remember, relax but be vigilant when you shave!

**Crowort** · 08-07-2010, 02:41 PM

I think the only reason to use the other oils is more to do with them being 'good' for your skin. Pretty sure any old food grade oil is fine as a per-shave.

Oil preference is like about how your skin reacts (some oils might give some zips or that) and about how it moisturises.

**badgxy** · 08-07-2010, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Crowort

All the info I've read also suggests shave oil should contain some castor oil. Castor oil is a 'short oil' Something about the strings of fat being different from most other oils that have long one.

I can't really explain why this is important as I don't really understand it, but if you read recipes for shave oil online it will almost always have castor oil in it.

The shorter the chain, the more it will sink in the skin (and not clog pores).

Hard to say what's better with any certainty, but I received a sample of pre-shave oil from The Art of Shaving, and it feels perfect.

I would go with plain coconut oil. Viscous enough and loaded with all the antifugal and antiviral goodies. If it's not liquid in your bathroom, it probably means your prep' is lacking. Steam up!

**franstjohn** · 08-07-2010, 02:52 PM

It has always been my understanding that cosmetic grade castor oil is an emollient that penetrates the skin and softens it. It used to be a principal ingredient in "wrinkle creams". Grapeseed oil and olive oil are also emollients but they tend to lay on top of the skin as a lubricant and also are good for cooking.

I've never tried any of them for shaving but I use a lot of olive oil for cooking and salads. Their purpose for shaving seems to duplicate what shaving creams and soaps are supposed to be doing and the creams and soaps smell a lot better.

Can anyone enlighten me?

**Apothecary** · 08-07-2010, 05:03 PM

I can handle bacon grease; however, if anyone begins to extol the lubricating properties of smegma in their homebrew, I'm outta here! :)

**thendrix65804** · 08-07-2010, 11:34 PM

I just got a bottle of pure castor oil today and it seems nice so far. I like it better than just olive oil. I am curious if the soap breaks it down, how much good does it do? It seems to work better than not using it but just one thing I have wondered.

**Uffizzi** · 08-08-2010, 03:52 AM

Originally Posted by Crowort

I think I that recipe the grapeseed oil takes the place of the castor oil. Pretty sure I've read it has properties like castor oil.

The recipes I see mostly are just 75% olive and 25% castor.

I'd say the only thing you can really do is give it a go and report back your findings. I haven't read of many people that have made the oil then came back with feedback.

Will do - I'm going to mix it up this week. I'll try it out, and report back my findings. Thank you, kindly!

**Beardo** · 08-08-2010, 05:09 AM

I've made my own shave-oil before, and while like many others here I no longer find it that useful, I can give you a recommendation based on my own experience.

Grapeseed oil is very thin as far as oils go, so if coconut oil ends up making the consistency of your mixture to0 thick, I suggest using grapeseed to thin it.

As a side note, I'd suggest that you add some essential oils to the mix as well, like eucalyptus and vitamin E to improve the quality of the oil and to make it gentler on your skin.

**prettyuglyfoxymoron** · 08-08-2010, 05:39 AM

Originally Posted by The Last Chimney

What's the point of adding all these different oils? I just use olive oil and it seems to work fine. How do the other ones improve it?

I use a mix of

2 jojoba oil
2 rosehip seed oil
1 olive oil
1 grapeseed oil
1 avocado oil
& little castor oil

I even added a few drops of essence oils for my first batch which made the mixture smell nasty. I don't add any of the 'fragrance' oils now.

So back to the portion in quotes by the Russian boxer: I've spent quite a bit buying all these oils (I even tried adding some emu oil to the concoction initially!). But with the few drops I use daily, I genuinely cannot make out if my mixture is even remotely better than just the plain olive oil I used daily before I went shopping for my oil buffet.