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I have been wet shaving for years, but could never achieve a super close shave because of irritation on my neck and jawline. I tried shaving soaps, creams, you name it, and could never rid myself of razor bumps and ingrown hairs when shaving across my jawline and on my neck. I have always been interested in The Art of Shaving products, and finally decided to pick up some of the Sandlewood cream, and shave oil. When you get the bottle you may think that its a bit small, but don't worry because a little goes a long way. I put a drop on my hand the size of a dime and rubbed it in. I could tell right away that my face was super slick. After a few seconds I lathered my face with the cream and did my first pass. Right away I could tell a huge diffrence. My razor glided right over my face with no friction at all! I then relathered and did my second pass. Usually I would feel a bit of razorburn on my face for the second pass, but I felt none this time. I was then able to shave across my jawline and neck getting all of the hair with no redness or bumps at all. I will defintely be buying this from now on. You will notice that it will cake a bit on your blade when you go to clean it, but it comes right off with no problem.
I recently discovered the Art of Shaving system, and love the way it works. In particular I enjoy the fragrance of the Sandalwood formula.
The price for this oil seems expensive, but I compared it to other sandalwood oils and it's about the same. Still, the *concept* is a bit expensive anyway, so I've got a way to cut corners:
1) I don't use this with every shave, just when I think it's going to take a little extra effort to get a good shave, or I have a big day coming up where I'd better look good
2) I apply this with my fingertips and use as little as possible. Some reviewers have pointed out that this stuff is too thick, and they're probably right. The point of this is just to put a slick layer on your skin that you'll then be topping off with shaving cream.
When I use The Art of Shaving system, it's a combination of this oil (to prep your skin and help the razor move more smoothly over it), their shaving cream, and their bristle brush (and their after-shave skin lotion). I'll be the first to admit that this is a luxury--but to me I very much enjoy using the system, and the oil does seem to help reduce snags. Just use it sparingly.
This oil smells great and works great. A couple notes:
1. Be sparing. For most men a dollup the size of a dime in your cupped hand should be plenty. There should be enough to coat your whiskers but not so much that your face looks shiny. If you use no oil at all then you run the risk of irritation during shaving, if you use too much then your razor will glide over at least some of your whiskers with no friction and not cut as well.
2. There will be oily residue on your razor after you shave. You will probably want to invest in a small spray container with rubbing alcohol in it to spritz down your razor after rinsing. You should really do this anyway, it makes your razor last longer.
3. Don't invest in this unless you are going to invest in the full wet shave experience. You'll need a good brush (badger hair is the best), soap you can lather, and a nice after shave lotion. While you can use a traditional disposable/multi-bladed razor, I highly recommend getting a quality safety razor or a straight razor (if you're daring). You don't wet shave for convenience, it's a gourmet experience.
UPDATE - Using the amount noted above my shave oil lasted 9 months shaving 5 days a week.
Nice and thick for proper razor glide. I use Feather razors and I hardly even get a nick, and this is with a three or more day beard. The smell is herby and peppery. I really like it while the scent lasts.
My husband has been using the Art of Shaving products for years. We stumbled upon it in the mall and now he is hooked. He starts with this preshave oil and then uses their shaving cream with the brush. The preshave oil really helps create a nice smooth shave by relaxing his skin right after his shower. I gift him Art of Shaving products every Christmas
Feature Product
- Recommended for casual wear
- This product is mainly for men
- This is high quality product, made of high quality material
- Sandalwood essential oil - Normal to dry skin
- Softens the beard and protects the skin
- Prepares the skin for a close and comfortable shave
- Ideal for men with sensitive skin, ingrown hairs, razor burn or tough beards
- Unique blend of botanical ingredients and 100% pure sandalwood essential oil
Description
The Art of Shaving Pre-Shave Oil helps protect against irritation and razor burn by promoting razor glide and is suitable for all beard types, including men with tough beards. It softens the beard and prepares the skin for a close and comfortable shave without leaving an oily residue. It is formulated with a unique blend of botanical ingredients and Essential Oils.
I ordered the Sandalwood for All Skin Types version of this oil, mostly with the hopes that it would provide a bit of relief from the ingrown hairs and razor burn I was experiencing, particularly on my neck. I'm not entirely sure what the blend is here, but it feels a bit like an olive oil base (others have mentioned castor oil as well). I've heard many recommendations that this isn't a bad blend, although there are a few other types of oil that are better at conditioning the skin. This oil serves pretty much exclusively as a lubricant.
I shave with a DE razor, as most who would buy this product do. First use, I put about 5 or 6 drops of the stuff on my hands and rubbed it into my stubble. My face was noticeably greasy, but this was a good thing for the sake of lubrication...which is exactly what I was looking for. The sandalwood scent is absolutely delightful, if you like that scent. It's pretty strong with this product, something I wasn't used to with my typical sandalwood shave soap, which leaves just a faint fragrance after a shave.
The fragrance here is stronger and longer lasting.
After rubbing the oil in, I worked a good lather over my face and began to shave. The shave was indeed far more comfortable with the oil. The razor glided over my skin, and there was virtually no tugging on the hairs. Even using Feather blades, I would get an occasional yank on the hairs that would cause a bit of discomfort. With this oil, it's almost like simply pushing a bladeless razor over my face and having the hair come out.
My face and neck looked a bit better than usual after this, and after a week of usage, I had no more ingrown hairs or razor burn.
The drawback of this is that, since it provides no conditioning value to the skin, it's going to cause some people with more sensitive skin to break out. I avoid this by rubbing the leftover lather over my face to break down any left over oily residue. This also keeps my skin from looking greasy or oily. If you have particularly sensitive skin or want something with more conditioning value, JoJoba oil is apparently the ingredient you would want listed on your preshave oil. Alternatively, you could look for a preshave lotion or cream.
I would recommend this product, with the aforementioned caveats in mind. It's a good preshave oil, a bit on the pricier side unfortunately, but I'd say it's not without value and it's certainly helped me.
I bought the whole Art of Shaving kit for my husband as a wedding gift. He absolutely loves it and now Art of Shaving is what I spoil him with, hence the refills. My husband used to get red bumps on his skin when he shaved but since using the AoS system the red bumps have disappeared and his skin feels kissably soft. The sandalwood scent smells really musky and manly. This is a must for every man. Bonus: the 2oz bottle should last for 12 months so the price is actually really great for what you are getting out of it.
I dread shaving because I have thick facial hair. Even brand new razors snag and pull. I have to shave daily for work except weekends. I let it grow on the weekends and mondays are excruciatingly painful to shave. One of the employees at the store told me to try this. I was already using a brush and lather. Adding this made shaving pleasant. I recently switched to a single blade razor and its like butter. I would highly recommend to anyone that has the same experience I did
This product has a delightful smell that lingers a good 12 hours or a bit longer...so if you don't want that, then I guess it's no good. But for something both to avoid being overpowering and to linger for that long is impressive. I would probably use it even if it wasn't highly functional, which to be honest I can't tell how much it actually helps. I think it does. My skin is sensitive and so I have to use just about every product there is to avoid shredding it, so I'm used to using a lot of stuff. Thus it makes it difficult for me to do a before and after. In any case, I do love it, it's my favorite shaving product by far.
Thick so you need very little. Goes on well. Not crazy about being in a glass bottle but I suppose it is to keep it from interacting with plastice. I wish it had a dispenser pump in lieu of uncapping and trying to measure out what you need.
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