Stop Buying and Start Making Your Own Shaving Cream

Shaving cream is one of the most essential parts of any shaving kit, but unfortunately, most of the canned shaving creams on the market are loaded with chemicals that can dry out the skin.

On the other hand, many of the more natural shaving soaps and non-toxic shaving creams can be a bit expensive.

However, there is another option, and that is to learn how to make shaving cream at home (DIY cream).

Making your own shaving cream doesn’t have to be difficult, and doing so gives you a lot more freedom to choose the shaving cream ingredients you want and avoid those that you don’t.

This will allow you to throw away those cheap aerosol shaving creams, with their harsh chemicals, and instead create a far superior product for basically the same price.

Below you’ll find several different sets of instructions on how to make your own shaving cream, so why not experiment with multiple options on how to make shaving cream, to find which one works best for you.

All of the homemade shaving cream and soap recipes we’ve included are virtually guaranteed to better nourish and lubricate your face, giving you a closer, better shaving and hopefully eliminating embarrassing and painful razor burn.

These shaving cream recipes are perfect for guys with more sensitive skin, or for anyone who’s looking for more sustainable shaving cream to the cheap shaving creams, but isn’t willing to spend an arm and a leg to get it.

Still, before we get to how to make shaving cream, there’s one thing you need to be aware of.

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A Quick Note on Lathering (How to Make Foamy Creams)

One thing you’ll quickly notice when learning how to make shaving cream at home is that most recipes you’ll find will never produce as thick or foamy of a lather as you’re used to if you’ve been using canned shaving cream all your life.

However, you’ll be hard-pressed to find almost any all-natural shaving cream that will, and this is due to the fact that extra chemicals are added to the canned screams to make them foam shaving cream.

The only problem is that these chemicals do nothing to help lubricate your face, which is, after all, the point of using shaving cream.

Still, in truth you only need a small amount of lather, as only the lather directly between the razor blade and your face will have any effect—so don’t worry if your homemade shave cream or soap doesn’t foam so much, as long as you’re happy with the results.

Be sure to check out our article on how to create a shaving cream lather with a brush as well as the best shaving bowls and first-rate shaving brushes to get the job done right.

Now let’s jump right into how to make shaving cream.

How to Make Shaving Cream: 3 DIY Shaving Cream Recipes

The Classic Lathering Shave Cream

The first recipe we’ll look at is probably the one that comes closest to commercially available shaving creams.

To learn how to make shaving cream, you’ll need the following shaving cream ingredients:

• 1/4 cup shea or cocoa butter
• 2/3 cup olive, grapeseed, jojoba, almond, castor, or avocado oil
• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 10-15 drops of essential oil (choose a scent you like – My favorite is Sandalwood here on Amazon)
• A few drops of vitamin E oil or grapefruit seed extract (this is optional, but highly recommended, while vitamin E also nourishes the skin)

1. To start off, melt the shea/cocoa butter and the coconut oil (some persons use shea butter shaving cream and coconut oil as shaving cream alternatives) in a double boiler or a pot over low heat.

2. As soon as everything is melted, take it off the heat and then whisk in the rest of the ingredients using an electric mixer or hand beater.

3. Keep mixing everything until it becomes nice and creamy and starts to look like cake frosting.

4. When it’s thoroughly mixed, put it all over to the fridge for a few minutes until it begins to harden and set up.

5. When it’s beginning to get firm, transfer it over to a jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid and then store it in a dark place until you’re ready to use it.

If it starts to separate as it’s hardening, it’s usually a sign that it wasn’t mixed together well enough, so mix it back up and try again.

As long as you properly learn how to make shaving cream and properly store this shaving cream in the dark in an airtight container, it should be able to last for at least a month or two.

This is a fairly basic DIY shave cream recipe, of which there are a ton of different variations.

For instance, some people add liquid castile soap to try to generate more lather, but we’ve found this usually isn’t necessary.

