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Oui the People, Dr. Tusk, and more: The 8 best shaving creams that won’t irritate your skin

Leave your face feeling smooth and hydrated with these creams and gels

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Shaving has come a long way from the days of scraping a knife across your face and hoping you wouldn't take half your skin with it. Once upon a time, the best shave you could get involved a visit to your local barber. Even now, people who struggle with razor bumps and ingrown hair may choose to put their faces in the hands of an expert. Fortunately, technological advancements and modern formulations have enabled us to invest in the best razors pre-shave oils and after-shave treatments to create our own ultimate at-home shaving experience.

Shaving cream itself has also come a long way from your grandpa's old aerosol can of foam. The modern man can now choose from creams, gels, butters, oils, and even sticks to get the best shave for his skin type or shaving situation. Many of today's products are also infused with natural ingredients to ensure that your newly shaved face feels luscious and buttery, regardless of your skin type. Lucky for you, we already did the research of the best shaving creams for men in 2022 so you don't have to. Check them out below.

Oui the People Sugarcoat Moisturizing Shave Gel-to-Milk
Oui the People Sugarcoat Shave Gel-to-Milk
Best shaving gel for sensitive skin
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Pisterzi Shaving Care Cream
Pisterzi Shaving Care Cream
Best in style
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Dr. Tusk Shave Cream
Dr. Tusk Shave Cream
Best eco-friendly shaving cream
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Grooming Lounge Beard Destroyer Shave Cream
Grooming Lounge Beard Destroyer Shave Cream
Best shaving cream for sensitive skin
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Cardon Cactus Foaming Shaving Cream
Cardon Cactus Foaming Shaving Cream
Best overall value
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Pacific Shaving Co Ultra Slick Shave Stick
Pacific Shaving Co. Ultra Slick Shave Stick
Best for travel
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Port Products Face Saving Shave Formula
Port Products Face Saving Shave Formula
Best botanical
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Ursa Major Stella Shave Cream
Ursa Major Stellar Shave Cream
Best clean formula
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Someone reaches for a tub of Oui the People Sugarcoat Moisturizing Shave Gel-to-Milk.
Oui the People

Oui the People Sugarcoat Shave Gel-to-Milk

Best shaving gel for sensitive skin

Oui the People is on a mission to go #againstthegrain and revolutionize the beauty world with premium grooming products that are uniquely designed for people like us. Oui's shave gel-to-milk goes a long way to fulfill this mission: It's jam-packed with Vitamin C, dandelion root extract, aloe vera leaf juice, argan oil, and more natural ingredients that were specially picked and blended to hydrate and protect your skin. If you want a closer shave with far less burn, Oui the People's shave gel-to-milk might just have exactly what you're looking for.

Oui the People Sugarcoat Moisturizing Shave Gel-to-Milk
Oui the People Sugarcoat Shave Gel-to-Milk
Best shaving gel for sensitive skin
A bottle of Pisterzi Shaving Care Cream.
Pisterzi Italian Grooming Art

Pisterzi Shaving Care Cream

Best in style

Barber Pisterzi has made quite the name for themselves on both sides of the pond for refining and redefining "Italian Grooming Art." Pisterzi's Shaving Care Cream not only looks like a work of art in its gorgeously sustainable (and refillable!) glass bottle, but it also works like a charm thanks to its dermatologist-tested formula that's expertly crafted to adhere perfectly to your skin, facilitate the smoothest possible shave, and leave your skin soft and hydrated (instead of irritated and burnt).

Pisterzi Shaving Care Cream
Pisterzi Shaving Care Cream
Best in style
A close-up of a tube of Dr. Tusk Shave Cream.
Dr. Tusk

Dr. Tusk Shave Cream

Best eco-friendly shaving cream

Dr. Tusk is dedicated to providing "sustainable products purpose-built for clean living." From the solar-powered lab and sourcing of ingredients from organic farmers to an ongoing commitment to donating 5% of profits to charitable partners dedicated to saving elephants, the team at Dr. Tusk goes the extra distance to put its money where its mouth is. If you're wondering whether the brand's commitment to environmental justice lessens the quality of its grooming products, fear not: Their stuff works great! For their shave cream,

Dr. Tusk utilizes their proprietary blend of Dragon's Blood extract, hemp seed oil, caffeine, rosemary leaf oil, and menthol to create this refreshing shave cream that also works great as a daily facial moisturizer.

Dr. Tusk Shave Cream
Dr. Tusk Shave Cream
Best eco-friendly shaving cream
A tube of Grooming Lounge Beard Destroyer Shave Cream.
Grooming Lounge

Grooming Lounge Beard Destroyer Shave Cream

Best shaving cream for sensitive skin

For a product with the term "Destroyer" in the title, we were a little nervous. Fortunately, Beard Destroyer Shave Cream, used in combination with the brand's Beard Master Shave Oil, offers a smooth, refreshing shave with superior control and glide. The very pleasing natural fragrances are just the top notes of several botanical ingredients included in the products' formulas that help protect sensitive skin. After all, Grooming Lounge is made by barbers, so we should expect nothing less.

Grooming Lounge Beard Destroyer Shave Cream
Grooming Lounge Beard Destroyer Shave Cream
Best shaving cream for sensitive skin
A tube of Cardon Cactus Foaming Shaving Cream in a bathroom.
Cardon

Cardon Cactus Foaming Shaving Cream

Best overall value

If you're seeking a premium-looking and feeling shaving cream that won't break your bank, here's an intriguing offering from Cardon. All of Cardon's products are 100% vegetarian, completely cruelty-free, and produced to adhere to the standards of South Korea Cosmetic Regulation, which is actually much stricter than U.S. consumer safety standards.

