Best Shaving gels 2018 : Reviews and Buying Guide

Are you looking for best shaving gel which is suits for your facial hair and skin type ? We spends 90 hours to reviews 25 shaving gel and pick best 10 shaving gel for you.

Best Shaving Gel 2018

• Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel

The brand Aveeno has already made a mark for its use of natural ingredients and comes in a rust proof can. It claims to be recommended by dermatologists and has Colloidal oatmeal as one of its ingredients. Colloidal oatmeal is finely milled oatmeal suspended in the gel. This suspension disperses the oatmeal evenly and can be easily applied on and absorbed by the skin. It forms a protective layer and helps to retain the natural oils and the moisture of the skin. It restores the pH balance and maintains the skin’s moisture barrier. It effectively soothes dry or sensitive skin. Oatmeal is rich in anti-oxidants that protects the skin from UV rays and has anti-inflammatory properties. Colloidal oatmeal also acts as a gentle exfoliator and skin cleanser. This best shave gel has a unique therapeutic formula that moisturizes the beard while providing the lubrication for a real close shave and leaves the skin with a moisture rich after shave effect. It has no artificial fragrance. The only thing we can’t figure out is why such a product has parabens and Triethanolamine(TEA) as its ingredients.

• Bump Pontrol Cool Shave Gel:

This best shave gel is specially formulated to prevent razor bumps, nicks and cuts. This is a polymer based gel and is activated by water. So you need to get a shower or wet your face before using this product. It’s always better to use a manual razor instead of an electric one in case of polymer-based gels. This shave gel has menthol in it which not only helps in preventing inflammation and redness but also leaves the skin with a natural cooling effect. It acts effectively in lubricating the beard and preparing it for a clean smooth shave. It has a clear and transparent consistency which helps you have a clear look at the part you are shaving and so you can get a styled beard done at home all by yourself. It has a pleasant and clean smell. The shave gel comes in a tube and even a tiniest amount can do the trick. The gel’s medicated formula is easy on your skin but the only matter that is of concern is that it has palmitic acid and glycol as its ingredients along with parfum.

• Clinique Skin Supplies for Men M Aloe Shave Gel:

Clinique is a well trusted brand in the world of cosmetics but this product is like a oxymoron of ingredients. While it has aloe vera and myristate which has huge beneficiary effects on the skin, it also has Triethanolamine(TEA), parabens and glycols which are a part of our “to avoid” list of ingredients. Thus while these ingredients can be harsh on skin and can cause dryness and irritation, their adverse effects are counter acted by aloe vera and myristate that protects the skin and provides it with the necessary moisture. Aloe vera also absorbs the excess oil and prevents acne formation. Additionally this shaving gel also has hyaluronic acid and chamomile which has a soothing effect on the skin. While we have learnt of the adverse effects of Triethanolamine(TEA), this provide the soap like consistency to the gel. The best part of the gel is that it is fragrance free. But it should be avoided by those with a dry skin.

• Dermalogica Shave Gel:

The old product is no longer available, but the Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner, 8.4 Fl Oz does a great job after shaving!

The Dermatologica Shave Gel is bundled with natural ingredients. This gluten free vegan shave gel is paraben free and has no artificial colors and fragrance. It is a oil free shaving formula incorporated with Tea-tree oil, Clove oil, Wheat-germ and yeast extracts, hyaluronic acid and menthol or peppermint oil. Tea-tree oil prevents acne and fungal infections, and has anti-microbial, anti inflammatory and anti-septic properties. It also invigorates and enriches you skin while making it smoother. Clove oil also prevents acne and lightens blemishes and dark spots. Wheat germ oil is an excellent source of vitamins and anti-oxidants. It moisturizes the skin, prevents it from drying and scratches and fights free radicals. While hyaluronic acid also helps in retaining the natural moisture of the skin, the menthol gives you a cool after shave effect. This lightweight cooling gel gives a barber-close shave and is suitable for all skin types especially oily.

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• Everyman Jack Sandalwood Shave Gel:

If you have a sensitive skin, then this is the product for you. It has been specially designed for sensitive skin types and is made of all naturally derived ingredients. It does not have parabens, glycols, phthalates and SLS/SLES. Thus its devoid of the harmful chemicals. This gluten free gel is completely vegan and is enriched with aloe-vera, chamomile, Vitamin E and glycerin. Thus it protects the skin and moisturizes it. The glycerin encapsulates the skin moisture and prevents the skin from losing its natural oil. The shave gel lubricates the skin and moisturizes and softens the beard preparing it for a close shave. The Everyman Jack Sandalwood Shave gel as its name suggest has a masculine sandalwood fragrance. You can also opt for the fragrance free variant if you are extra protective and do not want even the harsh effects of the chemicals under the umbrella of the term fragrance do be a part of your shaving gel. Though our pick is the no foam gel formula that is packaged in a tube, they also have one in a canister.