Instead, if you’re looking for something a bit more like a bar of traditional shaving soap, try one of the following two recipes on how to make shaving cream.

Foaming Liquid Shaving Soap

This recipe is surely the easiest way how to make shaving cream at home, but the use of castile soap may cause problems for men with sensitive skin or who are prone to overly dry skin.

Still, for ease and convenience, it doesn’t get much better. The shaving cream ingredients you’ll need are:

• 1/8 cup liquid castile soap
• 1/8 cup distilled water (should be warm, but not overly hot)
• 1/8 all-natural aloe vera gel (must be gel, not aloe juice)
• 1 tablespoon oil (any of the ones previously mentioned)
• A few drops of essential oil
• A few drops of vitamin E oil or grapefruit seed extract

To make this shaving soap, all you’ll need to do is pour all of the ingredients into a clean shampoo bottle (or something similar), and then give it a few good shakes to mix everything up.

When you’re ready to use it, simply shake the bottle for 10 seconds or so, then dump a small portion out into your hand and work into a lather, adding a bit of water if necessary.

This recipe should make enough soap to last you about a month, but you can feel free to double it if you want, as the vitamin E oil/grapefruit seed extract should easily ensure it lasts at least two or three months.

It is best used as a DIY shave cream for legs, beards, and hands.

Natural Shaving Soap

This final recipe definitely cheats a bit, as it takes advantage of a bar of all-natural soap in order to make it.

However, if you’re looking for something that’s more along the lines of traditional shaving soap, then this is definitely the one for you.

This soap will require the use of a shaving brush in order to get the best results.

To make this all-natural shave cream, you’ll need:

• One bar of all-natural soap (look for something designed specifically for the face, with as few ingredients as possible; unscented is best)
• 2 teaspoons castor oil
• 2 teaspoons other oil (again, see list above)
• 2 teaspoons aloe vera gel
• 1-2 tablespoons white, cosmetic or French clay
• A few drops of essential oil

1. To learn how to make shaving cream or soap, you’ll first need to grate the bar of soap into a large stainless steel pot and add to this the oils and aloe.

2. Slowly heat the pot over low heat, mixing occasionally, until the soap has fully melted and everything is incorporated.

3. Next, take it off the heat and mix in the clay, and then finally pour the melted soap over into a mold (we’ve found that cardboard lined with plastic is the easiest).

The soap will gradually harden over time, and will usually take at least a few days before it’s ready to use.

However, the big benefit is that the resulting bar of shaving soap can last for years.

To use it, follow the instructions we’ve already provided for getting the best lather out of shaving soap.

How to Make Shaving Creams: One Final Word

Do you need shaving cream?

Absolutely!

Can you shave without shaving cream?

Yes, but not recommended!

What happens if you shave without shaving cream?

We all know how big of a pain in the you-know-what shaving can be, but trying to do it without shaving cream (that is, shaving with no shaving cream) is just plain madness.

Still, the cheap shave creams really aren’t much better than just using water.

So, if you’re looking for high-quality shaving cream, but aren’t willing to spend the money it takes to get one, this article will help you learn how to make shaving cream.

As long as you’re aware of the limitations, learning how to make shaving cream is definitely something you’ll be glad you took the time to do.

By now I suppose you already know how to use shaving creams, how does shaving cream works, how to make shaving cream, and what to use as shaving cream.

If you do find this DIY shaving cream is not your jam, we can help guide you to which of the many shaving creams and shaving soaps are the best so you won’t waste your money.

If you don’t have any other means of buying or learning how to make shaving cream, you can also read on how to shave without shaving cream.

In addition, you may want to check out our article on the top safety razors to take your shaving routine to the next level!

Well, for a cleaner and closer shave, you might want to check out some of the best straight razors in the market also or make a comparison between safety razors and straight razors to know which suits your preference.

Apart from learning how to make shaving creams, we have more DIY projects, check out our DIY preshave oil recipes.