Best Shaving Creams
13 Face Saving Shavers for When You Want to Get Close
The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.
With additions by Barret Wertz
Daily shaving often takes its toll on the skin, especially around the sensitive neck area. A blunt razor blade, poor preparation, and sub-standard products will lead to a variety of skin issues from ingrown hairs to rashes. This is where a good quality shaving cream comes into play. These shaving agents are formulated to relieve you of such pains, serving as the perfect companion to a great razor.
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Some men prefer using shaving gels, where as more traditional shavers stick to shaving creams. Then there’s a niche crowd out there who enjoy shaving soaps. All three share their own skincare benefits, and that can make the selection process more irritating than alcohol on a fresh nick. So what can a nice, rich shaving cream or foam deliver that the competition might not? Here’s a quick breakdown:
- The badger brush effect: Any cream can lather efficiently in-hand, but the utility of this shaving brush creates a froth quicker, while ensuring all whiskers are lifted and stubble is covered.
- Cushioning: They generate the heaviest and most lubricated buffer for the blade to work adequately and reduce bumps.
- Water saver: Some creams use chemicals pressurized to create thick foam with minimal water usage.
- Moisture-ready: Most options feature glycerin, a topical element with hydrating properties that keep skin refreshed.
The ingredients found in a top-of-the-line shaving cream are a reflection of the final product. Shaving creams come loaded with rich emollients such as aloe vera, essential oils (lavender, peppermint, tea tree) and as previously suggested, glycerin. Finding one with the majority of these isn’t the problem. It’s finding ones that also host harmful chemicals — ones that can do serious damage to your face in the long run. Avoid these health risks at all costs.
- Mineral oil: Used in a wide range of cosmetics, this oil is known for causing eye irritation and has shown potential to lead to various cancers.
- Paraffin: Can cause health issues including skin irritation, causes and has shown to lead to some types of renal system cancers.
- Petroleum: May affect blood, kidneys, and the nervous system.
- Phthalates: Linked to various health issues including ADHD, asthma, obesity, type II diabetes, male fertility issues, and more.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate: Toxic to organs and results in cell mutation that leads to certain cancers.
- Triethanolamine: Can irritate and scale skin, even result in bladder and liver cancer.
Acknowledging how many of these are linked to some form of cancer should keep any guy on his grooming heels. Now let’s shift the focus on applying a shaving cream the right way so to avoid some common shaving mistakes.
First execute your pre-shave ritual be it a steamy bath or using a pre-shave oil. Soak your shaving brush in hot water to soften the bristles. Proceed to load the cream onto the brush. Add a touch of water and whip it up for about 30 seconds for a solid lather effect. Then apply to face. Fin!
Time to stock up that grooming cabinet, as we put you onto some of the best shaving creams money can buy:
Best Shaving Creams for Men
Best Overall Shave Cream
Body Shop Maca Root and Aloe Shaving Cream
This cruelty-free and slightly cooling shaving cream is enriched with Community Trade organic Mexican aloe vera and Peruvian maca root to create a delightfully fragrant shave lather that is rich and thick but doesn’t gum up razor blades at all. As a 2019 AskMen Grooming Award winning shave cream, the soapy-fresh scent and vegetarian formula rinses clean and leaves your face feeling fresh and smooth.
Editors’ Pick for Best Shave Cream
Murdock London Shaving Cream
With a handful of barber shops in London, us American folk are only lucky enough to use the Murdock products at home on our own. This shave cream is suitable for vegetarians and lacks all of that bad stuff — parabens, phthalates, sulphates, PEGS, synthetic dyes, even petroleum and lanolin — which makes it an AskMen Editors’ Choice. The clean, fresh, subtle citrus aroma is uplifting without being overpowering and the airy texture doesn’t clog up my blades.
Best Value Shave Cream
Proraso Refreshing Shaving Cream
Overspending on a premium shaving cream seems impractical. Shavers can secure the same, if not better performance from this budget-friendly salve. Besides being an international best seller, Proraso is more accessible to the buying public than a lot of the luxury competitors, but still manages to deliver luxurious results. The sublime combination of eucalyptus oil, coconut oil, and natural glycerin tones and purifies skin for a pleasurable experience. Shavers are blessed with a gentle minty scent and no gunk left on the blades.
