Tested And Reviewed • ShaverCheck (2024)

When using an electric razor, any noticeable improvements to the closeness and comfort of the shave should be more than welcome.

Pre-shave lotions promise just that with basically no extra work and many users swear by them.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how they work, the different types of pre-shaves and see if they really make a difference and are worth buying.

I’ll also be sharing some of the best pre-shaves out there after testing pretty much all the popular brands.

What’s a pre-shave and how does it work?

When shaving dry with an electric razor, there are a few things that can make the experience more difficult and uncomfortable:

• the moisture and oils of the skin
• flat-lying hairs
• hairs that grow in different directions
• coarse, wiry beards
• flaky skin
• a shaving head that doesn’t glide smoothly on the skin

…to name just a few.

A pre-electric shave solution is formulated to address precisely these issues and thus help with a more comfortable and close shave.

Ideally, a product like this works by providing a layer of lubrication, absorbing the moisture, toning the skin, priming the hairs and causing them to stand upright, making it easier for the shaver to capture and cut them.

The end result should be a closer, faster shave with less irritation and discomfort.

The different types of pre-electric shave products

The most popular ones come in the form of a lotion (splash), gel or powder, each with its specific pros and cons.

As is the case with most personal care products, choosing one over another is mostly a matter of personal preference.

Powder pre-shaves

A powder/talc pre-shave provides the most lubrication of all, allowing the shaver to glide over the skin with minimal friction.

It is also very efficient at dealing with oily skin and absorbing any kind of moisture.

Since it doesn’t contain alcohol, it doesn’t dry the skin and it’s suitable for very sensitive skin.

A downside of this type of product is that it can be messy to apply compared to a gel or solution.

On the bright side, a pre-shave stick will last for months, offeringgreat value for money.

An excellent pre-shave powder and by far the most popular is theRemington Face Saver.

Manufactured in Switzerland, it has been around for a few decades and has gained a great reputation among electric shaving enthusiasts.

Remington Face Saver

See the price on Amazon

To apply, you just rub the stick across your face and work it with your fingers into the beard. You can then proceed to shave as usual.

Please note that talcum is mineral-based and could contribute to premature wear of the blades.

However, it’s difficult to say with certainty just how much the use of it will impact the lifespan of the cutters.

Alcohol-based lotions and gels

The most popular type of pre-shaves comes in the form of a lotion (splash) or even gel.

A pre-electric lotion will usually include alcohol in the ingredients list, so you should consider this if you have very sensitive skin or suffer from any type of irritation from alcohol.

The alcohol is necessary for the so-called cooling through evaporation effect that causes the hairs to stand up.

Therefore, a pre-shave lotion does a great job of lifting the hairs, prepping the skin and providing a protective layer of lubrication.

There are very few alcohol-free products of this type and are generally marketed as pre and post-shave lotions (like for example the Eltron Pre/Aft Combo Lotion).

However, they’re not as effective when used as pre-shaves.

Lotions and gels are also easier and less messy to apply compared to powders.

You just pour some product into the palm of your hand, rub your hands together then massage the solution/gel into the stubble.

Most pre-shave solutions evaporate completely within seconds, so there’s really no extra work involved compared to your normal routine.

After the shave, make sure to rinse your face with cold water and also thoroughly clean your razor, even though lotions and gels leave far fewer residues compared to powders (if any at all).

If your shaver comes with a cleaning and charging station, you can simply clean your shaver as usual if you’re using a lotion or gel pre-shave.

Lotions vs powders: which one should you use?

There’s really no right or wrong answer here and you should simply go with the product that seems to make the most sense for you.

However, an alcohol-based pre-electric shave lotion will probably be the best option for most users.

They’re widely available, extremely easy to apply, require no extra work at all and there aren’t any serious drawbacks.

Pre-shave sticks are very difficult to find, the options are limited, they’re messy to apply and they could increase wear, especially in the case of foil shavers.

I’m personally a big fan of pre-shave lotions and I’ve tried lots of them.

In fact, I used to always shave wet with my electric razors because the results of a dry shave weren’t quite as satisfactory.

