If there’s one thing you can say about many men, it’s that we’re always looking for quicker or easier ways to do things—and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to the incredibly tiresome task of shaving.

We’ve had tons of questions from guys asking for ways to cut down on the time they spend shaving each day, most of which fall along the lines of searching for alternatives to shaving cream.

While there are natural shaving creams and organic shaving creams – these are probably out of the league of those seeking alternatives for good shaving cream.

In truth, while there are many alternatives to shaving cream, it’s likely that none of them will help you cut down on the time it takes you to shave considering it only takes a few seconds to apply shaving cream in the first place.

However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a use for the various shaving cream alternatives, as some best razor bumps creams are good options for those that suffer from cuts or razor burn (best shaving creams for sensitive skin).

Many of these alternatives are also a great idea for those that are simply sick of paying the high price for quality shaving cream.

If you cannot afford to buy the best shaving cream for men, you may want to check out how to make shaving cream by yourself at a lower cost.

If the price is your concern, you should also consider a proper shaving soap as one puck of soap lasts a very long time, or better still make your own DIY shaving cream (as long as you know the correct shaving cream recipe).

Alternatively, you may also buy a cheap shave cream if you cannot afford the best shave cream.

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As most of the alternatives are things you probably already have lying around the house, they’re also perfect for those times that you need to shave and find out that you’ve run out of cream.

Before we take a look at the various shaving cream substitutes, we’ll first touch a bit upon shaving without shaving cream.

In simple terms, don’t ever do it!!! Seriously though, the whole point of shaving cream is to help soften your facial hair and lubricate your face, both of which help to provide a closer shave and reduce the amount of irritation to your skin.

Not only that, but it also helps to keep you from cutting yourself by allowing the blade to smoothly glide over the skin instead of catching (Science of shaving infographic).

While there are definitely men out there who swear by shaving in the shower without shaving cream, water alone is still probably not enough to keep you from suffering cuts or pain.

If you’re one of the men who find this method effective, more power to you.

Whereas, if you’re going to start shaving without shaving cream, you’ll need to use one of these other alternatives to shaving cream to help provide the same lubricating effect.

Baby Oil Shaving

Probably the most popular alternative to shaving cream is baby oil shaving.

This method is perfect for those who find themselves continually nicking or cutting their face every time they shave.

As you can imagine, the baby oil contains more than enough lubricating properties to help keep the blade moving smoothly over your face.

However, the real benefit of baby oil shaving is that the oil helps to create a protective layer between the blade and your face, thus lessening the chances of you cutting yourself.

• Get the best baby oil for shaving here on Amazon

Other Types of Oil Shaves

While baby oil shaving may be one of the most common alternatives to shaving cream, it is far from being the only type of oil you can use for shaving.

Sweet almond oil is another popular shaving oil, which helps to lubricate and protect your skin in the same way as baby oil.

While sweet almond oil is by no means cheap, you’ll still find that comparatively, it will end up costing you much less to shave with sweet almond oil than you’d end up paying for shaving cream.

• Check the current price of top quality sweet almond oil here on Amazon

If you’re looking for an oil that’s a bit less expensive, another good option is apricot oil, or which is quite a common ingredient in many shaving oils, soaps, lotions, and other cosmetic products.

An even cheaper alternative is olive oil or coconut oil as shaving cream, but this is probably about as low as we would go—even if we have heard stories of people shaving with plain old vegetables or canola oil.

If you can find a product that has even more natural products such as aloe vera, and coconut oil among others.

• Check the current price of pure apricot oil here on Amazon

When using any of the oils, simply pour out a few drops in your hand, rub them thoroughly into your hair and face, and let them sit for a few minutes before shaving.

You’ll most likely find that the oil can easily provide a high quality of shave as you get with normal shaving cream.

However, many people stay away from using oil for shaving due to the huge mess it can create, so you may need to give it a try to see if it’s right for you.

Shaving With Soap, Lotion, Shampoo, or Conditioner

Some other popular alternatives to shaving cream are using normal soaps, shampoos, lotions (not shaving lotions), or conditioners you’ve already got lying around.

These methods seem to be especially popular amongst men who shave in the shower (I wonder why?), and while they may not be the best choice for those with sensitive or overly dry skin, they can still provide you with a fairly decent shave.

Of the three, I’d probably choose soap last as a shaving cream replacement if it were me unless you happen to be using a high-quality face soap or a glycerin soap.

Otherwise, it’s likely that the soap could dry out your skin and lead to some pretty serious irritation after the shave.

If you do have glycerin soap lying around, you’ll probably be surprised about how good of a shave you can get with it.

In fact, along with baby oil, glycerin soap is probably one of the best alternatives to shaving cream around.

• Get pure natural glycerine soap here on Amazon

Shampoos also makes a decent shaving cream alternative, as it can help to wash away dirt and grime from your face before shaving, which can in turn help prevent ingrown hairs later on.

Some shampoos also have the added benefit of not stinging if you get them in your eyes, but you should probably try to avoid doing this anyways.

Conditioner is another excellent alternative, as it can actually perform some of the same roles as shaving cream, in the fact that it helps to soften and condition your facial hair.

This makes the hair much easier to cut and should provide a closer shave.

In fact, many men who’ve tried shaving with conditioner even just once or twice swear by it and would never use anything else.

Similarly, hand and body lotions also work quite well for shaving.

Not only will these products help to keep your skin lubricated, but they will also help to nourish, protect and condition the skin, meaning there’s no need to apply aftershave lotion or balm.

Shea Butter Shaving

Another popular option is shea butter, which is found in a huge range of lotions and other cosmetic products.

Shea butter works in basically the same way as lotion and also comes with some added benefits of helping to nourish and protect the skin post-shave.

• Get the best Shea Butter for your skin here on Amazon
• Don’t just take our word for it, check out the hundreds of glowing user reviews here.

Shaving with… Peanut Butter???

While this probably is about the last method we’d recommend, other than dry shaving, believe it or not, there are actually people who apparently swear by using peanut butter instead of shaving cream.

In fact, in his book, former U.S. Senator from Arizona and 1964 Republican Presidential Nominee Barry Goldwater wrote, “If you don’t mind smelling like peanut butter for two or three days, peanut butter is darn good shaving cream.”

Now we don’t know whether or not he was being serious, but by all accounts, this method does actually work—albeit not the greatest.

While I doubt that I’d ever grab a can of Skippy and start lathering it on my face, I suppose that if you’re really in need, peanut butter could be used as a last resort if you happen not to have any of the other alternatives we’ve mentioned lying around.

Whatever the shaving fluid alternative you choose, don’t forget to pair it with a good safety razor or one of the top straight razors.

Also, check out our infographic on straight razors vs safety razors.

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