Shaving cream, gel, and foam are all designed to create a buffer between your skin and the razor, creating a microscopic protective layer for your skin to help the blade glide over your skin instead of cutting into it. Here are some details, positives, negatives, and ingredients or materials of each:
Shaving Cream
- Thicker than gel and typically contains better, more moisturizing ingredients, making it the best shaving option if you have sensitive skin.
- Softens the hair and conditions the skin in a way that shaving gel will not.
- Provides a necessary barrier between skin and a razor, reducing the risk for skin irritation associated with shaving.
- Contains a mixture of potassium and triethinolamine soaps, stearic acid, superfatting agents, fragrances, and moisturizing substances such as glycerol or sorbitol.
Shaving Gel
- Formulated with thicker lubricating agents like glycerin, which give it a heartier base that requires less water and less lathering to work.
- Sticks to the skin longer than foam and provides a pleasant cooling effect afterwards.
- Infused with lighter weight ingredients that help to soothe skin irritation and act as conditioning agents.
- Requires no prep work and is transparent, making it especially helpful if you want to pay attention to the contours of the beard and other small areas.
- Comparatively expensive.
- Contains a mixture of gases isobutane/isopentane to obtain the gel.
Shaving Foam
- Easy to use and provides a clean shave.
- Contains surfactants that make it difficult for moisturizing agents to penetrate your skin, leading to premature skin aging.
- Contains a bunch of gases and chemical foaming agents that are not good for your skin.
- An aerosol, which has been shown to be bad for the environment.
- Contains a combination of potassium and triethanolamine soaps, superfatting agents, and stearic acid.
In conclusion, the best shaving product for you will depend on your skin type and personal preferences. Shaving cream is the best option if you have sensitive skin, while shaving gel is a good choice if you want a transparent product that sticks to the skin longer. Shaving foam is easy to use but contains surfactants that can lead to premature skin aging and is not environmentally friendly.
