Shaving oil

Shaving oil is normally a vegetable oil, blend of vegetable oils or siloxanes with essential oils that can be used as a stand-alone shaving lubricant or as pre-shave underneath shaving cream, soap or gel, to facilitate the shaving of facial and other body hair. Often these products would work best by wetting the area before the razor is used.

Animal fats and vegetable oils might have been used as shaving lubricant since the practice of shaving began. While not as commonly used as traditional foams (creams) and gels the use of shave oils is growing in popularity, largely due to their greater protection, razor glide-enabling and moisturizing properties, and because shave oils can be made without the addition of toxic chemical ingredients.^[1] Shave oils can also assist in making the shave smoother and closer and they may provide a less irritating shave for users.

Shaving oil manufacturers and users list many advantages to using shave oils including but not limited to:

elimination of razor burn and ingrowing hair due to protecting ability and moisturizing effect
fewer cuts and nicks because of greater glide factor on skin
concentrated natural ingredients
little or no harmful chemical content
compact packaging making shaving oil ideal for travel
users can see where they are shaving
does not clog pores
environmental benefits of less packaging, lower transport costs, lower carbon footprint at all stages of manufacture and usage including landfill
generally costs less than foam or gel products delivering a comparable number of shaves

According to some sources, vegetable oils like coconut oil or olive oil can be used as shaving oil.^[2]^[3]