Made In a Shave

A dozen men’s shaving creams get put to the blade 13

Shaving

The best a man can get?

For men, shaving surely ranks as one of our most bizarre daily rituals: We take a razor-sharp blade, scald it hot with water, and scrape the hair off of our faces and necks -- even the regions over our jugular veins. Yikes.

And to complicate matters yet more, we tend to lubricate the process with gels and foams full of all sorts of dodgy and toxic chemicals. Like the hard slap that greets the hapless shaver's face in the '70s-era aftershave commercial, perusing the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetic database is a bracing experience.

Gillette's Mach3 Comfort Gel, for example, seems like something we should be working to ban from the face of earth, not smearing on our own faces every morning. It's chock full o' stuff like triethanolamine, associated with "cancer, allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), contamination concerns."

Shaving may mean subjecting our most delicate and visible skin to direct contact with sharp metal, but it needn't mean a daily lathering of nasty goo.

Grist's Pick

Jason 6-in-1 Beard & Skin Therapy
$7.99/8 oz.

For years, I've used health-food store (what I call "hippie") shaving creams -- ones relatively free of toxic sludge and not tested on animals. But I never really developed brand loyalty; I've always merely bought what's cheapest. For this column, I thought I'd give the shaving-cream shelf a whirl to see if any of the many available items offer something special in terms of quality and value.

One caveat: Many of the 12 gels and creams I tested contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a controversial substance in the hippie-product world. Derived from coconuts, SLS is prized by manufacturers for its lathering qualities. All manner of claims have been leveled against it. Yet it remains unclear to me precisely how bad it is. The Skin Deep database rates its toxicity level at 2 of a possible ten points, or "low." By contrast, the above-mentioned triethanolamine got 7 of 10, earning a "high toxicity" tag. I avoid SLS, but not religiously.

As I performed the tests over the course of a couple of weeks, I looked for products that smelled good, made the blade glide down my face, and left my skin feeling supple, happy, and reasonably moisturized. Was I asking too much? Read on.

Aubrey Organic Men's Stock City Rhythms
$8.49/6 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

This one has a wonderful musky-woodsy aroma, and it pleasantly warms the face on contact. Its rather tame lather might bother some, but not me. However, it took labor to bring the razor down the cheek -- especially with a two-day beard growth. It did leave the skin feeling smooth and supple, though. I liked this one, but didn't love it.

Zia Men Hydra Shield Shave Cream
$9.99/5 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

The straight-ahead soapy smell didn't do much for me; nor did the thin texture and nonexistent lather. It performed OK on the face, but my skin felt a bit dried out by it. This one is functional, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it.

Zia Men Acti Shield Shave Gel
$9.99/5 oz
Sodium lauryl sulfate? Yes

Full disclosure: Gels creep me out. But I sort of dug this one -- at first. I liked its light piney aroma, and the light lather it developed on the face. Yet shaving was a bit labored, and, again, my face didn't feel particularly moisturized.

Kiss My Face Moisture Shave
$4.99/4 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

This budget-priced, odor-free cream turned in a rock-solid performance. Its creamy texture felt good, not making me miss the absent lather, and the razor slid down with ease, leaving supple skin in its wake. I'd buy this one again.

Weleda Shaving Cream
$10.99/2 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

This premium-priced cream performed like a dream. It offered a pleasing, mild, musky aroma, and its light lather coaxed the blade smoothly over the skin. It left my skin feeling smooth, silky, and luxuriously moist.

Nature's Gate Organics Creamy Shave Gel
$6.49/6 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

Ooh, another gel. I didn't much like this one. It offered a faint, almost chemical odor, and didn't lose its creepy clear-gel quality even after being rubbed on the face. Shaving was easy enough, but it didn't leave my face feeling all that moisturized.

Hoke2 Green Tea & Soy Shaving Cream
$8.99/8 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

This one follows a trend I'm ambivalent about -- trumpeting all manner of healthy-sounding foodstuffs in body products. Do the benefits of drinking green tea extend to spreading it on one's face? Maybe. Anyway, this one showed a shiny, almost artificial-seeming creaminess, and an odor that vaguely reminded me of sunscreen. But it worked pretty well: an easy shave with a smooth finish.

