Shaving Without Shaving Cream: Are There Other Options?
There are two main reasons why you might be looking for an alternative to shaving cream.
The first reason is that you’re out of shaving cream and you really need to shave. The second is that you don’t really like most of the shaving creams you’ve used and might find that you come away with sensitive skin or razor burn.
Either scenario can likely be addressed with products you have around the house, but keep in mind that they’re only good in a pinch. A well formulated shaving cream serves a very specific purpose, and you need to find a formula that works well for your skin.
What Does Shaving Cream Do?
The only thing a shaving cream technically has to do is provide a barrier between your skin and your razor. Some shaving products do a better job of that than others.
Your shaving cream could be doing the bare minimum. Your skin might need a little more protection and moisture than what it’s getting. It’s time to get rid of the can.
The Downside of Most Shaving Creams
People like fragranced products and products that lather when you rub them in. That’s what most shaving products are designed to do. The problem with their formulas is that they may be appealing to many men, but they aren’t very skin friendly.
Many people experience allergic reactions or skin irritation from the fragrance or sulfates in their shaving cream. If you find that your skin and your shaving cream have a contentious relationship, it’s reasonable to search for an alternative.
Should You Use Shaving Cream Alternatives?
You can use alternatives to shaving cream if you’re in a hurry and you don’t have access to something better.
Keep in mind that these products aren’t designed for the purposes of shaving. They might do a better job than a metal can of foam, but they won’t do as good for a job as expertly formulated shaving cream designed to tend to the needs of your face.
High Quality Hair Conditioner
Inexpensive hair conditioner often contains many of the same problematic ingredients that low quality shaving cream contains.
Higher quality, sulfate free hair conditioner is meant to be nourishing and moisturizing, which is exactly what you want from a shaving cream.
This is a solution you definitely don’t want to make permanent. High quality hair conditioners tend to be expensive. If you’re using your partner’s hair conditioner instead of shaving cream, your partner is probably going to be upset when it begins to rapidly disappear. Get the thumbs up before you go for this one.
Plain Coconut Oil
Thanks to the internet’s endless encouragement and praise, most households have at least one jar of coconut oil stashed away somewhere. If you have one, now’s the best time to break it out. Coconut oil moisturizes and lubricates the skin, allowing the razor to pass without hitting any dry patches or snags.
Another benefit of coconut oil is its high lauric acid content. Lauric acid is a natural ingredient. Not only will it help you shave, it will help to manage the germs on the surface of your skin while you’re shaving. This makes coconut oil an excellent alternative to drying ingredients, like alcohol. You get protection and moisture at the same time.
Body Butter
Body butter is a very thick lotion that usually comes in a pump or a metal squeeze tube. It’s often too thick to be dispensed from a pump. It’s the thickness and moisturizing ingredients that make body butter a great impromptu shaving cream alternative.
It’s easy to paint body butter on and easy to see while you’re shaving. If you count on your shaving cream to tell you when you’ve missed a spot, body butter will fit the bill better than something translucent and thin like coconut oil. This is the same reason why regular lotion may not cut it. It’s slippery, thin, and will slide right off your face.
Use a Better Shaving Cream
Since you’re either out of shaving cream or you don’t like your current shaving cream, it’s time to pick up a new one. This is a great opportunity to find something that will work better for you. You need a shaving cream that will address your skin’s needs and make your shave a comfortable pampering experience.
LTHR’s shaving cream is formulated without any of the chemicals and irritants commonly found in the majority of shaving creams. We use ingredients like aloe to soothe sensitive skin and manage redness. We use coconut oil for its slickness and lauric acid content, and we use glycerin to provide a better glide while drawing moisture to the skin.
We don’t use sulfates or fragrances in our formula. Every ingredient was chosen with purpose. Our shaving cream is just as suitable for sensitive skin as it is for dry skin. It’s a shaving cream that everyone can use and benefit from, and that’s the point. We’ve simplified the process for you.
We went ahead and took it to the next level with our hot lather machine. If you’ve ever had a professional shave at a barber shop, you know how good you look and feel after a hot lather shave. We took that loud, clunky hot lather machine and condensed it into a cordless, portable, TSA approved lather machine that takes up less space on the bathroom counter than a can of hairspray.
Our shaving cream is heated to the perfect temperature and conveniently dispensed. Get your face warm and wet and put your lather on. The warmth and moisture will keep your skin comfortable throughout the shave, and your beard hair will plump up and soften. This makes the shave effortlessly smooth every time.
You’ll want to set aside half an hour to groom when it feels that good, and you should. You deserve your moment of peace, and everyone needs a little self care. Leaving your house feeling relaxed and confident sets the perfect tone for the rest of the day.
The Takeaway
If you need a substitute for shaving cream, it shouldn’t be hard to scrounge one up. There’s probably a good quick replacement somewhere in your bathroom or your kitchen cabinets. After you’ve had your MacGuyver shave, invest in a shaving cream that’s going to work for your skin.
LTHR wants every shave to be as perfect as a barber shave, and we’ve made it easy to do it yourself. We’re a team of master barbers, and we’ve designed the perfect shaving cream and lather warmer to help you duplicate that experience at home.
Sources:
Perfume Allergies | Green Facts
Are Sulfates Your Enemy? | The Hair Society
Lauric Acid Is an Inhibitor of Clostridium difficile Growth | Frontiers In Microbiology