Facewash pre-shave

[BrisbaneShaver]

For reasons unrelated to shaving I recently started using one of those 'daily cleanser face wash' products. I've used both Nivea daily essentials and L'Oreal Expert for men to date.

Ever since I started using these face cleansers in my morning (pre-shave) shower, my shave quality has improved remarkably.

There is little to no tugging or irritation, seemingly regardless of what soap I use, and that smooth, supple, post-shave feeling that I know we all love seems to last longer into the mid day.

No doubt, using quality software like Squadron and Australian Private Reserve is a big contributor, but I am really beginning to think that there is some kind of 'X factor' in these facial cleansing wash things. I've changed nothing else about my prep, pre or post shave and I can really notice a difference.

Anyone have a similar, or contrary, experience?

If similar, any favourite products?

For the record, my wife's Nivea daily essentials is better than the L'Oreal men's product and I'm OK with that .

 

[todras]

Good to hear your experience, from what I have read opinions are generally positive.

Those face and skin daily wash products, depending on the price obviously, contain a number of compounds to remove some skin, moisturize the skin and soften the skin/facial hair. I won't go into them here as there are hundreds if not thousands of compounds that can be used but in effect they all do roughly the same thing and you will generally find in a face cleaning product one or more or all of the following: 1. An exfoliant compound 2. A softening compound and a moisturising compound or compounds along with a large number of other things for other functions - thickeners, preservatives, fragrance, surfacants etc. Some contain multiples of these for a chemical balancing act and many of the expensive brands use their own captive compounds they have developed, trademarked and therefore feel justified in slapping a premium price on - especially so if it's a women's product.

I don't use any of these facial cleaners myself but I do use a number of high glycerine pre-shave soaps as opposed to a specialist face-cleaner (due to cost and equal performance) and I also have a pre-shave butter. Basically just a bar of very mild soap with a really high glycerine content - roughly the same as Trumpers Coral/Sandalwood/Lime Skin Food in functionality. Prior to loading the brush I wash my face with warm water and lather a bar of one of these soaps, massage it in and leave it on for 3mins or so until I am ready to begin the first pass where I rinse with warm water, the result is definately there with my bristles and skin being much softer than if I skip using one for a few days.

In order of performance for me having tried a number of them..

1. Valobra Glicerlanolina
2. Musgo Glyce/Occams Pre Shave Soap
3. La Toja

The La Toja is stocked at the stray whisker, $5 or thereabouts gets you a rock solid block of pre-shave soap that lasts over 1.5 years and I am not kidding.

I also have a Chatillon Lux pre-shave butter that is loaded with a number of oils, it works in basically the same way but the extra oils are of benefit. Fantastic stuff but probably a little heavy due to the oil content in warmer weather.