Shaving cream is among the most critical parts of a shaving kit, but regrettably, most of the Shaving creams you find on the market are full of harsh chemicals that dry out the facial skin. Then again, most of the natural shaving creams and soaps are a bit costly. However, there’s an alternative to the off-the-shelf shaving creams and soaps, and that is learning how to make homemade shaving cream.
Making your shaving cream or soap is not difficult, and doing so provides you with a lot more freedom to select the ingredients you would like and also avoid those that you don’t want. That’ll allow you to get rid of the cheap aerosol and canned shaving creams, and instead make a high-quality product for yourself at the same cost.
How to Make Homemade Shaving Cream
Creamy Shaving Cream
What you will need:
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- 2/3 cup coconut oil
- 2/3 cup shea or cocoa butter
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Two tablespoons baking soda
- Ten drops of preferred essential oil
- Jar and a lid
Instructions
- Melt your coconut oil and shea butter
Both shea butter and coconut oil are usually solid at room temperature, which means you should melt them to mix properly. Measure a 2/3 cup of coconut oil and a 2/3 cup of shea butter. Put your ingredients in a saucepan and melt them over low heat. Stir the mixture occasionally until it liquefies and then remove your pan from heat.
- Add the olive oil to the mixture
Use a spoon to add the olive oil to the melted coconut oil and shea butter.
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- Add ten drops of your preferred essential oil
Some essential oils are great for your skin apart from having a fresh scent. You can customize your shaving creams to create your ideal scent. You can also combine a variety of essential oils to give your shaving cream some more depth. If you would like a strongly scented shaving cream, utilize up to 20 drops of essential oil.
- Put the mixture in your refrigerator
Pour your mixture into a bowl and cover it using a plastic wrap. Put the mixing bowl in your refrigerator for one or two hours, until your mixture is fully chilled. The oils will solidify a little bit, and your mixture should look waxy and pale yellow at this stage.
- Add the baking soda
Take the mixing bowl from the fridge, remove the plastic wraps, and add two spoons of baking soda to the mixture. Utilizing a hand whisk or an electric mixer, you’re your mixture till it becomes light, creamy and fluffy.
- Spoon the mixture into your storage container
A good glass jar makes a suitable container for your homemade shaving creams. You can utilize any containers you want, as long as they have lids. When you are ready to use the shaving cream, slather it using a scoop wherever you want it.
Sudsy Shaving Cream
This recipe contains castile soap, which means that the shaving cream provides you with a great foamy lather whenever you apply it on your skin after washing your face. If you prefer a sudsier cream on your face, underarms, or legs, this homemade blend is a great option for you.
What you will need:
- Two tablespoons of cocoa or shea butter
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel
- 1/4 cup of liquid castile soap
- Ten drops of your preferred essential oil
- Two teaspoons of baking soda
- Empty soap dispenser
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil and shea butter
Both coconut oil and shea butter are normally solid at room temperature, meaning it’s necessary to ensure that you melt them for you to blend them well. Measure 2 tablespoons of cocoa butter or shea butter and 1/4 cup of coconut oil. Put the ingredients in a saucepan. Place your saucepan over low heat and melt them, stirring regularly until the ingredients turn into a thick liquid, and then remove your pan from the heat source.
- Mix with the baking soda, liquid castile soap, and aloe vera
Pour all your ingredients into a blender or mixer. Blend the contents on high for a couple of minutes to completely mix all the ingredients. By doing this, you will prevent the soap and oil from separating much later. The liquid you get should have a texture similar to that of thick liquid soaps.
- Put ten drops of your favorite essential oil
Some of the Castile soaps come with a good scent, meaning you can omit this step if your homemade shaving cream has an aroma already. If you would like to add some essential oils, add ten drops of your preferred blend or oil.
- Pour your mixture into the soap dispenser
At this juncture, your homemade shaving cream is ready to use. Pour the entire mixture in your soap dispenser, and you can pump out some of it as you need it. The shaving cream will foam well as you apply it on your face. If your mixture separates after putting it in the container, make sure to shake it properly to recombine the soap and the oils.
Aloe Vera Homemade Shaving Gel
This homemade shaving cream is a pretty easy recipe, and all the ingredients will cost you almost the same as a standard aerosol can of any other shaving gel would at your local supermarket. You can source as many of the ingredients as you can online since they generally seem to be cheaper unless you can manage to get a cost-effective option.
What you will need:
- ¼ Cup of Aloe Vera Gel
- ½ Cup of Castile Soap
- 2 Tablespoons of Corn Syrup
- 4 Tablespoons of Warm Water
- 1 Tablespoon of Castor or Olive Oil
- ½ Teaspoon of Salt
- 10 Drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil or Tea Tree Essential Oil
- 10 Drops of Lemon, Lavender, Orange or Witch Hazel Oil to add some fragrance
Instructions
Making this shaving gel is pretty easy. All you need to do is add the salt to the warm water, stir, and then add all the other ingredients and continue stirring. You can do this in a plastic soap container or a glass jar or a glass jar. Once all the ingredients are properly mixed, allow your mixture to settle at least for one hour before use. Also ensure that you shake your mixture before using it, and you are good to go.
