Several years ago in the YMCA locker room I noticed a guy shaving without any shaving cream. He told me he’s used mouthwash ever since a business trip on which he found himself without regular shaving cream. Long story short I’ve tried mouthwash on an otherwise dry face a few times. It actually works pretty well. Anyone know why?
I humbly make reference to this thread:
Back before I grew out my beard, when I would travel for work and wanting to pack light, I would use the conditioner provided by the hotel, as a shaving lubricant. Always worked fine.
Duh! I forgot about posting this before.
Ordinary hand soap with water work substantially as well as any dedicated shaving cream / foam / etc. In a pinch, water alone works adequately. I learned that out in the field with the Army.
This. Just lather up with plain old hand soap, and it works just fine.
As I understand it, shaving cream essentially has two functions.
The first is as lubricant and pretty much anything that is slippery will work in that respect. Conditioner works well because it’s oily, but even plain water is of some use.
The second is as an anti-bacterial to stop bacteria infecting any minor grazes and cuts you might cause to yourself while shaving.
It’s not particularly surprising that mouthwash would fulfil both of these functions.
You might naturally think that it works as well the other way round but no, using shaving cream for mouthwash is not a good idea.
What if you have a furry tongue?
I think the foam in shaving cream makes the hairs stand up straight for a closer shave.
How about Lectric Shave?
Seems to be. There are several posters here who created new accounts after the Discourse transition when they were unable to login to their old VBulletin account. It’s a shame, as @engineer_comp_geek could have helped them but no one can combine accounts now.
BTW, I can maybe see using mouthwash if you’re stuck without access to something better like actual shaving cream. But why would you continue to use it when you have access to stores where you can get real shaving cream?
If you must choose just one liquid to help you with two toiletry functions, well, using mouthwash to shave would give your face an odd smell. But, trying to wash your mouth out with 'Lectric Shave might be…a terrible mistake.
It could be worse. Those of us of a certain age may remember these products.
My dad used to go to work long pre-dawn. And often did his getting ready half-asleep and in the dark to avoid waking the rest of us.
Anyhow, back in the early 60s when slicked-back greasy hair was the style he use Gleem brand toothpaste and Brylcreem hair goop.
Both of which were white tubes with a prominent red stripe. Which squeezed out a white pasty stuff.
You can see where this is going. 
That is so funny because just the other morning I noticed how similar the tube of Auqafresh was to the tube of Voltaren. That would be a bad mistake.
In the movie Pitch Black I think it was, Vin Diesel’s character shaves his head using motor oil and a metal shiv. I wonder if anyone tried that in real life…
Yes. When things changed at Straight Dope it wouldn’t let me use my original login (SDT).
Meh, it happens.
2003:
2016:
The older I get the more often I have to preface everything I say with “I hope I haven’t told you this before, feel free to tell me if I have, but anyway…”
What concerns me is that of course people are often too polite to say “actually you have told me this before”. But you can see the pained look on their face.