I don’t much care for traditional shaving creams/gels.  Never mind the nasty chemicals in them; I can’t see what I’m doing under all that foam.  Maybe (probably!) I’m just inept, but I have to lather up, shave some, wash all the lather off so I can see what I did or didn’t shave, then lather up again.  Not very cost-effective or efficient.

I was pleased to learn about Shave Secret, which is a shaving oil.  It only takes a few drops; the oil coats the skin so water just glides across it.  It’s clear, so I can see what I’m doing.  And it’s not full of terrible chemicals.

I’ve since discovered that a number of other companies make shaving oils, too.  You can buy those.  (The Shave Secret is not that expensive, especially if you get it at Wal-Mart.)  But if you want to have 100% control over your ingredients or just want to use what you have on hand, you can do it yourself.

DIY Shaving Oil

The biggest “trick”  is going to be finding an oil or oil blend with the the correct viscosity.  You want it to soak in fast enough that you don’t just feel all slimy!  But you don’t want it to soak in so fast that it doesn’t coat your skin while you’re trying to shave.  As is my preference, I started with jojoba.  It’s most similar to the skin’s (and hair’s) natural sebum, so it’s a good option for not feeling greasy.

As an individual oil, I liked this the best.  It was a tad on the “thin” side and might be even better with something a little “oilier”  mixed in, but it worked just fine by itself, didn’t leave me feeling greasy, and did leave my legs feeling smooth.

The next thing I tried was fractionated coconut oil.  Now, you could use regular coconut oil, but it would be a little less convenient to work with because of the way it hardens.  FCO stays liquid, making it easier to use.  This also left my legs feeling very smooth, but I thought this had a very greasy feel.  A tiny bit of this added to the jojoba might be the best of both worlds.  I would not choose to use this by itself, though.

I also tried apricot kernel oil.  This was okay. The viscosity is a little thicker than the jojoba (but definitely not as thick/greasy as the FCO) so you’d think it would be better, but it didn’t seem to leave my skin feeling as smooth as the jojoba.

Argan oil produced similar results to the apricot kernel oil (and is pricey compared to the other oils I tried).

They did all work, though, so if you have one of these on hand, feel free to give it a try.  The fractionated coconut oil is the only one I would probably avoid using by itself, personally.

Add-On Options

The oil all by itself is totally fine.  However, when you buy shaving oil, it has essential oils added.  These serve as a sort of “aftershave”  built right in, and you can add your own if you like.

The primary essential oils I would consider adding would be astringent oils.  Some people think of “drying” when they think of  “astringent,” but that’s not accurate.  It’s more accurate to think in terms of tightening the pores — and “shrinking up”  any small nicks, to help prevent bleeding!

Lemon is astringent, but I don’t recommend using it in skin products because it’s also photosensitizing (makes the skin more sensitive to the sun.) Other astringent EO options include cedarwood, cinnamon, clary sage, clove (one of the most common EO’s I see in these oils), geranium, juniper berry, sandalwood, myrrh, and patchouli.*  Pay attention, though, because some of those are also hot!  You’ll want to make sure these are plenty diluted.

You could also use oils that are cooling/refreshing (like peppermint) and/or healing (like lavender or helichrysum) — for nicks!

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No Oil at All!

Now here’s an option I thought was crazy when I first heard about it: if you use the (wet) Norwex body cloth to rub down the skin prior to shaving, you don’t need any foam, soap, oil, etc. at all.

It sounds insane, I know. I don’t even understand how it can work.  But I tried it, and it does work.  Personally, I still prefer the oil option, because it moisturizes my skin, too, so it made my skin feel a lot softer/smoother afterward.  But the body cloth version worked just fine, with no razor burn or anything.  Who knew?!