Cardon's shaving cream not only checks all those boxes, but it also makes for an amazingly refreshing shaving experience with a cactus extract-based formula that was developed to moisturize your skin and prevent irritation. Cardon's multitasking shaving cream also works well as a pore-clearing and soothing face wash.

Cardon Cactus Foaming Shaving Cream
Cardon Cactus Foaming Shaving Cream
Best overall value
A close-up of a stick of Pacific Shaving Co. Ultra Slick Shave Stick
Pacific Shaving Company

Pacific Shaving Co. Ultra Slick Shave Stick

Best for travel

This may be our new favorite thing: A shaving cream that’s disguised as a deodorant stick. Goodbye heavy cans and messy tubes; the Ultra Slick Shave Stick was made to easily toss into a gym bag or travel kit — not that you wouldn’t be perfectly happy using it every day in your own bathroom. The stick creates a nice lather (try it with a beard brush at home) and provides a smooth glide during shaving. It’s TSA-friendly, so it's perfectly designed to toss into your suitcase and provide the perfect shave whenever and wherever you need it.

Pacific Shaving Co Ultra Slick Shave Stick
Pacific Shaving Co. Ultra Slick Shave Stick
Best for travel
A close-up of a tube of Port Products Face Saving Shave Formula.
Port Products

Port Products Face Saving Shave Formula

Best botanical

Looks aren’t everything, but if we were to grant an award for package design, Port Products would definitely be a winner. The contents of this handsome tube of Port Products' Face Saving Shave Formula also shine, offering a comfortable shave, clean fragrance, and great natural ingredients like coconut oil for glide, avocado and apricot kernel oil for moisture, and willow bark and aloe vera to calm and soothe.

Port Products Face Saving Shave Formula
Port Products Face Saving Shave Formula
Best botanical
A look at tubes of Ursa Major Stellar Shave Cream.
Ursa Major

Ursa Major Stellar Shave Cream

Best clean formula

We love this shaving cream because it contains natural ingredients like aloe leaf juice — an anti-inflammatory super ingredient that guarantees a clean, soothing shave every time. Time to kiss nicks, razor burns, and irritation goodbye.

Ursa Major Stella Shave Cream
Ursa Major Stellar Shave Cream
Best clean formula

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is shaving cream important?

Basically, shaving cream and shaving gel act as lubricants to protect your skin from itchiness, redness, and ingrown hair. While it's possible to dry shave, it may not be something you want to do regularly. Dry shaving tends to cause more friction between the razor and the skin, and it may leave behind more stubble. In contrast, high-quality shaving creams and gels have a high concentration of fatty acids that hold onto water, form a protective layer over the skin, and make it easier for the razorblade to glide over the skin and capture hair follicles without dragging the skin.

When is the best time to shave?

When it comes to how quickly facial hair can grow, beards grow evenly over 24 hours, though this can vary based on genetics, nutrition, environment, and more. The best time to shave is whenever you need to look your best. Most of us want to look neat and clean for work, so a morning shave typically works for most of us.

If you work the night shift and/or enjoy playing the nightlife scene, you’ll want to shave in the evening. Either way, your beard keeps growing (hence the talk about "five o'clock shadows"), but most of us can make it that far and still look well-groomed. If you're in for an extra-long day of work and play, you may want to duck into the restroom for a quick refresher shave, if possible.

How does shaving cream differ from shaving gel?

Shaving cream typically has a richer, thicker consistency and it lathers up easily when rubbed with water or directly on the skin, creating a more luxurious feel. Some creams require applying with a shaving brush for optimal lather. Shaving gel, on the other hand, usually comes in a clear, gel-like form and has a lighter, slicker texture and lathers slightly less than cream, offering better visibility while shaving.

Cream is formulated with moisturizing ingredients that hydrate the skin, making it ideal for sensitive skin or dry climates. Its thick lather provides cushioning and lubrication, reducing razor drag and irritation. Gel contains ingredients that focus on glide and razor performance, making it suitable for normal to oily skin.

We hope this guide to the best shaving creams helps you create your best shaving experience ever. If you could use more help in upping your shaving and skincare game, check out our picks for the best razors, our favorite hair clippers and trimmers, and our favorite face moisturizers for optimal hydration. Please make sure to take good care of yourself as we all work to take better care of each other.

John Jones

John Jones is a Jersey City, New Jersey-based writer who enjoys covering design in all its forms, from fashion to architecture, interiors, and textiles, and has recently begun to delve into the world of social justice issues. When he's not writing for The Manual, he's also the Digital and Fashion Editor for a leading menswear trade publication. Although he spends most of his time planted in front of a laptop, he gets to the gym and bicycles as often as possible. On weekends and holidays, if you don't find him at the Met, Cooper Hewitt, or Whitney museums in Manhattan, he's probably soaking up the sun at one of Jersey's fabulous beaches, or in St. Augustine, Florida.

Send all editorial inquiries HERE.

Andrew Davey

Andrew Davey is a writer who has spent a long time in "hard news" journalism, but who has also pursued interests in food and drinks, travel, entertainment, and wellness. Andrew particularly enjoys long walks along the beach, discovering new hiking trails, trying new restaurants, and getting a good night's sleep.

Send all editorial inquiries HERE.

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