If you have sensitive skin, you know what a struggle shave day can be when you don't have the right products handy. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way. My skin reacts to things as if it was a hobby or casual pastime. So I'm sure it's not surprising that I've had a few bad bouts of razor burn in my life. The redness and swollen bumps that can follow shaving are never fun to deal with, but I've finally learned that adding one simple and affordable product to my shower lineup can change all that.
Yep, I'm talking about investing in a good shaving cream. I know shaving creams are nothing new, but I've never liked using one because it feels like an unnecessary extra step. However, if you, like me, have sensitive skin, you don't want to skip this step. Body wash alone wasn't doing the job for me anymore when trying to shave my legs, so I finally bit the bullet and invested in a $4 Amazon find. I'm happy to report that it's a winner. Keep reading if you're in the market for a good shaving cream. I'm sharing a few beauty editors' favorites below.
Best Overall: Eos Shea Better Shaving Cream
Pros: Budget-friendly, provides up to 24 hours of hydration with shea butter and oil, and includes vitamin C, E, and aloe to nourish the skin.
Cons: Light fragrance.
Three Who What Wear beauty team members agree that this budget-friendly shaving cream is one of the best. The addition of shea butter, aloe, and oil provides you with such a comfortable shave. I never get razor burn when I use it, and I sometimes can't believe it's only $4.
Customer Review: "This is a nice shaving cream with a very pretty smell. It is a pump (not an aerosol.) It's rather a small size, but for me, it will last quite a while. It has such a pretty scent that I would like to use it as a soap. I think I will try the lavender scent next."
Best Drugstore Shaving Cream: Gilette Satin Care Ultra Sensitive Women's Shave Gel
Pros: Budget-friendly, great for sensitive skin, fragrance-free.
Cons: May not be hydrating enough for dry skin.
Who What Wear beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock loves this hero drugstore shaving cream because it's fragrance-free, great for sensitive skin, and gets the job done.
Customer Review: "My skin is super sensitive, and this keeps it from getting irritated when shaving. I don't know what I would do without it!"
Best Shaving Gel: Grown Alchemist Shaving Gel
Pros: Formulated to help soften and lift the hair follicle, protects skin from irritation, bioactive tri-peptides protect skin cells from free radical damage.
Cons: Expensive.
I would definitely consider this shaving gel from Grown Alchemist more of a *luxury* option. It calms the skin, soothes inflammation, and contains bioactive tri-peptides to protect against free radical damage.
Customer Review: "I have fallen in love with this brand. I have been having a really hard time with my face lately. I had gotten the night cream in my FabFitFun box. So I decided I would try the blemish treatment gel and shave gel. So far, I love them both. I really enjoy the shave gel and love the scent."
Best Shaving Oil: Maude Moisturizing Shave Oil
Pros: Softens hair follicles for an extra close shave, is suitable for sensitive skin, and contains a trio of skin-nourishing oils.
Cons: Expensive.
A trio of almond, sesame, and jojoba oil nourishes the skin and helps soften hair follicles to help you get an extra close shave. It will leave your skin feeling silky smooth, even after rinsing it off.
Customer Review: "I am OBSESSED with this product and have permanently adopted it into my "everything shower" routine. [I] can't say enough about it. Buy it, and you'll understand."
Best Cream Shaving Creams
Pros: Contains nourishing shea butter for extra hydration, great for sensitive skin.
Cons: Formula is extra thick.
Who What Wear beauty editor Katie Berohn loves this Venus collaboration with Rifle Paper Co. for a hydrating and comfortable shave. It contains nourishing shea butter and has a light honeyflower scent to it.
Customer Review: "The smell alone on this shave cream is wonderful. It leaves your legs feeling so smooth and works perfectly in combination with the Venus sensitive skin razor."
Pros: Budget-friendly, packed with skin-soothing and hydrating ingredients like aloe, calendula, and macadamia seed oil.
Cons: Contains fragrance.
This shaving cream fights nicks, cuts, and razor burns. It's packed with macadamia seed oil, aloe, calendula, papaya, and olive leaf extract.
Customer Review: "I recently tried the Cremo French Lavender Moisturizing Shave Cream, and I am now hooked on it! The ultra-slick formula provides an incredibly smooth shave with no irritation or razor burn. The French lavender scent is also very pleasant and adds a nice touch of luxury to my shaving routine. Overall, I highly recommend the Cremo French Lavender Moisturizing Shave Cream to anyone looking for a high-quality shaving cream that delivers superior results."
Pros: Hydrates and soothes skin with ingredients like olive oil and aloe, contains coconut-derived cleansing agents to create a protective film while you shave.
Cons: Expensive.
Enriched with ingredients like olive oil, aloe, and marshmallow root extract, this shave cream provides so much more than a comfortable shaving experience. It hydrates, soothes, and protections the skin against irritation or inflammation.
Customer Review: "...I absolutely love this shaving cream. The texture of the cream is not a gel or a regular cream. It is like [a] cross [between] the two in a good way. It smells clean, which is probably why it is a unisex item. Shaving is simple. I never have to shave over the same area because it shaves smooth... helping [keep] me from getting razor burns. You don't even need much to shave each time, and the packaging is very edgy. Nice product highly recommend for sensitive skin people."
Pros: Protective gel-to-milk texture, contains a moisturizing botanical oil blend, vitamin C helps boost collagen production in the skin.
Cons: Expensive, takes a lot to cover the leg area.
This rich gel-to-milk shaving cream from Oui the People is packed with moisturizing botanical oils, dandelion extract to soothe irritation, and vitamin C to boost hyaluronic acid and collagen production in the skin. The only negatives are that it's expensive and takes quite a bit to really cover the leg area.
Customer Review: "This stuff is great! It's not too thick but gives some protection for your legs."
Pros: Budget-friendly, gel-cream texture, contains hydrating coconut water, guards against cuts and irritation.
Cons: Strong scent.
With ingredients like coconut water and plumeria petals, this shave gel feels and smells like a tropical vacation in a bottle. It's incredibly hydrating and helps replenish the skin's natural moisture levels.Customer Review: "I have tried multiple shaving gels, and I have always ended up purchasing Skintimate. I have no irritation, and they leave my skin feeling smooth and moisturized. I am able to get a close shave with minimal to no nicks. And the smell is divine... This will be my new go-to shaving gel."
Pros: Great for sensitive skin, fragrance-free,
Cons: Does not foam or lather.
Vanicream is a great no-frills brand designed for sensitive skin. I'm a fan of the brand's Daily Facial Moisturizer ($14) since I have incredibly sensitive skin, and this shaving cream is similar in all the best ways. It's fragrance-free and dye-free while still providing an extra buffer against nicks, cuts, and razor burns.
Customer Review: "I loved this stuff. [It's] creamy, doesn't leave my skin dry, and has no scent. I'm making sure I get this often."
Pros: Fights ingrown hairs, irritation, and redness, helps skin retain moisture, and lightly exfoliates.
Cons: Takes a lot to cover the leg area.
This shave butter from Truly Beauty has a rich and creamy texture. It hydrates and protects the skin with coconut, grape, lavender, and vitamin E. In addition to providing shave protection, it also helps prevent ingrown hairs.
Customer Review: "Jar looks bigger in the picture. However, [I] love, love, love the shave lotion. A little goes a long way."
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