While the men’s grooming portion of this blog typically focuses on traditional wet shaving with a safety razor, today’s post is a slight tangent from the norm. When Foster and Lake reached out to me to try their new Shave Answers shaving oil, I was immediately intrigued. If you’re like me you spend a decent amount of time watching shaving related content online: how to shave videos, tutorials, etc. Sometimes, I’ll stumble across a video of a barbershop using shaving oil, and it’s particularly fascinating. Having no real experience using a shave oil, I decided to give Shave Answers a try.
To better understand how best to use this product, Let’s start with what I did wrong the first few times I used this shaving oil.
What I Did Wrong
- I used too much. You don’t need much for this shaving oil to be effective. I had the best results further in my testing when I used less product. Keep in mind that Foster and Lake offer three hundred shaves per bottle. This should help you estimate how much oil to use per shave.
- I started with a dry face. I found the oil worked best when I applied it to damp skin and then worked the water and oil in together. This created a much slicker surface than simply the oil alone. Oil and water are two key components of any slick shaving lotion. Mixing them creates the shaving solution.
- I assumed I knew what I was doing. This was a new type of shaving for me, and I should have treated it as such. Once I began acting like I had never shaved before I achieved closer shaves.
I was able to give myself very close shaves using the Foster and Lake Shave Answers shaving oil once I got the hang of it with some “beginner-type” experimentation. This shaving oil does have a different feel than traditional wet shaving with a soap or a cream. Feedback from my razor was more immediate and much more sensory. It was very comfortable, but I knew exactly where my razor was every second of my shave. Additionally, the clear oil allowed me to be extremely precise with my shave. I think this would be ideal for men with beards or goatees looking to clean up their edges. Another feature I appreciate in this shaving oil is the incredibly clean ingredient list. I try to avoid excessive chemicals in my grooming products, and I always appreciate a short list like this.
Like I said, for me my best results came when I treated this like a new shaving process and pretended I was a beginner. In this vein, I’d like to offer my tips for getting your best shave with a shaving oil.
Tips for a Better Shave
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Clean and damp. Be sure your face is washed and still a little damp before starting. This will help ensure the best shave possible.
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Work the oil into all areas. Pay close attention to corners and edges. You don’t want to have an uncovered area when your razor passes over it.
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Use extremely small strokes. I found the glide of the oil to be different that what I was typically used to. Smaller strokes kept my skin taught and protected.
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Stick to a single pass. I know this goes against the grain (pun intended) of everything we know as wet shavers, but I found a single pass was enough to give myself a close shave. If you do need to touch up a few spots, just re-dampen and re-shave.
Once I got the hang of this new shaving method, I was able to give myself quick, close, and effective shaves. If you’re looking for a change from your everyday shave or looking for a simple, clean shaving solution, I definitely recommend the Foster and Lake Shave Answers shaving oil.
*This post was sponsored by Foster and Lake, but my views, as always, are my own*