Homemade Alternatives to Shaving Cream
It’s important to be open to shaving cream alternatives because there will always be something better than the first option presented to you. Therefore, whether it is because you have run out of your shaving cream or you want to explore more options, the following ten wonderful shaving cream alternatives will give you an equally smoother and closer shave.
Hair conditioner
If you have run out of shaving cream, you can consider using a hair conditioner in its place. Hair conditioner is usually rich in skin-beneficial elements and created to hydrate, hence assists in providing a slick surface on the skin, and also softens your facial hairs. It works pretty well, just like shaving cream and also leaves your skin softer than usual. If you don’t have hair conditioner, hair shampoo is also an ideal solution as well. It works incredibly well when shaving your facial hair. The shampoo creates a perfect lather, cleanses the facial hair and skin, and makes shaving pretty simple.
Baby oil
Baby oil is purely mineral oil, and it allows you to see your facial skin better whenever you are shaving, reducing any chances of cuts, razor bumps, nicks, and many other skin irritations. Moreover, its slick nature assists the shaving razors in working more smoothly. Make sure to utilize only a couple of drops because if you overdo it, the razor might become all slimed up.
If you don’t have baby oil, you can also use other oil types in a pinch. Olive oil, coconut oil, and other varieties such as avocado oil can all make your shaving simple, smooth, and also pain-free. Additionally, oils make for great moisturizers that keep the skin soft after every use, and can even assist in treating skin problems such as psoriasis.
Shea butter
You can use shea butter as your post-shave or after-shower moisturizer, but it can also assist you in getting a smooth and close shave as well. You can use it in place of your shaving cream because it makes the blades of your razor remove hairs more smoothly, giving you a closer shave. Besides, there will be no need to apply any moisturizer or lotion once you finish shaving.
Regular soap
If you have run out of your shaving cream, you can go ahead and use a regular bar of soap. It will get the whole job done but without any moisturizing or smooth benefits. Ensure that you lather up the soap bar to make a sudsy area on your facial skin, or you might end up with a clogged razor blade and a painful razor burn.
Raw honey
Honey can be an excellent shaving aid and moisturizer. Although it’s can be messy to apply and also sticky once it falls, it provides the smooth protection you require when you take your shaving razor to your facial skin. If your honey is too sticky or too thick, add some water to make it a good shaving cream replacement. However, you should not forget to rinse your razor blades properly before storing.
Aloe vera
Generally, Aloe vera soothes the pain of severe sunburns, and it is also a good way to treat and prevent razor burns. It creates a similar consistency to that of popular shaving creams, causes little messes, and does not damage your shaving razor. If you end up with a razor burn, the cooling features of aloe vera will prevent any scratching and itching. You can use Aloe vera straight away from the plant or use store-bought gel.
Peanut butter
Peanut butter is creamy and thick, which makes it a perfect option to slather on the skin when shaving. It’ll be a bit messy and requires a lot of razor blade cleansing during the shaving process, but the results might make it worthwhile. When you wash the peanut butter off, it leaves behind hydrated and soft skin. If you don’t have peanut butter, feel free to use any other form of nut butter, like almond butter. These nut-based options all assist in moisturizing and preventing razor burn due to their smooth texture.
Dishwashing soap
Dishwashing soap can also assist you in getting a pain-free shave whenever you are looking for a substitute. You will discover that dishwashing soap lathers pretty well, giving you a thinner and foamy shaving cream. This soap is not good at preventing skin irritation when compared to other shaving cream alternatives, but it can do the shaving job well if you desperately want a hair-free day.
Body lotion
Just like shea butter, hair conditioner, and other popular skin moisturizers, your body lotion can also double up as shaving cream whenever it’s needed. It provides a perfect consistency and a smooth barrier between the razor blade and your skin. However, you should be careful when applying lotion before shaving. Effectively rubbing the lotion into the skin will make your body will soak it up pretty fast, and you might end up shaving almost dry.
Blend of favorite ingredients
Most often, a good shaving cream substitute will be a blend of various ingredients. For example, if you enjoy having homemade coconut oil and aloe vera shaving cream, you should feel free to combine the necessary ingredients to get your perfect recipe.
Your skin is usually one of the most vital organs in your entire body and safeguarding it is essential to maintaining proper health. Utilizing shaving creams instead of soaps or just water assists you in getting a close shave with fewer cuts and nicks. Store-bought shaving creams can be incredibly expensive and are full of harsh chemicals. Homemade shaving creams work just as well, and you can make them with ingredients you might already have in the house.
You can try any of the homemade shaving creams listed above and find out what will work for you. By using natural shaving creams in your daily routines, you will not only maintain a great complexion, but you will also enjoy the numerous benefits of a holistic lifestyle.