Best Budget Shave Cream
Barbasol Thick and Rich Shaving Cream
Sometimes a basic shave cream is all you need, as long as it works. With no fancy bells or whistles, Barbasol has been an all-American favorite for over 100 years for a reason. You guessed it — because it works. Largely unchanged since the introduction of it’s foaming can in the 1950s, everyone from athletes to A-listers can get behind the iconic, affordable aerosol shave cream.
Best Vegan Shave Cream
Ursa Major Stellar Shave Cream
Excessive leather can make it difficult to navigate a razor across the face. Ursa Major solves this conundrum with a thickly textured, cruelty-free, vegan formula that’s easy to apply on the face due to its heavy consistency. This creates a better view for tracking shaves and evading sensitive areas such as the jugular. Aloe, birch, and sunflower are present to soften facial fur and relieve skin of any razor burn. A smidge proves to be enough for tackling rough patches.
More of the Best Shave Creams for Men
Marlowe No. 141 Shave Cream
Those prone to nicks and razor burn require something with intense hydration. Marlowe No. 141 fits the bill. This unique blend is curated from potent ingredients designed to revitalize skin. Shea butter and coconut oil prep skin for closer shaves, whereas special extracts — deep sea algae, green tea, passionflower fruit, and willow bark — nourish the face with antioxidants and vitamin C.
Jack Black Supreme Cream Triple Cushion Shave Lather
The moniker leads one to believe this shave cream warrants three times the skincare protection ... and that would be true. Jack Black’s jar of paste boasts what is known as Triple Cushion technology in the form of glycerin, macadamia nut oil, and soybean oil to carry out close shaves without damaging your grill. The end result is a velvety soft touch worthy of red lipstick marks.
Clarins Men Smooth Shave
Coming in a classic aerosol can, this is a traditional foaming gel that lightly lathers into a soft cream. Clarins Men’s rich formula lifts and softens facial hair which helps the razor to glide smoothly and protects against skin irritation and razor burn. Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive, the inclusion of grindelia plant extract prevents irritation and redness while a patented complex of bison grass, Chinese ginger, and purslane plant extracts helps energise, soothe and purify the skin.
The Art of Shaving Bergamot & Neroli Shave Cream
The Art of Shaving is a brand that’s embraced the new smell of citrusy bergamot and neroli with one of its latest shaving cream offerings. Its popular aroma elicits the fragrant experience of the Italian countryside while the brushless unguent treats skin with essential oils to dampen skin, while leaving a fresh and slightly spicy fragrance on the face for bolder presentation.
Pacific Shaving Co. Caffeinated Shaving Cream
Caffeine consumption should be part of every man’s morning ritual. Cool thing is you no longer need to do so solely with a cup of Joe. Pacific Shaving makes it possible to enjoy the benefits of the CNS (central nervous system) stimulant by infusing it into a shaving lubricant that absorbs into the skin to pare redness and soften lines in time. Don’t expect to reek of coffee though, as the cream emits a minty scent with a hint of menthol to balance out fragrances.
eShave White Tea Shave Cream
Superior lubrication blended with intoxicated scents, eShave’s coveted collection of shaving creams service burly men seeking masculine spice. Our personal favorite remains the White Tea formula for its versatility, generating solid lather in a matter of seconds and leaving an organically subtle odor on the skin. Expect a similar result from the brand’s other three scents: Lavender, Orange Sandalwood, and Verbena Lime.
Blind Barber Watermint Gin Shave Cream
By now we’re sure you know that NYC’s infamous hybrid speakeasy bar-cum-barbershop has an ever growing grooming brand. Fortified with juniper berries, this shave cream bears enough healing power to safeguard skin, all while serving up a “soothing botanical blend” that leaves hair follicles buzzed with the fresh and subtle smells of mint and gin. Bask in warm lather and feel your beard lift for an appropriate shape-up.
Cremo Astonishing Superior Shave Cream
Cremo’s shave cream promotes an unconventional method of lathering, producing a clear white strip with a polished texture, emanating into an air-free layer between your sheath and the blade for an incredibly comforting shave. Getting used to the lathering process takes a few applications, but it’s a small price to pay for what’s one of the market’s top and most affordable shaving lubricants.
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