What's in shaving cream?
May 3, 2015 12:06 PM Subscribe
Is shaving cream different from foamy soap? Are there actual beard-softening agents in there? Is there any reason to use shaving cream instead of shampoo? (I suppose this is the perfect question to have in the shower.)
Hair conditioner is supposed to be better for shaving. I once read that if you ever buy hair conditioner that you end up hating (isn't suitable for your hair), it's a prefect shaving cream/soap alternative. I shave legs not faces, but I've found this to be true.
posted by taff at 12:24 PM on May 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by taff at 12:24 PM on May 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Yes, there are moisturizing agents in shaving creams in addition to the surfactants. So you get the lubrication of a shampoo or body wash and the moisturization of a body lotion or conditioner.
This article gives some generalities about shaving cream formulations that lines up with formulations I have worked with.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:31 PM on May 3, 2015
This article gives some generalities about shaving cream formulations that lines up with formulations I have worked with.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:31 PM on May 3, 2015
I've been using a generic liquid handsoap that has moisturizers and aloe in it for shaving for a long time and it works well. I use a shaving brush to make it into a lather. I also used an olive oil bar soap and it worked great. A few months ago I tried some canned shaving cream from gilette and it made my face burn and tingle.
posted by glip at 1:05 PM on May 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by glip at 1:05 PM on May 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Shaving cream is an "instant" version of shaving soap. Originally, shaving soap has bentonite clay to physically decrease the co-efficient of friction between the blade and skin.
A lot of other kinds of clay are used for different purposes.
Not that it's automatically bad, but modern shaving cream likely has synthetics that mimic the effects of clay, probably medium-chain alcohols (wild guess).
If you've never shaved with soap, try it at your barber. A jar of Proraso and a cheap badger brush shouldn't run you more than $25. My cheap badger is pushing 9yo and it's running strong. A jar of soap lasts me a year to 18 months. It takes longer to lather up, but I feel that it's superior enough to shaving-cream-from-a-can that it's worth it the effort.
posted by porpoise at 3:17 PM on May 3, 2015
A lot of other kinds of clay are used for different purposes.
Not that it's automatically bad, but modern shaving cream likely has synthetics that mimic the effects of clay, probably medium-chain alcohols (wild guess).
If you've never shaved with soap, try it at your barber. A jar of Proraso and a cheap badger brush shouldn't run you more than $25. My cheap badger is pushing 9yo and it's running strong. A jar of soap lasts me a year to 18 months. It takes longer to lather up, but I feel that it's superior enough to shaving-cream-from-a-can that it's worth it the effort.
posted by porpoise at 3:17 PM on May 3, 2015
A reason not to shave using shampoo, specifically: shampoo burns like shit if you get it in an open cut (the sort caused by, say, shaving) or in sensitive bits (as if you are shaving pubes, or if it gets in your eyes). Do not use shampoo as a shaving gel unless you enjoy pain.
Conditioner is fine, though. I've shaved with that before and also with bar soap, but I prefer shaving cream designed for shaving because the moisturizing effect makes my legs less itchy as the hair is growing back. I also prefer the smell of shaving cream to the cheap-ass conditioner I was using and find the shaving cream makes it more obvious what I've shaved and what I haven't.
posted by sciatrix at 3:49 PM on May 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Conditioner is fine, though. I've shaved with that before and also with bar soap, but I prefer shaving cream designed for shaving because the moisturizing effect makes my legs less itchy as the hair is growing back. I also prefer the smell of shaving cream to the cheap-ass conditioner I was using and find the shaving cream makes it more obvious what I've shaved and what I haven't.
posted by sciatrix at 3:49 PM on May 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
It depends on what you mean by "shaving cream". What comes in an aerosol can is a far cry from shaving cream that comes in a tube. Aerosol shaving creams often contain alcohol or other irritants.
I use this Proraso shaving soap with a brush and I average seven months of use out of each bar to shave both my face and head almost daily. I imagine someone who just shaved his face could get close to a year out of the $10 bar.
I don't recommend shaving with conditioner because it leaves a residue (this is how conditioner works) that can lead to blade irritation. Hair conditioner is made for a different job than shaving. I know some people swear by using conditioner or lotion but I find it not to be a pleasant experience. I think it also prevents hair from softening the whiskers.
posted by Tanizaki at 3:49 PM on May 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I use this Proraso shaving soap with a brush and I average seven months of use out of each bar to shave both my face and head almost daily. I imagine someone who just shaved his face could get close to a year out of the $10 bar.
