5 shaving cream alternatives. Why shaving cream is not what it used to
Shaving is one of the staples of manliness. And shaving cream is the one that makes it all possible. Or so you might be tempted to think.
Shaving cream is one of the products we have gotten so accustomed to that we feel like shaving cream alternatives are not even worth mentioning. But what if I told you that for most of the world's history shaving cream as we know it today did not exist. And in fact, it is a relatively new product. The first shaving creams in a pressurized can came to the market in 1949, and progress was slow until the 70’s when the consistency changed.
But it was not until 1993 that Procter and Gamble took things to the way we know them today. So in case you were curious, the shaving cream you are using right now was developed at the same time as humans were listening to Snoop Dog’s - Doggiestyle, playing Doom or founding the Nvidia Corporation. That probably makes shaving cream younger that the car your dad used to drive you to school in.
This all begs the question, is canned shaving cream so good that people just stopped using alternatives, or was it just convenience and consumer fidelity?
No matter the reasons that prompt you to use a substitute, let’s find out what shaving cream contains, what purpose does it serve, and what similar products we can use?
Well, you are going to find out all these and more by the end of this article, because every man deserves a good shave. And being iconic means that you will always have an alternative to shaving cream. As you know, looking dapper and well-groomed is very important to the image you are presenting to the world. Shaving is as paramount as a good haircut when it comes to your visual business card. People will not judge a five o'clock shadow, at eight in the evening, but to sport one at 9 am will not go unnoticed.
The truths and the myths of shaving cream
Shaving cream is a product that comes in all shapes and sizes and that most of us use every day.
Traditionally, shaving cream is mostly used to soften and provide an extra layer of moisture between your skin and the razor blade. Quality shaving cream provides you with some noticeable perks:
- Great skin hydration
Skin hydration affects the hair on your face as well, making them softer and easier to deal with. Furthermore, good hydration acts as a barrier against unwanted infections, by reducing the chances that your skin becomes irritated. And if you ever attempted to dry shave with a razor, you’ll know what next level irritation means.
- Lubrication
Shaving cream makes the blade glide more easily across your face and provides a nicer smoother surface, even if you have to retrace your tracks multiple times. Reducing the level of friction lowers the risk of irritation and lets the razor glide effortlessly without accidentally slipping out of control and cutting your skin.
- Leave skin smooth and refresh
Once applied, shaving cream will not only work before and during the actual shaving period but also after. It will help with revitalizing your skin and reduce that redness effect that plagues people with thick facial hair. It will work on dealing with affected pores and setting up an invisible barrier against the dry skin.
But why should you take into consideration shaving cream alternatives?
Even when your shaving cream is readily available, you must take into consideration that like all others, this type of product has its limitations. Some are practical while others are worrying. They may not make you stop using your favorite brand, but they are certainly worth noting.
- Synthetic ingredients
Shaving cream packed in aerosol cans has many ingredients that will make you think twice about applying them to your face. Paraffin, mineral oil or petrolatum are just some of the things that you can find in most shaving creams that come out of a can. These are used as substitutes for natural ingredients like oils.
-Shaving cream is flammable
-Instant lather
Shaving cream often contains lauryl sulfate, a chemical that helps you get all that thick foam instantly. Although it is a practical asset, this substance has a role in removing your skin's natural oil. That is very bad in the long term, as it may cause your skin to become dryer and affect elasticity.
What are the best 10 alternatives for shaving cream?
Shaving soaps offer a rich and stable lather against the skin and have more hydrating agents than regular soaps.
As a downside, shaving soaps do take some time to master. You will have to use a shaving brush, to create lather. And to balance the water and soap quantities will require some getting used to.
Using a shaving brush will have a good effect on your skin, as it can help you with exfoliation and drawing out the hair on your face.
Hair conditioner will help with skin moisture, as well as softening your hair before shaving. Not to mention the superior glide. And if you use a shaving brush you may even have the same brush advantages that you can experience using a shaving soap.
So whether at home or in a hotel room, you can fully rely on a hair conditioner to help you get some of the best lather you can shave with.
If you are worried that your skin will remain greasy and hard to clean after you shave, worry not. Coconut oil is one of the few types of oil that does not clog pores, or mess with the natural oil of your skin. It may seem odd at first, but know that there are spas and skin care centers around the world that use this method with great success.
Shave oils protect your skin and soften your beard before you shave, by softening the hair and creating a thin layer of oil on top of your skin. This improves how the blade glides across and thus reduces irritation. After your shave – the oil comes off easily with water and face wash.