Tom's of Maine Conditioning Shave Cream
$4.99/3.6 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

I dug the bright minty aroma and warm tingly feeling this light cream gave my skin. Another rock-solid performer, it left my skin feeling refreshed.

Alba Moisturizing Foam Aloe Mint
$7.99/5 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? Yes

This one is for recent converts to hippie shaving products. It's a proper foam, just like your dad used to use. And it performs well: it delivers a mild, minty scent and slight menthol warmth, and a smooth and easy shave. My face felt pretty nice afterward, too.

Avalon Organics Moisturizing Cream Shave
$5.95/8 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

This aloe-heavy cream aspires to unscented status, but smells mildly of baby powder. It has a shiny sheen reminiscent of furniture polish. But it feels good on the face, and delivers a solid shave, with a reasonably moisturized result.

Jason 6-in-1 Beard & Skin Therapy
$7.99/8 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

GreenerChoices
Get a Whiff of This
Consumer Reports GreenerChoices.org reports that fragrances cause more allergic contact dermatitis than any other ingredient. Learn about other potential impacts of personal- care product ingredients here.

It's hard to explain why I find this one so appealing. The aroma is nothing special -- mildly soapy, with a quality I can only describe as powdery. The texture is unique: a light cream with a downright gritty feel. Turns out the grit is something called "jojoba beads," which the container claims "lift the hair shaft and exfoliate without drying the skin." It sure seems to work. Shaving with this one feels like cutting soft butter with a chef's cleaver -- and it leaves my skin feeling clean, moisturized, and ready for the day. For me, this one shaved away the competition.

Herban Cowboy Shave Soap
$2.99/2.9 oz.
Sodium lauryl sulfate? No

This little round of soap is meant to be used with an old-school shave brush and mug. I just lathered it up with hot water and my hands. Its existence anticipates what I expect will be several comments demanding to know why I don't just use soap to shave. Damn good question. This one made a lovely light lather and gave a pleasant herbal smell. It delivered a smooth and easy shave, but did leave me wanting moisturizer. Overall, a satisfying experience.

The Bottom Line: Those wanting to rescue their morning shave from the toxic shock of corporate foams and gels have many attractive options. And while hippie shaving creams are typically pricier than a can of old-school Barbasol, they really aren't that expensive on a daily basis. A three- to six-ounce container usually lasts me months. There were several in the sampling that I'd use again; but the Jason 6-in-1 takes top honors. In cash-per-ounce terms, Jason's product also ranks as the best buy.

Grist food editor Tom Philpott farms and cooks at Maverick Farms, a sustainable-agriculture nonprofit and small farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Follow my Twitter feed; contact me at tphilpott[at]grist[dot]org.

Related Stories

Advertisement
Advertisement

  1. thricejamie Posted 2:56 am
    20 May 2008

    "Cash-per-ounce"The Jason product may win on that count, but I am willing to bet that the shaving soap would win on a "cash-per-shave" basis, not to mention "waste-per-shave".

    Permalink

  2. kayakpatty Posted 3:41 am
    20 May 2008

    Shaving BrushI recently bought a shaving brush and find it works great with any soap - liquid or bar. It makes a thick shaving foam, is cheap and makes very little waste (if any). Of course I use it on my legs so I may not be as picky as guys who are dealing with more sensitive face skin. However - I do remember my grandfather always using a shaving brush.

    Permalink

  3. wetlandman Posted 5:13 am
    20 May 2008

    I Made the SwitchLast Christmas I received an electric razor.  A new blade only needs to be replaced every 18 months, and no need for cream or the canisters they come in.  I do seem to use more after shave products however.  Electric use is minimal.  I have to imagine that this is the more eco-friendly solution.

    Permalink

  4. Delay And Deny's avatar

    Delay And Deny Posted 8:24 am
    20 May 2008

    The Can Never Empties

    I was using the natural stuff for a while (no pressure can, just a pump) but it ran out fast and was about 8 bucks.
    Shopping at Winco, I just couldn't resist the $2 cans of Noxzema shaving cream for men.  The red and white can produces mounts of foamy shaving cream and it has been running for months...and I'm still on the first can!
    I remember when I used to buy Barbasol, it would last until the bottom of the can actually started to rust.   We'll see if Noxzema is up to scratch!   Is it "natural"?   Hey, the name is "Noxzema" buddy...go pick up some pine cones elsewhere!

