Shaving Oil Revisited
Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 4:14 pm
Ready for some heresy? Here we go!
Shaving oils are sold for some purpose or other, and I have never been able to understand why; providing lubrication alone will never let a hair be cut easily as the hair's shaft must be softened with moisture first. I have always regarded shaving oils as some form of nonsense to be sold to the uneducated. But now I have figured out a way to use them that works.
First wash your face with soap or detergent to remove all grease/oil/sebum from the hair. A detergent in the form of a shower gel might be best here, as it removes more oil than a soap with some superfatting. Rinse with hot water for a long time to allow as much water as possible to be soaked into the de-greased hair shafts. Once the hair is as soft as it can be, apply the oil of choice. A few drops will do for the whole face, and it should be rubbed in well. Now you can shave, but you have to remember where your razor has been as there is no lather to tell you what's been done and what is left. The oil will stay on the skin, and you can continue to a second pass, and/or some blade-buffing and still have that protective layer of oil on the surface. Apply aftershave on top of the oil that's left on your skin and you're done.
So, why the heck would I try this? I love soaps and creams and their scents. But for travel purposes it might make sense. There's always some tiny bottle of shampoo in a hotel room that can be used for de-greasing. A bottle of eye drops can be emptied and refilled with some suitable oil, and 10ml will provide 3 weeks of shaves. No brush will be needed. So the shaving component of your toilet bag can be reduced to a razor and one blade, plus a tiny bottle of oil and your aftershave.
I'm working on this as I have to fit all the necessities for two people for ten days into the trunk of a 1990 Miata. I'm down to one camera body, two lenses, and only one kind of film that will work for day or night, colour or B&W. Not shaving at all would let me have a third lens, but would result in no wife a few days in, and the cost of a taxi to get her home. More lessons in the art of compromise!
Shaving oils are sold for some purpose or other, and I have never been able to understand why; providing lubrication alone will never let a hair be cut easily as the hair's shaft must be softened with moisture first. I have always regarded shaving oils as some form of nonsense to be sold to the uneducated. But now I have figured out a way to use them that works.
First wash your face with soap or detergent to remove all grease/oil/sebum from the hair. A detergent in the form of a shower gel might be best here, as it removes more oil than a soap with some superfatting. Rinse with hot water for a long time to allow as much water as possible to be soaked into the de-greased hair shafts. Once the hair is as soft as it can be, apply the oil of choice. A few drops will do for the whole face, and it should be rubbed in well. Now you can shave, but you have to remember where your razor has been as there is no lather to tell you what's been done and what is left. The oil will stay on the skin, and you can continue to a second pass, and/or some blade-buffing and still have that protective layer of oil on the surface. Apply aftershave on top of the oil that's left on your skin and you're done.
So, why the heck would I try this? I love soaps and creams and their scents. But for travel purposes it might make sense. There's always some tiny bottle of shampoo in a hotel room that can be used for de-greasing. A bottle of eye drops can be emptied and refilled with some suitable oil, and 10ml will provide 3 weeks of shaves. No brush will be needed. So the shaving component of your toilet bag can be reduced to a razor and one blade, plus a tiny bottle of oil and your aftershave.
I'm working on this as I have to fit all the necessities for two people for ten days into the trunk of a 1990 Miata. I'm down to one camera body, two lenses, and only one kind of film that will work for day or night, colour or B&W. Not shaving at all would let me have a third lens, but would result in no wife a few days in, and the cost of a taxi to get her home. More lessons in the art of compromise!