Quest for less technology

[blethenstrom]

I know the use of pre-shave soaps has been a controversy here since I joined 3 years ago.... Some are adamant that it serves no benefit...

On another note: I dislike Cremo intensely..... I hate the residue it leaves on both my hands after applying it and getting ready to actually shave... and the post shave feel is horrible... It's almost impossible for me to get off my face. <eg>

I can see this stirring up some controversy. I think a lot of depends on what shaving soap you are using and your skin's condition. If you are already tend to have dry skin yep you probably need it. If you tend to use shave soap that have less conditioning yep you might need it. Many factors here just like anything else. I think an increased conditioning shave soap might help some to not have to use a pre shave soap.

I think Cremo uses a lot of oils directly and that just makes it a bit of a mess. It is hard to rinse off and also it leaves a mess in the sink.

 

[blethenstrom]

Yeah... the Cube 2.0 and the Tube 2.0 both have charcoal in them... They are available in menthol and non-mentholated.. I use the non-mentholated... due to my skin issues. To get free shipping, I bought several Cube 2.0s along with some shampoo pucks, but the next time around, I'm going to try the melt and pour soap base.... I do wonder if I'll notice any difference... It's about half the cost of the Cube 2.0. You'll just make your own. <eg>

Experimentation is just the name of the game and it is a lot of fun.

 

[spacemonkey42]

Interesting thread, thank you all!

I shave before I shower, so before shaving I have been washing my face with Neutrogena glycerine soap. I leave that on my face as I load soap onto my brush, then rinse it off before face lathering. So you're saying I should leave it on my face and just mix that in with my lather? (I mostly use Stirling and Southern Witchcrafts soaps).

 

[DesertIguana]

I try hard to keep life & Shaving simple.

I started wet Shaving before there was Internet, U-Tube, and discussion Forums.

We learn by doing and had just a hand full of choice in Razors, Blades, Soaps, Brushes.

Some how we got the job done with what was available at time.

Today with all the resource & info available new people are lucky.

Many choices, much info to make Wet Shaving simpler.

Think the one thing that has not change is time builds skill.

JMHO

 

[blethenstrom]

Interesting thread, thank you all!

I shave before I shower, so before shaving I have been washing my face with Neutrogena glycerine soap. I leave that on my face as I load soap onto my brush, then rinse it off before face lathering. So you're saying I should leave it on my face and just mix that in with my lather? (I mostly use Stirling and Southern Witchcrafts soaps).

Well I bet that with Stirling, since it is tallow based, you most likely will not see much difference. Maybe with Southern Witchcraft. They do add butters and castor oil to theirs so it is probably fine also. However, try it see what you think. I bet you will see a jump up in slickness. Yeah just leave it on your face while lathering and see.

 

[spacemonkey42]

@cranewarrior, Neutrogena has much less scent than Pears, you may want to give it a try.

 

[Letsgoalready]

For me Pre-Shave is nice but not necessary. I like it when I don't shower before a shave. It helps with glide and getting my skin loose. Noxema does well but as always YMMV!

 

[blethenstrom]

I try hard to keep life & Shaving simple.

I started wet Shaving before there was Internet, U-Tube, and discussion Forums.

We learn by doing and had just a hand full of choice in Razors, Blades, Soaps, Brushes.

Some how we got the job done with what was available at time.

Today with all the resource & info available new people are lucky.

Many choices, much info to make Wet Shaving simpler.

Think the one thing that has not change is time builds skill.

JMHO

Indeed. You had to learn from books or some other person back then. Now it is so quick. We can gain information so quickly and easily. I feel that sometimes we substitute some of that with some good ol' skill. I think skill can overcome a lot of non optimized things no matter what it is.

People of yesteryear had one razor, some soap (any soap), a few blades that they kept sharpening and an old hand me down brush they still made it work. I have no doubt that it took a good while to get good shaves with a lot of trial and error for each young man. Lots of TP patches on the face etc etc for some time. We are indeed very lucky....

 

[blethenstrom]

For me Pre-Shave is nice but not necessary. I like it when I don't shower before a shave. It helps with glide and getting my skin loose. Noxema does well but as always YMMV!

