Caswell Massey - Heritage Almond Pre-Shave Oil

This is a really good pre-shave oil. The almond scent is an added bonus - much more enjoyable than a neutral oil. It's light, and doesn't take much for full beard coverage. I haven't had a nick since I began using it.

Aromatic, effective

I was surprised at how strongly scented this pre-shave oil is compared to others I have tried. Once I use this pre-shave oil, then scented shaving soap, then alum block and then a sandalwood post-shave balm, however, there isn't a lot of almond scent left behind. The oil itself is both viscous and relatively thin. I've had good results with using it on my face, but at times on my scalp (I shave my face and entire scalp every day) I have found it can get a bit grabby and gummy and clog my Merkur 34c. That's likely just an interaction of the dense hair, the oil and shaving soap, and my routine and technique. It's strange that it should only behave that way on my head and not my face. I plan to use it only sparingly up top. I appreciate that this is a US manufactured product, and features a glass dropper as opposed to a plunger mechanism which never seems steady with damp fingers.

thick, almond scent

The oil is thick and absorbs into the skin and reduces the chance of nick and cuts. Post-shave feel that really makes every soap I work with that much nicer of the experience. I like CELLA Almond soap with Caswell Massey almond oil. It is noticeably better with pre-shave oil.