Nowadays, most of us men do our shaving with disposable razors – those thin gray sticks with the convoluted lawnmower on one end. Most disposable razor users pay $30 a pack for these things, which invariably convince you that more blades = better.
However, what you might not know is that the best solution for clearing your face of that unsightly stubble was already perfected back in your grandpa’s day: wet shaving. Finding the best oils for your face when wet shaving can be hard – we’ll help you find them.
Why is it important to find the best facial oil?
While there are a lot of accoutrements and tools to the art of wet shaving, one component is often ignored – facial oil. Wet shaving, as the name implies, requires a lot of moisture to make it work and to keep your face from getting sliced (which no one wants).
This is where the best facial oils come in; just apply it to your face before shaving – you can do this independent of lathering your face with shaving cream, or as a supplement to compensate for inferior lather.
What’s more, it takes a lot less time than lathering, for those wet shavers who are pressed for time.
The point of pre-shaving facial oil is to prep your face for wet shaving, allowing the safety razor to glide effortlessly across your skin and just get rid of that unwanted hair, without sacrificing your face in the process!
Because this step is so important, you’re going to want to find the best oils for face shaving on the market; we’ve decided to help you out a bit by giving you this comprehensive guide to the most effective (and cost-effective) facial oils we can find.
The 6 Best Oils for Your Face (…in no particular order)
American Crew Lubricating Shave Oil
Amazon ImageAmerican Crew is a well-known, high-end men’s face and hair care company, and their products are always a good bet; I use their hair care products quite a bit, so I was excited to take a look at their shaving oil . With this product, American Crew combines clove oil with other essential oils to create that soft, smooth feeling in your skin that the best oils for your face are supposed to give you.
One of the biggest advantages of American Crew’s facial oil is that it does a great job of softening your beard, thus making it much easier to shave with your safety razor. It’s certainly not one of the cheaper oils out there by volume – it’s $11 for a bottle only slighter bigger than the Shave Secret bottle – but it’s still a good deal compared to these other products’ price points.
Grooming Lounge Beard Master Shave Oil
Best oils for faceWe’ve been a fan of the Grooming Lounge products for a long time. They sell all kinds of awesome products for guys. They sell shaving creams, razors, electric shaving products, skin care products, hair care products and fragrances — and that’s just a small selection of stuff they have available. Plus, they also have several physical locations, where you can get a nice cut and shave. In short, these guys do everything, and they do it very well.
Their Beard Master Shave Oil is no exception. It’s made with a combination of three oils: meadow foam oil, peppermint oil and avocado oil. The meadow foam oil stiffens and lifts your whiskers to prepare them to be cut. The peppermint oil lubricates your skin to make it easier for your razor to do its work. And the avocado oil soothes your face after the razor passes. So really, it’s an oil blend that protects your face before, during and after your shave. It’s an absolute joy to use; we definitely recommend it if you’re looking to pamper yourself a bit.
Pacific Shaving Company All Natural Shaving Oil
Amazon ImageThis bottle does not mess around – at 2 oz, Pacific Shaving Company gives you enough for at least 400 shaves, which is something to consider when thinking about your ultimate value. It’s the most expensive bottle we chose to review at nearly $23, but given the value, this is still a great deal. Unlike some other oils, this facial oil applies clear, which makes it incredibly useful for close shaves where you want to see what you’re doing.
Shaves are incredibly consistent with this oil as well, giving you a smooth, clean wet shave every time. While you’re paying more for this oil, the high quality of the oil and bigger volume make it one of the best facial oils you can buy.
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap
Amazon ImageThis product is just a bit different than the rest – this does not market itself strictly as a shaving oil, but it can be used as one. This product from Dr. Bronner has some fairly interesting, old-fashioned packaging that would make it look great next to your wooden shaving kit (if you want to keep it classy), and uses fair-trade, organic essential oils for a less artificial-feeling product than the rest.
They even throw in some rose fragrances and citric acid to make your lower jaw smell like a freshly-mowed garden of mystery. Also, if you’re just using this for facial oil, a 32oz bottle for about $13 is nothing to sneeze at.
HIS “Total” Shaving Solution Shave Oil for Men
Amazon ImageFinally, we bring you to HIS “Total” Shaving Solution; while the fact that they put quotes around “total” may give you cause for concern, fret not – this is still one of the best facial oils you will find. This product has been around for decades, and had an incredibly loyal fanbase; there are people who say they will only ever use HIS for their wet shaving needs.
You might want to be careful not to apply too much if you have sensitive skin, as it burns a little bit more than most oils. Also, a $16 price point for a bottle the same size as Shave Secret can seem a bit foolish, especially after looking at the crazy deal you can get for Dr. Bronner’s Castile Oil. Still, it’s one of the best oils for your face, and the smaller bottle size is great for travel.
Shave Secret Shaving Oil
Amazon ImageShave Secret Shaving Oil has quite a positive reception among wet shavers, and it’s easy to see why – the combination of essential oils and menthol contribute to a pre-shave feeling that’s both invigorating and appropriately moisturizing. The bottles are typically small (much smaller than the other products mentioned), but you don’t need much – three to five drops in a single shave will give you a great lubricant for your safety razor. The fragrance is nothing special, but it’s far from odorous, so there’s little to complain about.
The price point is also just right – it’s the cheapest of the facial oils we found at about $7, though that also comes with a smaller bottle. Using this oil gives you an incredibly smooth shave, and leaves your skin moist, without that dry, cactus-y feeling you get with most dry shaving experiences. Shave Secret’s product isn’t particularly innovative, but it absolutely gets the job done.