I have not used anything since I started wet shaving either and I cannot say that I have had an issue. I am not even saying that I will start now either. I really do not want to add something to my routine, if I can help it. I am testing out things, because I was graciously gifted a pre shave soap. Now I do think that a good pre shave soap may help, shall we say, lacking shave soap. When I say lacking I mean of course in slickness and conditioning. I can see that being an aid.

Ultimately we would like to see a shave soap that meets those criterion. For some it is perfectly fine the way it is, for others not so much. I do not think that a super conditioning shave soap would be the end all be all answer either. I think it might be too much for some. Maybe someone tend to have oilier skin and need a more cleansing shave soap. We are all different with different skin.

 

[Letsgoalready]

I like the idea of a soap that does it all, but I would be wary of the issues it could cause. I think that a soap that does it all would do it all just okay. I think having it be 2 different products is smart, but only if you want to add that extra step. I am about 50/50 if I use Pre-Shave stuff.

 

[blethenstrom]

Might just be something to do on a case by case, soap by soap basis. Depending on season etc etc. Maybe it means for me that I make a summer shave soap that is less conditioning as compared to a winter shave soap that will have all the goodies in it.

 

[DesertIguana]

Indeed. You had to learn from books or some other person back then. Now it is so quick. We can gain information so quickly and easily. I feel that sometimes we substitute some of that with some good ol' skill. I think skill can overcome a lot of non optimized things no matter what it is.

People of yesteryear had one razor, some soap (any soap), a few blades that they kept sharpening and an old hand me down brush they still made it work. I have no doubt that it took a good while to get good shaves with a lot of trial and error for each young man. Lots of TP patches on the face etc etc for some time. We are indeed very lucky....

Even today you sooner or later after watching, or reading you got to load your Razor with Blade, Lather up.

Then Shave if your lucky you will not get nicked, or cut.

Then you have started your learning curve.

In time you learn, then like most skills you get better at the skill your trying to learn.

Only PRACTICE BUILDS SKILL, nothing else.

 

[Letsgoalready]

Then Shave if your lucky you will not get nicked, or cut.

I've been wet shaving for over a year now and I still nick myself almost every shave, you're right it does take practice!

 

[thombrogan]

I can see this stirring up some controversy.

Absolutely! Mostly because most of us have a bunch of “shoulds and oughts” that are held by our chosen peer groups or list of uncritically accepted rules that run counter to our experiences or even prevent us from having those experiences that might risk contradicting our cherished beliefs.

Of course, I’m limiting this pre-shave soaps, pre-shave prep, and wet-shaving in general and not watching so many Korean-based detective shows that it’s a challenge to not yell “Eonni!” when trying to get hugs and kisses from your sweetheart.

 

[blethenstrom]

I have just had a bit of a ahaa moment sitting here this afternoon. Remember a while back I was trying to use up a tub of Proraso Red that I had and that I was struggling with the soap. I found that the Proraso Red was not slick etc etc etc. I got fine lather, but it was not slick and too my liking. I then blamed it on that it was probably old and I finally ended up getting rid of it. I think I have figured out what was going on and it all ties back to this discussion regarding shave soap being conditioning and slick.

Proraso Red Ingredients:
Aqua (Water/Eau), Stearic Acid, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Lactic Acid, Parfum (Fragrance), Santalum album (Sandalwood) Oil, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Coumarin

Proraso Red is a Stearic Acid, Coconut Oil soap! They did add a bit of glycerin and a bit of shea butter, but not enough to make a difference. This is why it was not slick!

I also have been reading review on Cella Red vs Proraso Red and pretty much in every Cella Red wins. People say that Cella Red is slicker etc etc. I also found a review on Cella Red vs Cella Bio (green) and same thing there. Cella Red won. Well well why would Cella Red win? Cella Red is tallow based

Cella Red ingredients:
Cocos Nucifera Oil, Tallow, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Aqua, Potassium Carbonate, Parfum

Better fatty acid balance with tallow in there. What about Cella Bio (green)

Cella Bio(green) Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Carbonate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Bambusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) Leaf/stem Extract, Bisabolol, Parfum (Fragrance)

Cella Bio (green) is Stearic, coconut Oil, Glycerin and a little bit of olive oil way down. No wonder Cella Red won out. Better fatty acid balance in Cella Red.

So the moral of the story is this. If the slickness is lacking and/or your skin feels a bit rough after a shave with a particular soap, you might be able to work around that with some pre shave soap or a bit of glycerin. I suspect that I would have been fine with the Prosaso Red had I known this back then.