I don't recommend shaving with conditioner because it leaves a residue (this is how conditioner works) that can lead to blade irritation. Hair conditioner is made for a different job than shaving. I know some people swear by using conditioner or lotion but I find it not to be a pleasant experience. I think it also prevents hair from softening the whiskers.
posted by Tanizaki at 3:49 PM on May 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you shave your legs in a standard shower or bathtub, putting one foot on a ledge as you shave that leg and balancing on the other foot/leg, I would NOT recommend using conditioner because it makes the tub surface super slippery. You might get away with conditioner if you take a firm two-legged stance (when shaving face, chest, armpits), or when you rinse it out of your hair while standing under the shower head but conditioner + balancing on one leg + sharp object applied to your body = not a good idea.
posted by maudlin at 4:50 PM on May 3, 2015
posted by maudlin at 4:50 PM on May 3, 2015
Best answer: (on preview this turned out to be a longer answer that I had planned, hope it's not too long winded)
As many have said, shaving creams and soaps contain oils to lube the blade as it (hopefully) slides across the skin. Shave lathers should be thick to hold the moisture against your hair to help soften the hair and swell the skin. Moist skin is why the skin should be damp not dry when you apply shave creams. This moisture makes the skin softer, smoother and less prone to getting nicked.
The soap or cleaning aspect of shave soaps/creams is quite secondary. But since soaps were made from fat, they were a natural choice to be adapted to shaving. Some creams are more lotions than soaps - Dermalogica is an example of this kind of shave lotion.
Shampoo on the other hand is designed to remove oils and the associated dirt from hair. They strip the oils off leaving bare hair (and scalp) that then needs conditioner to return to an oily state. Shampoo also lathers but not to moisturize as much as is lathers to agitate bubbles and use them to scrub dirt off.
Another thing about shaving cream(s) are their low melting points. You want the fats to dissolve away when you rinse the blade between strokes (you do rinse between strokes right?). If the fats/oils in shave creams didn't melt easily, they would build up on the blade (or between the multiple blades) of the razor between strokes. Build up causes clogs, and on multibladed razors this causes the middle blade(s) to get lifted off the skin.
Using conditioner can clog your razor, as it has oils that are designed resist rinsing and stay on the hair. The same applies to some bar soaps and hand lotions.
So even cheap shave products (spray or otherwise) are preferable. Even Williams hard shaving soap for 2$ a bar (which lasts weeks) is better than shampoo or conditioner.
posted by Zedcaster at 6:59 PM on May 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
As many have said, shaving creams and soaps contain oils to lube the blade as it (hopefully) slides across the skin. Shave lathers should be thick to hold the moisture against your hair to help soften the hair and swell the skin. Moist skin is why the skin should be damp not dry when you apply shave creams. This moisture makes the skin softer, smoother and less prone to getting nicked.
The soap or cleaning aspect of shave soaps/creams is quite secondary. But since soaps were made from fat, they were a natural choice to be adapted to shaving. Some creams are more lotions than soaps - Dermalogica is an example of this kind of shave lotion.
Shampoo on the other hand is designed to remove oils and the associated dirt from hair. They strip the oils off leaving bare hair (and scalp) that then needs conditioner to return to an oily state. Shampoo also lathers but not to moisturize as much as is lathers to agitate bubbles and use them to scrub dirt off.
Another thing about shaving cream(s) are their low melting points. You want the fats to dissolve away when you rinse the blade between strokes (you do rinse between strokes right?). If the fats/oils in shave creams didn't melt easily, they would build up on the blade (or between the multiple blades) of the razor between strokes. Build up causes clogs, and on multibladed razors this causes the middle blade(s) to get lifted off the skin.
Using conditioner can clog your razor, as it has oils that are designed resist rinsing and stay on the hair. The same applies to some bar soaps and hand lotions.
So even cheap shave products (spray or otherwise) are preferable. Even Williams hard shaving soap for 2$ a bar (which lasts weeks) is better than shampoo or conditioner.
posted by Zedcaster at 6:59 PM on May 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
I have tough-ish stubble. I find the key is to soap (non-scented bar soap, Dove, etc.) my face in the shower. I then shave afterwards in the handbasin with hot water and more bar soap. I also often wash my hair at the same, but I had not made the conditioner connection, but that seems to make sense as well. I have not used shaving cream for years.
posted by carter at 7:12 PM on May 3, 2015
posted by carter at 7:12 PM on May 3, 2015
http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/start.html?pg=14 (what's inside: shaving cream)
posted by faustian slip at 5:10 AM on May 4, 2015
posted by faustian slip at 5:10 AM on May 4, 2015
Not exactly answering the question, but Williams hard shaving soap and a decent brush will last me 3-4 months shaving every other day with a fairly thick beard, and there aren't any weird detergents, alcohols, propellants, or metals in it afaict. Plus it re-moisturizes your face and you can take it on the plane!
posted by aspersioncast at 12:12 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by aspersioncast at 12:12 PM on May 4, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by scruss at 12:18 PM on May 3, 2015 [1 favorite]