One upon a time there was a face. It was a happy face. With lots of facial hair. For years, the face and the hair got along just fine. But then one day, the hair disappeared. Just like that it was gone. And the face, not realizing that the hair didn’t choose to be gone, decided to get back at the hair follicles for not holding onto the hair more tightly. The face created some serious irritation, raised bumps, and topped it off with a burning sensation. From that day forward, anytime hair was removed from the face, this same irritation would occur.

This is totally a true story of how shaving rashes began. Ok, maybe not. But the story behind razor burn is pretty boring in comparison. It pretty much comes down to friction and how sensitive your skin is.

I don’t envy anyone who has to shave hair off their face. Unlike other shaveable areas that you can cover up, your face is on display 24/7. Razor rash and shaving irritation not only looks scary but it doesn’t feel all that great.

So what’s a person to do?

Simple.

Apply a Pre-Shave Oil and a Coconut Oil Aftershave Lotion

Yep. That’s all there is to it. Avoid razor burn and shaving irritation by making sure the delicate facial tissues are conditioned before and after shaving. (This concept also applies to shaving just about anywhere but typically the face needs a little more care and concern.)

Since men comprise the vast majority of face shavers, I am tailoring my recipes for Pre-Shave Oil and Coconut Oil Aftershave Lotion to my male audience. Plus, I have gotten a lot of requests from my wonderful male readers for these recipes and I hate to ignore their personal care needs.

Women are welcome to use these recipes for their pre-shave oil and aftershave lotion needs. You may want to change the essential oil blends to something a little less earthy, if you are so inclined. Unless of course you are like me and love earthy scents over flowery scents. And no – I am not at all saying that all women love flowery perfumes and men need to smell all rugged. Let’s not get into that discussion right now.

I digress. Let’s get to these recipes and then I want to talk a little bit about the essential oils I choose. Because it actually matters quite a bit. It is likely obvious why I choose coconut oil. It is such a powerful oil with lots of uses!

Pre-Shave Oil

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Active Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

A coconut oil based pre-shave oil that both men and women love! The razor glides with ease and your skin will be baby soft with no nicks or cuts.

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Materials

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 5 drops soothing essential oil like lavender or chamomile (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix oils thoroughly then transfer to a container with an airtight lid.
2. Store in cool area away from light.

Notes

How To Use

1. Wash your face using warm water.
2. Apply a few drops of oil into the palm of your hand and rub palms together.
3. Massage oil onto area to be shaved.
4. Let the oil sit on your skin for at least a minute to allow it condition the skin.
5. If you use a special shaving oil or cream, apply it and shave away.

Coconut Oil Aftershave Lotion

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Active Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Is you skin sensitive, especially after shaving? Try this nourishing coconut oil aftershave lotion! It is guaranteed to make your skin happy.

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Materials

• 1 cup or more solid coconut oil
• 1 cup shea or cocoa butter, softened but not melted
• 2 teaspoons sweet almond or grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon Vitamin E oil
• 1 drop cinnamon bark essential oil (omit if sensitive)
• 5 drops clove oil
• 15 drops sweet orange oil

Instructions

1. Whip coconut oil on low speed for 2-3 minutes. You want it to be smooth.
2. Add the shea butter, almond oil, and vitamin E and turn up the speed to medium.
3. Whip until all small lumps are out.
4. Add the essential oils and whip for another minute.
5. Store in a glass or plastic jar.
6. Use after shaving to soothe, condition and moisturize skin.

Recommended Products

• 
  Hand Mixer
• 
  Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set
• 
  4 ounce Amber Colored Glass Jars

Why did I pick this specific blend of oils for the aftershave lotion?

I have a method to my madness when using cinnamon bark, clove, and sweet orange essential oils in my Coconut Oil Aftershave Lotion. First, they smell fantastic blended together. In fact, this is the blend I use most in my homemade deodorant recipe. Honestly, I get more compliments about the smell.

Second, these oils all have some wonderful skincare benefits that are important in an aftershave lotion. You don’t want to slap on anything that will irritate the skin further. And while these oils might be viewed as warming oils, they actually offer a lot to newly shaved skin. Check out their awesome skincare super powers!

Clove Essential Oil:

• Promotes blood circulation, helping to reduce the puffiness of razor bumps
• Kills infection-causing bacteria
• Can counteract irritation

When it comes to clove oil, a LITTLE goes a long way. So please do NOT increase the number of drops in this recipe.

Sweet Orange Essential Oil:

• Acts as an anti-inflammatory, calming those newly shaved follicles
• Inhibits microbial growth
• Promotes the production of collagen
• Increases the blood flow to the skin
• Helpful at soothing dry, irritated skin

A warning. This is important. If you are going out in the sun for a prolonged period of time, you will want to skip sweet orange oil. It can be photo-toxic meaning you will get burned.

Cinnamon essential oil is not typically the first choice when it comes to skin-friendly oils as you really can’t use a lot of it. However, it lends a wonderful hint of spiciness to this recipe and it actually does promote circulation. It is an amazing immune booster to boot and can help the skin fight off any shaving funk that might occur. This is why I included it in such a small amount.

What essential oils do I use and love? Several brands actually.

1. My hands down favorite brand is Rocky Mountain Oils (also known as Native American Nutritionals). These are seriously the BEST brand I have ever used. They are strong. And I mean strong. I have seen some amazing things happen when using this brand.
2. GEO carries a great line of essentials oils and I have always had success with their oils. They are adding new blends frequently and are definitely worth a look!
3. I am really enjoying Plant Therapy essential oils as well. They are easy on the budget as well as being a high quality oil.