Finding the right shaving cream requires having a close look at quite a few factors. We’ve already solved the hard part by condensing the entire market into a few top-rated picks, but you can narrow it down to the perfect one using the following guide!
Here’s everything you need to consider to spend your money in the right place.
The rule is simple, great ingredients make great products — and it’s the same with shaving creams. The easiest way to judge the quality of shaving cream is to see if it has organic elements like avocado, coconut oil, and almonds, as well as high-quality ingredients like potassium hydroxide, and triethanolamine, glycerin, coconut acid, and more.
For sensitive skin shaving gels, you should look for natural soothing and moisturizing agents like aloe. There should ideally be at least some essential oils and extracts like cypress, sandalwood, cedarwood, lime, lemon, vetiver, or peppermint.
Avoid buying products with chemical ingredients like alcohol, dyes, or petrochemicals like paraffin, petroleum, and mineral oil.
These can lead to irritation, pore-clogging, allergies, and sometimes even dizziness.
Since shaving cream is something that you’ll use every day, you should also judge it based on convenience. How easy is it to apply? What’s the shaving experience like? Does it go on with a brush or hand? Does it wash away easily? Carefully check customer reviews to find compliments or complaints about these questions to gauge a product’s overall ease of use.
Speaking of reviews, it’s one of the best ways to find out whether or not a shaving cream is worth your hard-earned money. It’s not the most accurate since the experience may not be the same for all customers due to different skin types, preferences, and needs. But, if you read enough reviews, you can still form a pretty accurate idea about how it’ll perform.
As an extra tip, take note of review dates, since manufacturers may improve their formulas based on customer feedback.
This one’s an important piece of purchase criteria since the primary use of shaving creams is to lubricate the surface for easier, safer, and smoother shaving. For this, make sure that the product creates a thick lather and provides lots of lubrication to ease the blade’s glide. These qualities can make it much easier to shave without hurting yourself!
High-quality shaving creams should give your skin a supple, soft, and moisturized feeling right after you’ve shaved and rinsed the area. Some can even leave a layer of protection on your face. So, the post-shave experience is a key quality to consider — especially if you have sensitive or dry skin.
While the best-case scenario would be unscented shaving creams, not many of those are prevalent in the market. The next best thing is to have light and subtle scents unless you’re a big fan of loud smells in your shaving products. This depends on your personal preference as long as you make sure that the scent comes from organic ingredients and not harmful chemicals.
Even more, it glides onto your skin very easily to effortlessly give a satiny-smooth look right after shaving. It’s the only product on this list that’s dermatologist-tested for women’s sensitive skin, making it the best available option overall.
First up, we have a great product from Gilette. Designed specifically for women, this shaving cream doesn’t have any harsh ingredients that can potentially irritate the skin, such as fragrances, dyes, and strong chemical agents. You also don’t have to worry about rust rings in your shower since the entire can is rust-free.
This shaving cream also comes in five other varieties catering to different skin types including dry, oily, and ultra-sensitive skin. With 4.8 stars out of five from over 20,000 reviews, it’s the highest-rated product on this list, so you can tell how many people have it as their go-to shaving cream.
Next up, we have this excellent Edge Shaving Cream. It offers similar benefits to the previous product from Gilette but this one’s designed specifically for men. With excellent moisturizing agents like aloe and no irritant ingredients in the formula, it’s the ideal match for men with sensitive skin. Even better, there’s also a cooling effect that leaves your face refreshed with a soothing feeling.
Third on our list, we have this NIVEA MEN Shaving Cream. It keeps your skin safe from shaving irritation while also comforting it with soothing chamomile and witch hazel extracts. The formula also includes vitamin E which is known to soften the skin, help keep its natural moisture locked in, and prevent cell damage. But. most importantly, it offers the smoothest razor glide for little to no injury risk and a great shaving experience. And, with this six-pack of 7–ounce cans, you won’t be running out of shaving cream any time soon!
Aside from this original formula, you can also get it in cooling, sage and citrus, sandalwood, silver water, and birch formulas, each with unique qualities designed for different skin types. The original formula contains high-quality ingredients like macadamia seed oil, calendula extract, and aloe, along with lemon, papaya, and olive leaf extract.
If you want no compromises on your shaving experience and love having soft and smooth skin after it, Cremo Shaving Cream is for you. It’s one of your best bets against risks of nicks, cuts, and razor burns — all of which are nightmares for regular shavers. This affordable little tube provides you with a 90-day supply, so the value-for-money you get is insane!
Last on the list, we have another women’s shaving product — this time from the Eos brand. At an unbeatable price of under five bucks, the quality, ingredients, and results of this product are genuinely hard to believe. It’s clinically approved to be safe to use on the bikini line and pubic hair. This shaving cream is also hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested to ensure complete customer trust. Besides some great lubrication, it also offers 24-hour hydration in all areas you use it thanks to moisturizing agents like shea butter.
A: Shaving every day runs the risk of inflicting too much stress on the skin since you’re shedding away your dead skin cells at a frequent pace. Long-term daily shaving can lead to problems like skin dryness, redness, and irritation.
A: You should only use as much shaving cream as you need, as too much of it can drown the hair. When hair gets flattened against the skin, there’s a higher chance for razors to miss it. Plus, excess foam can also clog the back of your cartridge razor.
A: While you could theoretically shave with just water (and many people do), it’s not the safest. Without anything to lubricate the surface, you’d only be dragging a blade directly over the skin without anything to ease the way or protect it.