Shaving gel and shaving cream are the two common options men choose for shaving. Which one is better?
Shaving cream for most men comes from a pressurized can and is bought in the local drugstore or grocery store. Same with shaving gel. Shaving cream comes out fluffy soft and is easily applied to your skin prior to shaving. It also easily wipes off. Shaving gel comes out of a can in gel form and needs to be rubbed to produce a lather.
You might make use of a shaving bowl, a bit of water and a shaving brush to produce a thick lather. Shaving cream also comes in non-pressurized can form, in tubes and in plastic containers.
So as you can see, you actually have more than just two options to consider. So it’s shaving gel vs cream vs soap vs tube. Now which one is better?
Shaving Cream From A Can
- Contents are under pressure with aerosol and the lather that is produced is light and fluffy. Aerosol tends to dry out the skin.
- When applied to your face, shaving cream wipes off easily and doesn’t adhere to your skin very well. Easy to rinse.
- Often comes in unscented and scented form but the scent is weak and tends not to last very long. More of a marketing gimmick.
- “Fragrance” is often added to hide other chemicals that the product contains.
- Tends to include additives like sulfates (to produce foaming), emulsifiers, glycols, preservatives and more. Some can result in allergic reactions.
Shaving Gel From A Can
- Shaving gels don’t foam up like shaving cream. When you apply the gel to your face it will create a lather but doesn’t foam up fluffy like shaving cream.
- Tends to offer better glide (ie. more lubrication) than shaving cream from a can.
- Highly concentrated so you tend to use less than with shaving cream.
- Is waterless so it tends to adhere to your skin better than cream.
- Also tends to contain sulfates, glycols and “fragrances” which is a catchall name used to hide the inclusion of other chemicals.
Shaving Soap
- Typically comes in bar format. You wet your hands and lather it like a regular bar of soap, wipe it on your face and use a shaving brush to lather up.
- No aerosol and fewer additives = tends to be more environmentally friendly than canned creams.
- While more expensive up front, a bar of shaving soap may last longer in the long run than a can.
- Shaving soaps tend to contain natural ingredients to protect skin that regular soap doesn’t have.
- Nicer brands offer a wide range of scents like Sandalwood, Citrus, Rose, Pipe Tobacco, Russian Leather and more unavailable with cheaper canned products.
- A wide range of prices from fairly cheap to more expensive.
- While you can’t bring a pressurized can in your aircraft carry on luggage, a bar of soap should be no trouble.
Shaving Cream From A Tube
- No aerosol is used as it’s in a compact tube in concentrated form.
- While often more expensive than canned products, cheaper options that work well are available too.
- Like shaving soap in bar format, taking a tube in your carry on shouldn’t be a problem as it’s not a liquid per se. Check local laws to be sure.
- In my experience, even my cheap Palmolive shaving tube has a slick feeling and the resulting cream doesn’t easily wipe off my skin like canned shaving cream.
- Nicer brands also offer funky scents similar to the shaving soaps.
Tips To Find A Better Shaving Cream, Gel Or Soap
Ingredients are listed in order from most prevalent to least
So while the package might scream CONTAINS ESSENTIAL OILS in big visible letters on the front of the product, if the essential oil is shown second-last in a list of 15 ingredients, that means that the essential oil isn’t significant when compared to the other (mostly chemical) ingredients listed ahead of it.
Fluffier Doesn’t Mean Better
Advertising has caused men to believe that light, fluffy piles of shaving cream are better. If you buy a shaving soap or cream from a tube, it isn’t an inferior product just because it doesn’t foam up like a canned cream. The opposite is probably true, in fact. My 85 cent tube of Palmolive cream from a tube works great. And it hardly lathers up at all and produces no foam whatsoever.
See What Works For You
I used shaving cream from a can for years. Decades actually. I decided one day to try shaving cream from a tube and stuck with it. I like the slick feeling of the cream and the scent is nice too. It actually lasts for awhile unlike the cheap canned scent which disappears quickly.
Have Some Fun
Never applied shaving cream with a brush? You can pick a cheap one up for a few bucks in any drugstore.
Never used a shaving soap before? They’re easy to find in drugstores, grocery stores and online.
Ever thought about using a double edge razor and wonder why some guys swear by them? You could buy an expensive Merkur brand or something cheaper to meet your budget. Your choice.
There are so many options for shaving, you might find a method and product(s) that suits you better. You may also find that your sensitive skin, propensity to cut yourself, ingrown hairs, etc are better suited to a shaving style different from the one you’ve always used.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, right?
Conclusion
- Shaving cream and gel from a can is widely available and cheap but might not be the best option for your shaving needs.
- Both products are in pressurized cans with aerosol which tends to dry the skin.
- Canned products tend to contain more chemicals often hidden amongst “fragrances” and other word play.
- Shaving soap and cream from a tube are also easily found and while they may not lather up as much, can offer a superior shave due to their adhesion to the skin and superior slickness.
- Finer shaving soaps and tubed products offer nice scents unavailable with cheaper products.
Shaving gel vs cream. What products do you use for shaving? What’s your favorite?