 

[BigAlVista]

You do not rinse it off before lathering right?

Correct. When I use PAA Cube, I leave it on

 

[Letsgoalready]

Correct. When I use PAA Cube, I leave it on

I keep going back and fourth on getting one, what do you find it adds to your shaves over any other/no presheaves soap

 

[BigAlVista]

I have not used anything since I started wet shaving either and I cannot say that I have had an issue. I am not even saying that I will start now either. I really do not want to add something to my routine, if I can help it. I am testing out things, because I was graciously gifted a pre shave soap. Now I do think that a good pre shave soap may help, shall we say, lacking shave soap. When I say lacking I mean of course in slickness and conditioning. I can see that being an aid.

Ultimately we would like to see a shave soap that meets those criterion. For some it is perfectly fine the way it is, for others not so much. I do not think that a super conditioning shave soap would be the end all be all answer either. I think it might be too much for some. Maybe someone tend to have oilier skin and need a more cleansing shave soap. We are all different with different skin.

I don't think the issue is "need", but "want". I want as close to a BBS shave as possible. I want no razor burn.

Pre-shave let's me take a few extra swipes with a given amount of lather without additional irritation. This is particularly the case with the Baume.be product. It keeps my face slick through two to three full passes without the need to re-apply. It's like a super-thin layer of WD-40 for the face. Even if some remains after the shave, it doesn't feel like Cremo, but nice. The other pre-shaves typically dissipate by the end of the first pass.

There is probably some magic ratio of ingredients that provides that kind of glide, but doesn't kill the lather. Cremo tried, but...no.

 

[tehnothing]

I have just had a bit of a ahaa moment sitting here this afternoon. Remember a while back I was trying to use up a tub of Proraso Red that I had and that I was struggling with the soap. I found that the Proraso Red was not slick etc etc etc. I got fine lather, but it was not slick and too my liking. I then blamed it on that it was probably old and I finally ended up getting rid of it. I think I have figured out what was going on and it all ties back to this discussion regarding shave soap being conditioning and slick.

Proraso Red Ingredients:
Aqua (Water/Eau), Stearic Acid, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Lactic Acid, Parfum (Fragrance), Santalum album (Sandalwood) Oil, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Coumarin

Proraso Red is a Stearic Acid, Coconut Oil soap! They did add a bit of glycerin and a bit of shea butter, but not enough to make a difference. This is why it was not slick!

I also have been reading review on Cella Red vs Proraso Red and pretty much in every Cella Red wins. People say that Cella Red is slicker etc etc. I also found a review on Cella Red vs Cella Bio (green) and same thing there. Cella Red won. Well well why would Cella Red win? Cella Red is tallow based

Cella Red ingredients:
Cocos Nucifera Oil, Tallow, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Aqua, Potassium Carbonate, Parfum

Better fatty acid balance with tallow in there. What about Cella Bio (green)

Cella Bio(green) Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Carbonate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Bambusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) Leaf/stem Extract, Bisabolol, Parfum (Fragrance)

Cella Bio (green) is Stearic, coconut Oil, Glycerin and a little bit of olive oil way down. No wonder Cella Red won out. Better fatty acid balance in Cella Red.

So the moral of the story is this. If the slickness is lacking and/or your skin feels a bit rough after a shave with a particular soap, you might be able to work around that with some pre shave soap or a bit of glycerin. I suspect that I would have been fine with the Prosaso Red had I known this back then.

I still maintain that proraso creams trump the soaps every time. Also as to the cella red to green question, while red may be slicker due to tallow, it doesn’t help if it burns your face due to the almond scent ingredient.

 

[BigAlVista]

I keep going back and fourth on getting one, what do you find it adds to your shaves over any other/no presheaves soap

PAA is a good glycerin soap formulated with shaving in mind. It does a good job adding glide on the first pass for many shaving soaps. But, it's not "special" compared to other good pre-shaves

Many pre-shaves don't seem to improve the glide in combination with artisan or high quality soap. My experience with Proraso pre-shave is like that. It improves a Barbasol shave, but that's it (YMMV). PAA and Grooming department pre-shave and some of the shave oils seem to improve the glide of most shaving soaps, but only for one pass. Baume.be is "special" in that it improves the glide for most of (or the entire) shave - at least for me.