I can honestly say that using a quality pre-shave lotion was a game-changer for me and in the next section I will be sharing some of my favorites.

What are some of the best pre electric shave lotions in 2024?

1. Speick Pre Electric Shave Lotion

See the price on Amazon

I think the best pre-shave lotion for most users would be the one from Speick.

It’s been my go-to pre-shave lotion for years and one that has constantly provided the best results regardless of the shaver I’m using.

Side note: Speick is a small family-owned company from Germany that has been making high-quality products for personal men’s care since the ’30s.

I think most users will find this pre-shave beneficial, allowing them to get a closer, smoother shave that also takes less time to complete.

Like all the pre-shave lotions on this list, it is alcohol-based, but that never caused me any issues, even though I have sensitive and dry skin.

The Speick pre-shave also has an impressive list of natural ingredients that work together really well and make the product more effective than pretty much anything out there.

Among those we have lavender oil, linalool, lemon peel oil, menthol, camphor and Valeriana Celtica (Speick) extract.

The latter is the company’s trademark ingredient and is found in all of their products.

This pre-shave lotion doesn’t leave an oily residue as some do but it still leaves the skin feeling hydrated and plump and allows the shaver — foil or rotary — to glide with ease.

If you sometimes feel your shaver is struggling to cut the stubble and requires many passes for a clean shave, I think you’ll notice an improvement.

The scent is spicy and unoffensive and it goes away completely after a while. It has a barbershop vibe that most users seem to like.

I’ve been very impressed by the quality of Speick products throughout the years and their pre-shave doesn’t disappoint.

I highly recommend it to anyone struggling to get a good dry shave.

Since Speick is a Geman brand, it may be a bit more difficult to buy it in the USA for example. It’s also on the pricey side outside of Europe.

Side note: Speick has updated the packaging of some of their products, including the pre-shave lotion.

However, the formulation hasn’t changed and it’s still the right option for most men.

2. Tabac Pre Electric Shave Lotion

See the price on Amazon

Tabac Original is an iconic name in the shaving industry, particularly known for its triple-milled hard shaving soap.

Even though Tabac is synonymous with traditional wet shaving, they also have a pre-electric shave lotion in their lineup. And it’s quite good.

Even though I discovered it only a few years ago, I can confidently say that it’s among the best pre-shaves I’ve ever used.

First of all, the performance is outstanding, pretty much on the same level as the Speick pre-shave at number 1.

It makes the biggest difference to the comfort, closeness and time it takes me to complete my shave.

The difficult flat-lying hairs, even the ones on the neck, are also a lot easier to capture and cut.

Secondly, it’s not oily at all. Some pre-electric solutions leave this oily film that can linger on even after you rinse your face with water.

The Tabac pre-shave also dries instantly once you apply it to the skin, so you can proceed to shave immediately.

In fact, this lotion is so potent in that regard that it could make the face feel too dry if your skin is already on the dry side.

If that happens, using a shaver with a really large head or a rotary could actually be tricky as it won’t glide as easily.

And that’s the main reason why it didn’t get the first place — it’s not as versatile as the Speick lotion which is my default recommendation.

Tabac doesn’t leave any residue on the shaver either, which is something I cannot say about all these products (for example, the Afta by Mennen gel can gunk up and even clog the shaver).

Finally, there’s the fragrance.

While it is quite potent and has a bit of an old-fashioned vibe, it’s classic Tabac, so very manly, spicy, and warm with its trademark vanilla hint.

Personally, I love the scent. It is by far my favorite on this list in that regard.

As for downsides, the Tabac pre-electric shave isn’t exactly cost-effective — it’s probably the priciest on this list.

And because it’s a German brand like Speick,it’s not always easy to find outside Europe.

3. Williams Lectric Shave

See the price on Amazon

Williams Lectric Shave is a very popular pre-electric shave lotion that’s been around since the ’50s.

It’s one of the most reasonably priced pre-shaves on this list and offers great value for money.

The Lectric Shave improves the closeness of the shave and reduces irritation, especially on sensitive areas like the neck.

