I’m often asked, how much shaving oil should I use when I’m shaving my face, head, leg, etc. That is a great question and there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer, but let me give you some idea of what to expect and how to figure out the right amount of shaving oil to use whether you’re shaving a bikini line, a face or a leg… the photo above is meant to set the context of the answer: drops.
The first thing I should review before discussing how much shaving oil should I use is technique. Whether you are shaving with the best shaving product on the planet (our shaving oil) or something else, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Wet the hairs to be shaved THOROUGHLY. Use a SHARP razor, dull sucks (and pulls) causing irritation you can review the directions here.
For a full face shave, between 3 and 5 drops should work wonderfully. The trick is to keep the oil just on your palms so that it isn’t wasted on your fingers. Hold them up while working the oil into your palms and massaging into your face. I use 4 or 5 drops when I shave. If you have problems with your multi-blade razor plugging, use less oil, try three drops.
For a head shave, try 5 to 7 drops as a starting point of how much shaving oil to use.
How much shaving oil should I use for an armpit? start with 2 drops, you might be able to get away with one if you’re careful on the application.
How much shaving oil should I use for a lower leg try 7 to 9 drops; for an upper leg try 6 – 8 drops.
Bikini line, not the entire carpet, you can place a single drop on a finger tip and run it along the edge to be shaved. A second drop perhaps…
In all cases, less oil is required if the exposed hair is shorter as there is less hair sticking out to absorb the oil.
Also in all cases, once you’ve started shaving if the razor begins to drag or pull add more water, not more oil. If it pulls from the first and you’re sure you have a sharp blade, then add a couple more drops of oil. Remember to frequently rinse the blade, especially if it is a multi-blade head as they clog easily. As I mention elsewhere I switched to an “old school” double edge safety razor a while back and can’t say enough good things about it. I’ve never looked back. I can’t beat the shave and the cost of blades is remarkably low.
Once you’ve shaved the same area successfully several times, you can reduce or increase the amount of shaving oil and see if the results are different. Test it several times before reaching a conclusion unless it is immediately unbearable or uncomfortable.
Let me know your results and what works best for you. I think that you’ll find it doesn’t take very much shaving oil to achieve an incredibly comfortable shave when using Almaden Shaving premium shave oil.