Have you ever gotten in the shower, reached for your what your husband lovingly refers as your “girly products”, only to find that they’re running low surprisingly (and maybe even suspiciously) fast? Yeah, that’s your husband secretly using your homemade oil cleanser as a pre-shave oil.

While my husband hasn’t done this himself, I know that this definitely happens to a few of my girlfriends. My reaction? GOOD!

I’ve been trying to get my handsome husband to keep his regal looks by easing him into essential oils and other natural ingredients, but it was never something he actually WANTED to do. So I had to bide my time and wait patiently for him to come around on his own terms.

Sure, men have that grudgingly amazing ability to age well, but it’s still important to care for their skin and encourage healthier alternatives to the mass-marketed conventional shaving products available.

Thankfully, my husband got into a more minimalist and natural way of shaving and now uses a safety razor with shave soap and a badger hair shaving brush. He has really gotten into the science behind a good shave, but there was something else he needed to complete his routine: Pre-shave oil!

DIY All-Natural Pre-Shave Oil Recipe

You have no idea how excited I was when he asked me how he would go about making his own pre-shave oil! And, since he loves to research when he gets into something, I immediately sent him over to my extensive list of carrier oils so he could pick and choose the ones he liked.

Before we knew it, we had a lovely pre-shave oil that not only works well but smells really good too. And, to top it all off, I don’t think he minds at all that I want to snuggle up near his face more often because his face is “smooth as a baby’s bottom”! I call that a win-win!

What is Pre-Shave Oil and Do You Need It?

So, you may be wondering what pre-shave oil is or why you would want to use it or whether or not it is even necessary to use?

Pre-shave oil is a carrier oil that you apply to the skin after the pores have opened and the hair/whiskers have become soft before shaving (hence PRE-shave oil).

It can be made with a single carrier oil or a blend of oils to give it the properties you want like anti-aging, skin clarifying, brightening, or tightening benefits. Not to mention using a pre-shave oil deeply moisturizes the skin, gives a MUCH closer shave, and helps prevent ingrown hairs and irritation.

So, is pre-shave oil necessary? I think YES! And so does my husband.

When my husband first used oil before shaving, he was astounded by the difference it made.

His skin was supple and incredibly smooth. Like, so smooth I didn’t mind his face touching my skin when normally I would bat him off for fear of getting a “scruff rash”.

Who else hates a rash when you kiss your scratchy husband amiright?

Pre-shave oil ladies. Pre-shave oil.

The Benefits of Using a Pre-Shave Oil

Aside from being able to touch your husband’s face without turning red and itchy, did you know that shaving also helps exfoliate the skin? Yep, pre-shave oil helps remove dead skin cells leaving your husband’s face smooth and supple!

The oil also acts as a barrier that not only protects the skin from rawness and irritation, but also improves it by moisturizing and nourishing it while softening and preparing the hair. This helps prevent friction and resistance allowing the blade to glide across the skin effortlessly.

Using a Pre-shave oil can help:

• Create a protective barrier between the skin and the razor, preventing irritation and over-exfoliation
• Create a smoother glide
• Moisturizes the skin, allowing for smooth shaving without nicks and cuts which are caused by dry dehydrated skin
• Nourishes the skin leaving it feeling touchable and smooth after shaving
• Offer a much closer shave
• Offer other benefits if you add essential oil or other specialty carrier oil
• Prevents ingrown hairs
• Softens the hair and reduces friction

The Best Ingredients for Homemade Pre-Shave Oil

After using up a sample bottle of face serum I had on hand, my husband was determined to make his own pre-shave oil recipe that met all of his requirements.

His pre-shave oil had to be:

• Anti-aging
• Anti-bacterial/anti-septic
• Easily absorbable
• Reduce irritation
• Repair the skin
• Smell nice

This may sound like a lot, but rest assured that you can actually accomplish this with just a few ingredients which I will go into later.

For now, here are the ingredients my husband used:

• A 2oz dropper bottle (add a pump top for ease of use if desired like the one found on these)
• 3-5 drops blueberry seed oil – highly antioxidant and anti-aging
• 2 dropperfuls of rosehip oil – balancing and moisturizing for the skin
• 2 dropperfuls of raspberry seed oil – antioxidant and slightly sun protective
• 5 dropperfuls argan oil – anti-aging and antibacterial. Great for acne prone skin
• Sweet almond oil (fill ¼ of the bottle) – moisturizing and smoothing
• Evening primrose oil (fill ¼ of the bottle) – anti-aging and moisturizing
• Jojoba oil (fill the remaining space to the shoulder of the bottle) – non-comedogenic and balancing

Essential Oils

My husband also made a 5ml blend of pure essential oils to add to future batches of pre-shave oil. You can either make his blend below or create your own based on your skin’s needs. You can also follow the instructions to make a simple blend further below.

To choose essential oils, I recommend reading my articles on:

My husband’s EO Pre-shave oil blend included:

• 1 empty 5ml essential oil bottle
• 7 drops black pepper – for a warm, earthy, peppery base/middle note. Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. Promotes healthy circulation
• 15 drops rosewood – Woodsy middle tone. Amazing for improving skin elasticity. Anti-bacterial
• 15 drops sandalwood – Resinous base note. Helps prevent/reduce the appearance of acne, wrinkles, and scars
• 40 drops frankincense – Resinous base note. Immensely beneficial for the skin and highly anti-aging and anti-inflammatory
• 20-40 drops diluted rose absolute (add last and see how you like it) If you use pure rose absolute, add just 1 drop at a time until you reach the desired aroma. Rose is anti-inflammatory and helps reduce the signs of aging. Gives a nice floral base note.

My husband added 36 drops of this blend to 2oz of the prepared pre-shave oil to make a 3% dilution blend. It smells heavenly!

Now, for those of you who don’t have a wife that owns hundreds of essential oils and carrier oils alike, here is a more cost-effective blend that is both simple and effective.

Simple Pre-Shave Oil Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A 2oz dropper bottle (be careful in the shower if you choose glass!)
• 1oz sweet almond oil
• 1oz jojoba oil (sub with more sweet almond oil if desired)
• 15-36 drops of essential oil (you can add oils like tea tree for acne prone skin, lavender for sensitive skin, frankincense for anti-aging, or pine for its anti-septic and manly scent

These are the products I recommend:

          

Loving Preparation – Pre-Shave Oil Recipe

Simply add all of the ingredients to a 2oz bottle, cap closed, and roll between your palms to mix. The essential oils will “age” and synergize over the next few days and you may notice a change in the way your blend smells. This is the essential oils mellowing and melding together.

To Use

1. Use comfortably hot water either in the shower or from the sink to open the pores and soften the hair/whiskers
2. Wash your face to remove any dirt, dead skin, or debris before using the shave oil
3. Add a pump of pre-shave oil to your palms and rub together to warm the oil
4. Apply the pre-shave oil in an even layer over the desired area. Feel free to apply to other areas of the face to utilize its benefits (crow’s feet, smile lines, etc. if desired)
5. Shave using your usual method of choice

This pre-shave oil is not only for those who use a brush and shave soap, it’s also for those who use conventional shaving cream (though I would recommend switching to a more natural option if you can!).

My husband raves about the difference he has noticed in his skin and the lasting power of his shave.

Have you ever tried a pre-shave oil? Please let me know in the comments below!