Be careful when applying it though; being very runny, it tends to slip between your fingers if you are a bit heavy-handed.

I personally find Lectric Shave to work really well, especially when it comes to closeness, but again it isn’t quite as good as the previous two.

Then again, Speick and Tabac cost quite a bit more.

One downside is that the Lectric Shave solution is quite oily. Despite that, it won’t however clog your razor.

The scent is also up for debate. While I don’t think it’s offensive, some may find it off-putting or a bit too old-fashioned.

You can check out this post for more details on my experience with Williams Lectric Shave.

4. Blue Stratos Pre Electric Shaving Lotion

See on Amazon.co.uk

The pre-electric solution from Blue Stratos is the newest entry to this list and also to my personal arsenal.

It is however a very pleasant and unexpected surprise given it’s relatively unknown outside the UK and also costs (a lot) less than other brands.

The Blue Stratos lotion is alcohol-based, as expected, but also contains a few high-quality ingredients like linalool, tree moss extract, citral and limonene.

And it really shows, the performance being excellent, on par with Lectric Shave, but feeling less oily and with a nicer scent.

You can safely use it with any type of electric shaver and it will most likely improve the performance.

The Blue Stratos pre-shave is only at number four in this roundup because you can only get it in the UK and a handful of European countries.

If you live in the USA, the Williams Lectric Shave lotion would be an excellent alternative.

5. Lab Series Electric Shave Solution

See the price on Amazon

This pre-shave from Lab Series includes a lot of quality ingredients and it’s the only one on this list that is fragrance-free (although it does seem to have a very faint scent to my nose).

However, that likely comes from some of its natural ingredients — there’s no added fragrance.

So if you have any kind of perfume sensitivity you should consider it.

The Lab Series pre-shave works quite well, being pretty much on par with the Williams Lectric Shave in terms of performance.

However, it also has that oily texture and costs significantly more than the Lectric Shave. So for most users, I don’t really think it’s worth buying.

In fact, I’d only recommend getting the Lab Series pre-shave if you need a fragrance-free pre-shave lotion.

Otherwise, I think the Lectric Shave would make more sense since the performance is similar and costs less.

For more details, you can check out my review of the Lab Series.

As a side note, the original Lab Series pre-shave that came in the clear bottle was discontinued.

Three years ago, the product was relaunched in a new packaging (opaque grey bottle). The ingredients and performance have remained the same.

I’ve tried both variations and I really couldn’t tell any differences.

However, the new one has a milder fragrance, which is probably a good thing since the Lab Series pre-shave is marketed as a fragrance-free solution.

It works particularly well with rotary razors since those seem to require more lubrication and this pre-shave offers plenty.

6. Afta Pre-Electric by Mennen

See the price on Amazon

The Afta pre-shave gel is very easy to apply thanks to its thicker consistency.

It dries the moisture, improves the gliding of the razor over the skin and makes the hairs stand upright.

The result is a smoother, closer and faster shave.

I am personally not a fan of the Afta pre-electric because it tends to gunk up once it dries on the skin. And then there’s the fragrance.

I don’t particularly care for it as to me it seems too old-fashioned and tends to linger on for a while even after washing my face.

So unless you absolutely need a pre-shave gel or it’s the only pre-shave you can get, I think you’ll be better off with any of the previously recommended products.

Other than those issues, it seems to improve both the closeness and the comfort of the shave, even though the Lectric Shave has the edge in my experience.

The Afta pre-electric is however very affordable especially if you buy the 2 or 3-pack variations.

Takeaway — Should you use a pre-shave?

In my opinion, you should at least give it a try.

Including an electric pre-shave lotion or powder is one of the simplest ways to improve your dry shave.

Having said that, the improvements will vary and you may not see a noticeable difference, especially if you’re not affected by some of the issues described in this article.

If that’s the case, you can probably skip it.

However, most men will benefit from using them and pre-electric lotions are generally inexpensive, readily available, and easy to apply.

Including one as part of your pre-shave routine can have a big impact on your overall shaving experience.

Over to you now: what’s your favorite pre-shave? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.