You can even combine about five drops of shaving oil with body lotion or shaving soap foam, to get one of the best glides you have experienced. Shave oils basically work the same way coconut oil does, but they do come with a twist of extra fragrance.
If only we knew why body lotion could be such a great substitute for shaving cream...Oh, that’s easy, body lotion is like a shaving cream that does not come from a can and has no foaming agents. Ok, maybe it is not exactly that, but many of its properties, and especially ingredients, are the same.
They may not have the same percentage but they will deliver a pretty close experience. Body lotion feels smooth, helps with the glide and has great practicality. It is easy to apply, and once on, it will actually be better at the moisturizing side of the problem, than specialized shaving creams. It will also affect your facial hair, making it more shiny, soft, and easy to remove.
Many products in the body lotion range will leave you with a lasting impression after giving them a try. You may find the glade a little too fast and may be forced to go over certain portions a second time, but the benefits related to how your skin will feel will out way the downsides.
Shaving cream is not what it used to be but to be honest it never was that much to begin with. It is a formula that still requires plenty of research and that leaves room for a lot of improvements.
It never was some kind of miracle cure that saved recent generations from the horror of using soap.
Its main characteristic is the convenience, and the fact that it turns soapy water into a great foam. There are even more alternatives that did not make it to this list, but that is because they are based on the same principles as the ones already detailed. You can even come up with your alternative by mixing up some of the ones we have listed. Just remember that the main ingredients, for nice clean shaving substitute cream, are: oil, water and moisturizing agent.
It’s also very useful to know that you can always use these alternatives if you are in a tight spot, your skin type requires more attention, or you just need a break from shaving foam. In the end, you get to decide what method better suits the needs of your skin.
Shaving cream is one of the products we have gotten so accustomed to that we feel like shaving cream alternatives are not even worth mentioning. But what if I told you that for most of the world's history shaving cream as we know it today did not exist. And in fact, it is a relatively new product. The first shaving creams in a pressurized can came to the market in 1949, and progress was slow until the 70’s when the consistency changed.
But it was not until 1993 that Procter and Gamble took things to the way we know them today. So in case you were curious, the shaving cream you are using right now was developed at the same time as humans were listening to Snoop Dog’s - Doggiestyle, playing Doom or founding the Nvidia Corporation. That probably makes shaving cream younger that the car your dad used to drive you to school in.
This all begs the question, is canned shaving cream so good that people just stopped using alternatives, or was it just convenience and consumer fidelity?
No matter the reasons that prompt you to use a substitute, let’s find out what shaving cream contains, what purpose does it serve, and what similar products we can use?
Well, you are going to find out all these and more by the end of this article, because every man deserves a good shave. And being iconic means that you will always have an alternative to shaving cream. As you know, looking dapper and well-groomed is very important to the image you are presenting to the world. Shaving is as paramount as a good haircut when it comes to your visual business card. People will not judge a five o'clock shadow, at eight in the evening, but to sport one at 9 am will not go unnoticed.
The truths and the myths of shaving cream
Shaving cream is a product that comes in all shapes and sizes and that most of us use every day.
Traditionally, shaving cream is mostly used to soften and provide an extra layer of moisture between your skin and the razor blade. Quality shaving cream provides you with some noticeable perks:
- Great skin hydration
Skin hydration affects the hair on your face as well, making them softer and easier to deal with. Furthermore, good hydration acts as a barrier against unwanted infections, by reducing the chances that your skin becomes irritated. And if you ever attempted to dry shave with a razor, you’ll know what next level irritation means.
- Lubrication
Shaving cream makes the blade glide more easily across your face and provides a nicer smoother surface, even if you have to retrace your tracks multiple times. Reducing the level of friction lowers the risk of irritation and lets the razor glide effortlessly without accidentally slipping out of control and cutting your skin.
- Leave skin smooth and refresh
Once applied, shaving cream will not only work before and during the actual shaving period but also after. It will help with revitalizing your skin and reduce that redness effect that plagues people with thick facial hair. It will work on dealing with affected pores and setting up an invisible barrier against the dry skin.
But why should you take into consideration shaving cream alternatives?
Even when your shaving cream is readily available, you must take into consideration that like all others, this type of product has its limitations. Some are practical while others are worrying. They may not make you stop using your favorite brand, but they are certainly worth noting.
- Synthetic ingredients
Shaving cream packed in aerosol cans has many ingredients that will make you think twice about applying them to your face. Paraffin, mineral oil or petrolatum are just some of the things that you can find in most shaving creams that come out of a can. These are used as substitutes for natural ingredients like oils.
