Replacement for discontinued Neutrogena shaving cream?

January 18, 2024 1:31 PM

My stock of Neutrogena Men Sensitive Skin Shave Cream ran out recently and I found out that it's discontinued when trying to order more. I've been having trouble finding a replacement. Has anyone found one with the same slippery smooth feel?

I've been trying out a few other shaving creams, and while I've found some acceptable ones, what I've found so far just doesn't have the same slippery smoothness that the Neutrogena shaving cream had, feeling more soapy and thicker. The Neutrogena product was a thinner liquid than most, but you used less of it and it was somewhere between liquid soap and water-based lube in terms of texture.

That said, the Neutrogena stuff was so unique that I'm having a hard time describing it in a way that would be useful to someone who hadn't used it, so I'm really hoping that someone who did use it and knows what it's like can weigh in.

posted by Aleyn to Shopping (10 answers total)

Best answer: I don't have a personal recommendation but here's a whole reddit thread if you hadn't found it yet. Apologies if you have.
posted by greta simone at 2:53 PM on January 18

My husband started using my Cerave body cream, and now swears by it. No irritation, and the product has no fragrance. Also, it’s cheap.
posted by dbmcd at 3:14 PM on January 18 [1 favorite]

Maybe not what you're looking for, because I'm a cheap bastard, but in my blade-shaving days I used hair conditioner as shaving cream. I'd read about it somewhere as a good substitute, and for me it was. Way cheaper than shaving cream, and definitely has that slippery / lube-y feel to it.
posted by Rykey at 3:17 PM on January 18

Try searching for non-foaming creams. I can't attest to the quality, but Billy Jealousy seems like they have a product that fits your description. They even call it a "shaving lubricant".

For what it is worth, you may have more luck looking at products targeted at people shaving their heads bald. I think those are usually much slicker and thin than face or leg creams.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 3:56 PM on January 18

Best answer: Cremo shave cream in a tube.
posted by LaBellaStella at 5:10 PM on January 18 [3 favorites]

Billie whipped shaving cream is very smooth and slippery. The name makes it sound like it would be a whipped-cream-like texture but it's not. It very much reminds me of lube and gives a really comfortable close shave. The scent is very light, barely noticeable to me. I buy it at Walmart but you can get it online also.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:27 PM on January 18

Nivea shave cream in a foil tube is very much this.
posted by sixswitch at 7:44 AM on January 19

Seconding Cremo.

I’ve splurged on the Grooming Lounge’s Beard Destroyer Shave Cream in the past and while it was really great, Cremo is close enough and more easily accessible.
posted by Eikonaut at 10:01 AM on January 19

Best answer: Cremo is good, but the sensitive skin version is less slippery and effective than the smelly ones. The reddit thread liked Prosaso which should be pretty similar.

I have used Kiehl's Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream Blue Eagle in the past - it has no fragrance and it was amazingly slick and protective if you used it right. At the time, I attributed it to the lanolin, but the current formulation (which I have not used) is lanolin-free.
posted by troyer at 3:11 PM on January 19

Best answer: Figured I'd follow up with my findings, 'cause if I'm gonna buy this much shaving cream to try out I may as well. This is extremely subjective so YMMV and all that.

What I've tried on my own:

• Van Der Hagen Shave Butter - This is what I have been using. It's fine. I like how soft it leaves my skin post-shave, but it has a kind of soapy residue I'm not fond of. But it's cheap and readily available.
• Harry's Shaving Cream - I needed a shaving cream that would fit the TSA sizes for liquids and tried this. It's also fine, on par with the Van Der Hagen stuff but with a scent that I'm less in love with.
• Cremo Cooling Shave Cream - I tried this out before asking the question and it felt like I was shaving with toothpaste. The cooling sensation was awful and doesn't go away after rinsing. I ended up throwing this one out.

Stuff I tried as a result of this question:

• Eos Shea Butter Sensitive Shaving Cream (from reddit) - This was terrible. Like, so bad that I'm going to just toss it instead of trying to use it up. Too thick, not very slick, and gave me the worst shave quality of anything I've ever used, including the stuff from a can. (Ladies, you deserve better.)
• Cremo Shave Cream - I was hesitant on Cremo based on my experience with the cooling version but this one is good. I feel like it gives a nicer feeling shave than the Van Der Hagen Shave Butter, and similarly moisturizes without the soapy feeling.
• Cremo Sensitive Shave Cream - Very similar to the normal cream but I think I like it a little better. Feels slightly slicker. This is likely the one I'll be coming back to once I run out of all of this stuff.
• Proraso Sensitive Shaving Cream (from reddit) - This gives an amazing shave, probably the best I've ever had. Too bad it feels so soapy or it'd definitely be at the top of my list.

Stuff I didn't try but was recommended:

• Cerave body cream - this really doesn't look like what I'm looking for.
• Hair conditioner - If I didn't use H&S 2 in 1 dandruff shampoo + conditioner I might have actually tried this, but as it is, if I'm buying something I'm only going to use for shaving it's gonna be something specifically for shaving.
• Nivea Men Sensitive Shaving Cream - I like their post-shave lotion so I'll probably try this at some point.
• Billie whipped shaving cream - I'll keep an eye out for this but I just didn't try this one.
• Billy Jealousy Hydroplane Super Slick Shave Cream, Grooming Lounge Beard Destroyer Shave Cream - not too thrilled about special-ordering shaving cream. Ideally I want stuff I can find it at my regular grocery stores or Amazon for a reasonable amount.

posted by Aleyn at 9:06 PM on February 21