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• King of Shaves Alpha Sensitive Super Cooling Gel:

Created in 1993, King of Shaves is a British brand and the Alpha sensitive Super-cooling Gel is one of its award winning products. This best shave gel has a low foam formula that enables you to see what you are shaving. This King of Shaves gel is vegan and has aloe vera, eucalyptus oil, spearmint oil, tea-tree oil, camphor and menthol as its ingredients. These essential oils protect the skin from inflammation and rashes. They prevent the formation of acne and moisturize the skin. The glycerin in this gel retains the natural oils of the skin. While providing the slickiness so that your razor can glide smoothly over your skin, this gel prevents razor burns, nicks and cuts. After the shave you are left with a smooth glowing skin and a cooling effect due to the presence of menthol. The presence of the essential oils and no fragrance makes it ideal for sensitive skin. SLS, is the only ingredient, that is of concern in this gel.

• EZ Blade Shaving Gel:

The first thing that will strike you is the packaging of this product. Unlike its counterparts, this gel by Jay The Barber comes in a small tub. This is an oil-based shaving gel. The shaving gel has a pre shave oil in it which prepares your skin and the beard for a shave. You do not have to use water to this non foaming gel. You can just scrape a small amount on your fingers and directly apply it to your face. It forms a thin transparent slick layer on the skin giving it the lubrication needed for maneuvering your razor smoothly. It’s transparent and so you can see through the parts you are shaving. It has a nice pleasant minty smell. This product helps loosen the facial muscles and opens the skin pores and softens the beard when you are working up the gel on your face. The presence of chamomile glycerin and other essential oils protect the skin from irritation and razor bumps and moisturize the skin. This product which is used by professional barbers is definitely one of the best in business.

• Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shave Gel

Paul Mitchell is one of the most professional and environment friendly brands. They have been dedicated to hair products for forty years and this foaming shave gel speaks for itself. It comes packaged in a pressurized canister. Unlike the other shave gels discussed which do not form lather, this best shaving gel when gently rubbed on your skin gives you the lather that you may desire. The gel’s magic ingredient is the use of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has innumerable beneficial effects on skin which have already been discussed earlier in this article. This along with lavender and peppermint oil refreshes the skin while aloevera conditions and moisturizes it. This shaving gel gives a smooth and clean shave while taking good care of your skin. The Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shave Gel leaves you with a floral aroma with woody undertones after the shave.

• Duke Cannon Beardsman’s Clear Shaving Gel:

This one from Duke Cannon is a three in one shave gel. The three in one refers to the fact that it has the benefits of three different products in this one product. It acts as a lubricating pre-shave oil, as a conditioning shave gel and also as a soothing after shave. This vegan shave gel has aloe vera, ginseng and allantoin as its key ingredients. Aloe vera acts as a humectant and also prevents acne. Ginseng has anti-ageing properties, it tightens skin, counteracts dryness and lightens dark patches. Allantoin on the other hand protects the skin from irritation and rashes and has healing and soothing effects on the skin. So this best shaving gel firstly prepares you for the shave by softening the beard and lubricating the skin, and while giving you the perfect shave this Shaving gel also gives your skin an all round protection.

• Harry’s Foaming Shave Gel:

One of the favourites among users and a product which has received great reviews, this is a bridge between the foam and the gel. Though it’s the gel that comes out of the can, but on gentle rubbing forms a rich lather and you can expect a cushioning that is typical of a shaving gel or foam. The product has a few of the ingredients in our “to avoid list” but counteracts their actions with quite a few natural ingredients and essential oils viz. licorice root extract, milk thistle, marula oil, aloevera and cucumber. This vegan shaving gel also has glycerin and bergamot. The rich yet slick foam provides the perfect base for a clean and smooth shave while the essential oils and other natural ingredients that we have mentioned takes care of the skin. This replenishing formula leaves you with a masculine fragrance with citrus undertones after the shave.

Best Shaving Gels Buying Guide:

The old art of shaving is slowing fading away as more and more people are constantly searching for easier and faster methods to get their daily routine done with. Shaving is an art and the traditional methods involve a lot of expertise and technique to get the perfect close shave. But nothing is even close to a traditional shaving soap and a straight edge razor. Using a shaving soap means that you have to bloom the cake, load it onto your brush and with experienced hands try to form a uniform lather. That requires a lot of time and involvement.  A shaving gel also needs a certain amount of time to master the preparation of a uniform lather. So to ease the entire process the shaving gels were made. The shaving gel came into use after its invention in the early 1970s.

