We can also call them the heroes behind the scene. Yes, we are talking about the pre-shave products which we love to use and can’t give up. As they are generally not in our main focus, we usually oversee them.

Pre-Shave products? Are they good, are they bad?
As we frequently get questions about pre-shave products, we decided to take a look at them in this article. The key question here is: What are pre-shave products; what do they do, how they work and are they really necessary?

Let’s start.

Any product, which is used for softening the beard, moisturizing and increasing skin flexibility prior to lathering is called pre-shave product. These are generally pre-shave oils/creams or peeling products.

Contrary to popular belief, the main purpose of these products is not to provide lubrication and protection by covering the skin but to provide flexibility through moisturizing the skin.

The higher your skin's moisture level during shaving, the more flexible your skin will be; enabling the razor to glide over easily on it. Always remember, as long as your skin can stretch, it is less fragile.

Just as the glass does not stretch and breaks while the flexible materials do not break, just as the dry leave cannot stretch while the fresh leaf can be bent and returned to its original state; If your skin is not moist enough, it will be more susceptible to cracking and scratching at capillary level because it won’t be able to stretch while the razor blade passes over.

Therefore, our aim should be to increase the moisture level of the skin during shaving, to act as a fresh leaf, to be flexible under the razor blade and to return to the original form after the blade passes.

So, let’s take a look at the pre-shave products

1. Pre-shave Oils:

Two things happen when applying pre-shave oils after washing your face with warm water prior to shaving; first, even if the oils are not absorbed by your skin, they will likely cover your skin with a light film, temporarily trapping the moisture into your skin. Second, the oils will protect the skin and provide lubrication.

However, if you use a shaving brush (which we strongly recommend), the effect of protection and lubrication will decrease to a certain extent as you rub the brush. The moisturizing effect will last of course. If you do not use a brush and apply a shaving gel or foam with your hands, then you’ll feel the lubrication and protection effect even more. Pre-shave oils are actually a mixture of  “carrier oils” with additional essential oils.

A carrier oil is a vegetable oil obtained from plants, usually from the seeds and nuts. They are so named because they carry the essential oils onto the skin, acting as a base. Essential oils and absolutes are distilled from different parts of plants and are very potent and can cause irritation when applied directly to your skin.

Carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils and absolutes so that they do not irritate the skin. Some examples to carrier oils are coconut oil, jojoba oil, black cumin seed oil, rosehip seed oil, grape seed oil, argan oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil.

All of these oils have different positive effects on our skin from moistening to healing, from preventing inflammation to softening whiskers. So, in a nutshell, we may say that the carrier oils have qualities to help our skin while the essential oils mostly add scent to the fun.

2. Pre-shave Creams and Peeling Products

Most pre-shave products on the market are oil products. Creams and peeling products are rarer.

These products do not work by covering the skin like the pre-shave oils, but they are rather absorbed by the skin, similar to aftershave balms. They have different properties though; such as opening and cleaning the skin pores and increasing the moisture level of the skin rapidly with the absorbed active ingredients at the same time.

Thus, when you start brushing your face, your skin will be well moistened with the pores opened. This will allow your brush to raise and soften the whiskers easier.

The shaving cream or soap will permeate better to your skin, thanks to cleaned open pores. There are some special products that can be used both as a pre and after shave solution like the Proraso Pre-Shave creams.

But are they necessary?

Well, it’s totally up to you.

Pre-shave products are actually a newer trend, each day a new product comes out. Back in old times people mostly just rinse their faces with warm water prior to shave and be done with that. But we can’t deny the positive effects we get from them. Your shaving cream or soap may be so compatible with your skin and moisturizes your skin so well that the impact of using a pre-shave product may be minimal.

On the other hand, if your shaving cream or soap does not provide that much moisturizatin to your skin, a pre-shave product that you choose according to your needs and shaving style can noticably increase the quality of your shave.

After all, these products have proven themselves, and have taken their places among the most favorite products on the shelves of traditional wet shave enthusiasts around world.

May your shaving pleasure ever lasts!