-Shaving cream is flammable
-Instant lather
Shaving cream often contains lauryl sulfate, a chemical that helps you get all that thick foam instantly. Although it is a practical asset, this substance has a role in removing your skin's natural oil. That is very bad in the long term, as it may cause your skin to become dryer and affect elasticity.
What are the best 10 alternatives for shaving cream?
Shaving Soaps
Before shaving cream was available, and even today shaving soaps are the number 1 shaving cream replacement. The most commonly used shaving creams use between 25 and 35% soap, complemented by at least 10% foaming agent. With shaving soaps, the percentage of soap is higher, and you have the benefit of doing away with the foaming agent altogether.Shaving soaps offer a rich and stable lather against the skin and have more hydrating agents than regular soaps.
As a downside, shaving soaps do take some time to master. You will have to use a shaving brush, to create lather. And to balance the water and soap quantities will require some getting used to.
Using a shaving brush will have a good effect on your skin, as it can help you with exfoliation and drawing out the hair on your face.
Hair Conditioner
This is a surprising number 2 on our list as you may think hair conditioner can not possibly be such a good alternative to shaving cream. Regarded more as a fixer-upper for people that don’t have any shaving cream around, this refreshing solution has more qualities than you might think.Hair conditioner will help with skin moisture, as well as softening your hair before shaving. Not to mention the superior glide. And if you use a shaving brush you may even have the same brush advantages that you can experience using a shaving soap.
So whether at home or in a hotel room, you can fully rely on a hair conditioner to help you get some of the best lather you can shave with.
Coconut Oil
This is another alternative that you can use with the utmost confidence. If your skin type is prone to developing razor burns, coconut oil will surely take care of that. The secret behind it lies in the fact that this oil has antibacterial properties, that will help calm your skin and prevent razor burns from happening in the first place.If you are worried that your skin will remain greasy and hard to clean after you shave, worry not. Coconut oil is one of the few types of oil that does not clog pores, or mess with the natural oil of your skin. It may seem odd at first, but know that there are spas and skin care centers around the world that use this method with great success.
Pre-Shave Oil
Shave oils are not something you can use as a stand-alone on a daily basis, but they will help you get one of the freshest most soothing shaves ever.Shave oils protect your skin and soften your beard before you shave, by softening the hair and creating a thin layer of oil on top of your skin. This improves how the blade glides across and thus reduces irritation. After your shave – the oil comes off easily with water and face wash.
You can even combine about five drops of shaving oil with body lotion or shaving soap foam, to get one of the best glides you have experienced. Shave oils basically work the same way coconut oil does, but they do come with a twist of extra fragrance.
Body lotion
If only we knew why body lotion could be such a great substitute for shaving cream...Oh, that’s easy, body lotion is like a shaving cream that does not come from a can and has no foaming agents. Ok, maybe it is not exactly that, but many of its properties, and especially ingredients, are the same.They may not have the same percentage but they will deliver a pretty close experience. Body lotion feels smooth, helps with the glide and has great practicality. It is easy to apply, and once on, it will actually be better at the moisturizing side of the problem, than specialized shaving creams. It will also affect your facial hair, making it more shiny, soft, and easy to remove.
Many products in the body lotion range will leave you with a lasting impression after giving them a try. You may find the glade a little too fast and may be forced to go over certain portions a second time, but the benefits related to how your skin will feel will out way the downsides.
Shaving cream is not what it used to be but to be honest it never was that much to begin with. It is a formula that still requires plenty of research and that leaves room for a lot of improvements.
It never was some kind of miracle cure that saved recent generations from the horror of using soap.
Its main characteristic is the convenience, and the fact that it turns soapy water into a great foam. There are even more alternatives that did not make it to this list, but that is because they are based on the same principles as the ones already detailed. You can even come up with your alternative by mixing up some of the ones we have listed. Just remember that the main ingredients, for nice clean shaving substitute cream, are: oil, water and moisturizing agent.
It’s also very useful to know that you can always use these alternatives if you are in a tight spot, your skin type requires more attention, or you just need a break from shaving foam. In the end, you get to decide what method better suits the needs of your skin.
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Loves to play with new ideas, binge writing, traveling and gourmet coffee. Professional writer of non fiction with over 8 years experience in putting words to paper. Fan of iconic movies, sports, The Arctic Monkeys and city breaks. Yes, he knows how good his coffee is.