These shaving gels can be directly applied to your face with the aid from a little water to give you the effective lubrication for a smooth shave. Most of the gels do not need to be worked up into lather. Shaving gels may come in tubes or in pressurized canisters and there has been a lot of debate if the gels that come in cans can be at all considered to be gels or are they simply shaving foams. We would try and not get into that debate and would for our article’s sake, consider all those that have the word “gel” mentioned in it to be a gel. The essential difference between a canned gel and a canned foam, we feel is that a gel from a can comes out in the form of a gel and the shaving foam canister will give you instant lather. A gel is also more concentrated than foam and is slick providing the kind of lubrication required for easy gliding of the razor over your face.

It’s also important to choose the right kind of razor for the type of shaving aid you are using. If it’s a gel, then you should avoid the use of a straight razor and go for a multi-blade razor or an electric shaver. Though most of the shaving gels have a great lubrication and moisturizes your face to a great extent but it lacks in cushioning that lather does. The cushioning helps in protecting the skin from razor burns and bumps. Although the lubrication that a shaving gel offers takes care of these factors. The shaving gel fails in softening the beard hairs and preparing them for a smooth and close shave. Thus the number of passes to be made in case of shaving gels are comparatively more with respect to its counterparts viz. the shaving soap and the shaving gel. A shaving gel or in that case any cosmetic product is as good as it’s ingredients and if you are one of those who would not want to dedicate time for the shaving routine, then you need to check the ingredients that are in your gel before going for one.

Ingredients to avoid in your gel:

There are a few ingredients that are apparently harmful and you should try and avoid the presence of these in your gel.

1. Parabens: Parabens in the form of Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Heptylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Isopropylparaben and Benzylparaben act as preservatives and prevent the growth of bacteria. Parabens are known to mimic the body hormones and interrupt their normal functioning. Relating parabens to cancer and other disorders is yet to be proved and can be considered to be a myth as of now. But at the same time the speculations have not been completely rejected either. So it’s better to try and avoid them in your shaving soap.
2. Triethanolamine(TEA): This, along with DEA (diethanolamine) and MEA (monoethanolamine), can be readily absorbed in the skin and have been linked to hormone disruption and formation of cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines. Hence it’s better to do away with the gels that have these as it’s ingredients.
3. Fragrance: If you see Fragrance or Parfum as one of the ingredients on the product you just don’t know what you’re getting. Companies don’t reveal what’s in their fragrances—they’re protected as “trade secret”—so you could be exposing yourself to as many as 3100 unknown chemicals which fall under the umbrella of fragrance. Fragrances have been linked to headaches, dizziness, rashes, and skin irritation and in most cases you can’t avoid this in your product.
4. Palmitic acid: Essentially used as an emulsifier, this ingredient has been thought of to be a potential allergen and may cause contact dermatitis.
5. Isopentane: Used as a solvent, isopentane can lead to dry skin, contact dermatitis, giddiness, headaches, and irritation in your nose and throat.
6. Glycols: Glycols are present in the form of propylene glycol, butylene glycol, and ethylene glycol. They are used as humectants but have been linked to dry skin, rashes, and dermatitis.
7. SLS: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) ,a cheap surfactant, has a few side effects due to which it has to be avoided. SLS causes skin and eye irritations, it opens up the pores of the skin and aids in the entry of harmful substances in the skin, it pollutes the water and is toxic to fish, and is responsible for bio-accumulation. SLS can remain in your body up to 5 days and strips your skin of the natural oils too.
8. SLES: Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate is also an inexpensive foaming agent and a skin irritant. It can be a potential carcinogen when contaminated with Dioxane and hence it’s advisable not to buy a product containing one.
9. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE): PTFE is not considered to be dangerous when applied topically—it releases toxic fumes on heating—it’s still not the ingredient you would like your gel to have.
10. BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene):This toluene-based ingredient (toluene was rated 37^th most toxic chemical by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in 1992) is used as a preservative in shaving gels and has been linked to skin, eye, and lung irritation, hormone disruption, and has been found to be potentially carcinogenic when tested on animals.

Though all of these ingredients may not always cause immediate adverse effect but everyday use may cause your skin to dry and lead to skin irritation. Apart from these, gels that have alcohol in them should also be avoided by those who have sensitive or dry skin. Thus it’s better to try and avoid the hazardous chemicals mentioned above and opt for shaving gels which have more natural ingredients and essential oils in it.

How to use shaving Gel:

This is pretty easy. You just need to take a dollop of shaving gel on the tips of your fingers and apply it directly on your facial hair. A circular motion of application helps to raise the hairs above your skin and enables a smooth and clean shave. Also it’s advisable to wet your face with a warm towel or splash warm water over your face to soften and moisturize the beard.

So, it’s pretty clear that it’s really difficult to find best shaving gel which is free from all the harsh chemicals and we would always prefer the old traditional method of shaving which has a much better effect on the shave as well as on the skin, but for those who think that shaving is not something they would want to give time to, then we have already guided you through. But our suggestion would be to keep a gel for only those days when you are in a hurry. For all other days enjoy the art.