    Permalink

  5. robjdisc Posted 11:27 am
    20 May 2008

    RazorHow about questioning the use of "disposable" razors? whether it's the plastic kind or only the razor blade.

    Greener would be a return to straight razors and, as mentioned above, the use of natural soaps w/ a shaving brush.

    Permalink

  6. wright gregson Posted 11:57 am
    20 May 2008

    go bluei find that good old noxema creme in the blue jar to be great and versatile--got a sunburn? slather on the noxema (instant coolness). shave? noxema (doesnt dry the skin the way soap does)! travelling? noxema! (no pressure can to worry about. itching? noxema! etc. a jar lasts forever it seems, esp when the rule or "halfs" (sic) use the usual dollope--next time try half that amount, keep reducing until one finds the smallest amount that does the job well. (halfs applies to many things like toothpaste as well)

    Permalink

  7. redambrosia99 Posted 1:03 am
    21 May 2008

    umbraUmbra has an execellent article (somewhere in her archives) about the most eco-friendly razor for men... and the electric razor fails by the way, simply because of how much goes into its manufacture.  Small electronics generally just fail.

    Permalink

  8. aarondalton Posted 5:27 am
    21 May 2008

    Let's talk stubble...Generally I shave once or twice per week. It would have taken me months to research this article. Just wondering whether the creams and gels were reviewed on 1-day or 2-day growth or on serious stubble...
    Anyway, the Kiss My Face product sounds pretty appealing, especially for a guy like myself who wants to buy green without spending a huge amount of green.
    I agree with robjdisc that I feel worse about the use of disposable razors than the content of my shave cream. Any manufacturers out there at least making their razors from recycled plastic?

    Permalink

  9. Katharine Wroth's avatar

    Katharine Wroth Posted 7:53 am
    21 May 2008

    Recycled plastic razorsRecycline makes one. They make toothbrushes too, for what it's worth.

    Permalink

  10. DougCounty Posted 11:17 pm
    21 May 2008

    No brush-offI'd have to agree with kayakpatty above; there's something really cool about brushing up your own lather; ties you to an old tradition that works as well as those aerosol or gel creams at a fraction of the price.  There are some local products that I've grown fond of here in Northeast Kansas that use goat butter, which for me seems not to have the moisture deficit issues that were mentioned in the review--and I don't own any stock in the locally made "homestead ranch" soap brand, which you can look for yourself at

    http://www.circlehr.com/shavingsoap.html

    Can't really tell about the details on the ingredients, but it looks legit.

    Permalink

  11. willa Posted 12:42 am
    23 May 2008

    Burt's BeesI swear I am not a Burt's Bees corporate shill.  I feel like every single product recommendation on here prompts me to recommend their stuff instead, but seriously, they make really nice shaving cream and lotion aftershave.  
    The Body Shop also makes a really nice one, but it has a number of things in it that I can't identify, so I'm assuming it's more toxic than the Burt's.  The ingredients in the Body Shop stuff are: Water, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Fragrance, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, Tetrasodium EDTA.
    TBS also makes a nice synthetic shaving brush, so no badgers have to suffer for your smooth, hairless body parts.
    My fiance shaves with a straight razor, and while there is a learning curve (he cut himself more at first than he would with a safety razor), it's not that hard.  Sharpening and stropping properly are the hard parts.  Well, and you need a leather strop, which I guess is a dealbreaker for those who are more strict vegetarians/vegans than we are.  He shaves 1-3 times a week usually, and gets good results with that amount of stubble--two weeks' worth, or one day's worth, seems to be harder to shave with a straight razor.

    Permalink

  12. are Posted 7:41 am
    22 Jun 2008

    jason's toxicityshould i be concerned that the recommended Jason product has, among other things, "benzocaine" as an ingredient, which has a 7 toxicity on Environmental Working Group's database?
    hope someone will respond to my post even though the article is old now.

    Permalink

Add a Comment

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Hello, Visitor!    Why not register?

Viewed
More
Commented
More
Advertisement