It isn’t like me to start a post with a disclaimer but here we are. This post is not an expert opinion but just a reflection of how and why I stopped using shaving cream or foam or gel. It didn’t happen suddenly, I gradually developed this idea and experimented around. Finally, I was satisfied with the results and I haven’t bought a shaving cream or foam or gel since. This doesn’t mean that I have stopped shaving, certainly not. I have simply replaced the shaving cream with something I consider much better.
If you are interested in knowing what it is, then read on, but do remember that if you follow what I do, you shall be doing it at your own risk.
Exactly Why I stopped using Shaving Cream or Foam or gel?
It wasn’t supposed to be. I was just inconvenienced because of my shaving foam; over a number of reasons and over a long time. I’ll list down a few so you could relate to them
- Availability: Like many others, I have a sensitive skin so I had to limit my options to a given set of shaving gels/foams. I mostly used Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel or Gillette Satin Care Ultra Sensitive Shave Gel. Occasionally, I tried Pacific Shaving Company Clean Shave Cream also once and it was nice. But premium products like these are a bit too expensive for me. So, when I travelled and either forgot my shaving cream or it finished in the middle of the trip, it was tough for me to replace it.
- Affordability: I always preferred shaving foam over gels but foams are less gentle on my skin and pocket alike. Hence, I mostly ended up buying shaving gels. However, it felt a bit odd on paying so much for a gel that simply helps lubricate my face for less than 2 minutes during the shave.
- Transport: I could only carry so many liquids on flights and I had to manage by shampoo, bodywash, facewash, mouth freshener also. On top of this carrying the shaving gel made toiletries bag swell.
- Pre and post shave routines: This was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. My dermatologist suggested me to cleanse my face with a cleansing milk before the shave. I was told to use shaving products with as less fragrance as possible and not to use an after shave.
What’s the alternative then?
For all the reasons mentioned above, I wanted a change. Something better, so I experimented. I tried shaving with just the cleansing milk but that didn’t work very well. On the contrary, the lack of adequate lubrication made my skin even rougher after the shave. I tried soap but that failed as well. The higher pH of soap made my skin so dry that in a week’s time I could feel a constant pull on my cheeks. I could feel my skin cracking and I knew that the experiment has failed.
Then came the facewash. I was delighted with the lubrication, the feel on the skin and the post shave experience. I tried it for a week and I could feel my facial skin to be smoother and healthier. The results were encouraging, so I continued and experimented with various facewash brands and variants. The facewash won hands down, and here’s why
- Better pH: Somehow I found the pH of facewash to be more suitable than a shaving foam. Although the manufacturers claim that both have the same pH range, I could feel a difference. It is possible, then, that facewash works better as you have to mix some amount of wash before using it, which isn’t the case with the foam.
- Uniform feel all over: How many of you would agree that after a shave, half of your face feels different than the rest of it? It isn’t the case if you use facewash instead of a shaving cream/gel. You can apply the same facewash all over the face and have a uniform feel.
- Cost Effective: If you are already using a facewash then you don’t need to spend on a shaving gel/foam additionally. Your skin is already taken care of. Besides, the lubrication provided by a facewash is the same if not better than those of shaving foams or gels.
- It also solved my other issues about availability and transportation. I don’t have to follow any post shave routines now, I simply wash my face and apply a gentle moisturiser (which I do after every facewash, whether I shave or not).
A word of caution here, if you want to try this out, be careful about not using a facewash with scrub in it. Any kind of rough ingredients in your facewash (despite excellent lubrication) may case damage to your skin when you use the razor.
If you liked what I wrote and are thinking to try it out, remember that this blog is not a recommendation. This is not a medical or expert opinion either, I am just a regular Joe telling my experience. Hence, if you decide to follow then do so an your own risk. I will be back soon with more interesting content, keep coming back to check out on the latest with us. You may also like other posts in our Health section.
