Some of you may be reading this article because you are wondering why you need a shaving cream when you can dry shave with the electric or standard disposable razors. Well, ask any professional barber and they will tell you that a quality shaving cream is a required for a top class shave. That’s what we’re going to discuss today.
The good news is that you do not have to go to a barber to experience this, with the perfect tools and the right technique you can also experience a top class shave right in the comfort of your own home. This is especially true if you try getting into the world of straight razors.
A good quality shaving cream is crucial due to the fact that it adds a layer of lubrication to your skin while you rake a razor blade across your face. By quality, we do not mean over-the-counter aerosol can products here, but rather “real” shaving creams made from quality ingredients like glycerin, triethanolamine, coconut acid, and potassium hydroxide. Another thing is, they should not contain propellants, which dry up your skin and leads to irritation.
How does one select the perfect shaving cream?
With the sheer amount of pre-shaving products in the market, you can get overwhelmed easily. To help you in selecting the perfect shaving cream, you ought to have some criteria. We will aid you in narrowing down your options based upon these criteria.
- Ingredients – The first thing you must take into consideration before purchasing any shaving cream is what’s inside of it. A good quality shaving cream is manufactured with organic ingredients like coconut oil, avocado, or almond. These natural ingredients will give your skin the required protection and lubrication it requires while wet shaving. If you happen to have a sensitive skin, ensure that the cream has Aloe Vera in it because this ingredient has excellent antiseptic properties. Another thing to check out is if it contains any essential oils (e.g. Cypress, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Lemon, Lime, Peppermint or Vetyver). Stay away from products with chemicals, dyes or any kind of petrochemical ingredient in it (e.g. paraffin, mineral oil, or petroleum) since these can lead to irritation, clog pores and worse, may cause dizziness and allergies.
- Ease of use – You want to select a shaving cream that is easy to apply, either by hand or with a shaving brush. It ought to work with soft or hard water as well.
- Reviews – This is indeed the top source of information on whether the product is good or not. It may not necessarily be the most accurate and precise, but these are feedback from actual consumers. You are going to at least get a general idea on how it is going to perform. Just note when the review was made because the formula may have been improved since then.
- Performance – There are two things to look for in a shaving cream – lubricity and a thick lather, certain among the top performing shaving creams will have the perfect balance of these qualities. These two qualities are going to give your face the protection it requires when you shave.
- Cost – It is okay to splurge a little to purchase a quality shaving cream, but make sure to keep it within your grooming budget.
- Smell – Some like shaving creams with stronger smells, some just want a light scent. So this is up to personal preference. Just make sure that the product you are purchasing utilizes organic ingredients.
- After the shave – You want a shaving cream with a moisturizing feel after you wash it off. Quality shaving creams will leave a layer of protection on your face. This is important if you have dry or sensitive skin.
This ought to give you more or less a good idea of what you should be looking at when it comes to choosing a specific shaving cream to go with your straight razor. Following this advice would help you in getting the best shaving experience as opposed to going out and choosing a shaving cream without any knowledge or guidance at all.
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