How about an organic shave? Well, buying a shaving cream frequently for that smooth shave might be causing a hole in your pocket. Wouldn’t it be nice to treat your skin naturally and that too and half the cost? Here is something to get you started. Whether your run out of your shaving cream or you are simply trying to go green with your skin care regimen, here are a few natural alternatives for your chemically laden shaving cream. Read on and do good to your skin and pocket.
1. Soap
For before there were shaving creams, there were soaps. Even our grandfathers have used soaps to shave. A plain old bar of soap can create enough foam for your razor to glide through your beard and give you a smooth shave. Roughness may occur post shave. To avoid this, just use some moisturizer or olive oil prior to shave. You can also use some facial moisturizer after shaving.
Try out Dr. Woods’ or Dr. Brooner’s Castile soap. Keep one at home all the time. Castile soap is made for both bathing and shaving. It contains some amount of shaving gel, which makes the beard soft and provides a very comfortable shaving experience. Glycerin soaps have a moisturizing effect, but they form very less foam. So better to go for a Castile soap or moisturizing prior to shave or post shave.
2. Shampoo
Do we have to tell you how smooth and slippery shampoo is? Shampoo is not only smooth and slippery, it’s also very kind on your skin. Shampoos create rich lathers which goes without saying. They also help rid the skin pores of dirt deep within the surface. Many people even use shampoo while body shaving. Shampoo doesn’t cause roughness or dryness after shaving either. So aside the fact that you always have shampoo in your bathroom, get some body shampoo or liquid body wash as well. Body shampoo or liquid body wash can be used both for bathing and shaving.
3. Coconut oil
Be it for hair or cooking, coconut oil is a multipurpose oil. Many people use coconut oil in cooking, to add flavor and aroma. It also enhances the taste of all sorts of food, be it a sweet dish or Indian curry. Coconut oil is also used by many people with dry scalp, prior to shampoo to prevent scalp itching, drying and flakes. You can use coconut oil to shave as well. It’ll make your beard soft, smooth, moist and slippery. It’ll also make your cheeks glow and smell good. It’s quite cheap and should always mark its presence on the kitchen shelf.
4. Baby oil
If the above mentioned alternatives are not good enough for many of you effeminate men out there (pun intended), baby oil is there to save the day. You don’t need us telling you that baby oil is for maximum soft and smoothness. So, pamper your grizzly rugged beard as if it’s a baby’s bottom and massage baby oil all over prior to shaving. Baby oil will also protect your face from irritation, razor burns and bumps. It’ll leave your face feeling lubricated and smooth.
5. Body lotion
Body lotion has the similar effects of shaving cream or gel. It makes your skin slippery, it lubricates the hair follicles and makes the razor glide down easily down your face. So in case you run out of shaving cream on a busy morning or if you want to make this as a full time shaving cream alternative and save some money, body lotion is the right choice. Just wash and cleanse your face and massage the lotion thoroughly. Your shave will be comfortable and easy.
6. Hair conditioner
Hair conditioner has the power to alter texture and form of all sorts of hair to the good. Be it the hair on your scalp, on your body or the rough, rugged hair on your face. So, it’s pretty easy to use this as an alternative to shaving cream or foam. In fact, you may start liking it so much, you may even make this your full time shaving cream alternative. You can further ensure smoothness by washing your beard with shampoo and then applying conditioner before shaving.
7. Almond oil/apricot oil
Almond and apricot oil both have the properties of smoothing skin and softening it. They’re widely used in many soaps, creams, perfumes, lotions, etc. Apricot oil is cheaper than almond oil. They both can be used as alternatives to shaving cream. You can make your own homemade shaving oil by adding some jojoba and a little lavender in apricot oil. They help in shaving over razor bumps and pimples by evening out the skin surface.
8. Shea butter
This is another ingredient which is widely used in many cosmetics and beauty products. It is also used as a substitute for cocoa butte sometimes by the chocolate industry. In many cultures across the world it is used as cooking oil. Shea butter has all goodness of butter and none of it’s badness. It’ll lubricate your skin, giving you a closer shave and also nourish your skin with many nutrients.