grooming

The 8 Very Best Shaving Creams

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

In this article

Much like the right razor, finding the right shaving cream for you can transform your entire grooming routine. For instance, my favorite shaving cream is one that can be used on both face and body (it’s by Aveeno, more on that below).

The right shaving cream will soften the hair on your body, soothe your skin, and help your razor glide right across the skin (without any nicks or scrapes.) It will also eliminate any spots of irritation, razor bumps, and ingrowns — and in the case of my pick for the driest of skin, also double as a soothing post-shave lotion

To find the very best shaving creams for all types of skin (and all areas of the body), I used my three years of expertise as a grooming expert to find the best products on the market. I then interviewed dermatologists and people who shave regularly about their favorite picks. No matter where you’re shaving, though, the advice was clear: Always be on the hunt for hydrating, nourishing ingredients. Once you’ve found the cream that’s right for you, you can also read my guides to finding the right razors and trimmers for you.

Update on August 21, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.

What we’re looking for

Ingredients

Shaving is, of course, a potential irritant for the skin. As it removes hair, the razor is also traveling over teeny tiny cracks on the skin’s surface, which can cause bumps and even rashes. That’s why it’s so important to look out for creams that have hydrating ingredients or, even better, humectants. Humectants are ingredients that actively draw water into the skin — a common one you may use already is hyaluronic acid. Dr. Naana Baokye, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Bergen Dermatology, also likes gently exfoliating ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to improve skin’s texture and tone over time. Alcohol is an ingredient to avoid, as it can be very drying — the last thing your skin wants after you’ve raked a razor across it several times.

Texture

Although they’re commonly called creams, shaving products come in all sorts of textures, including gels, foams, foaming gels, creams — you get the idea. Each texture has its pros and cons.

While many products are labeled as creams, not all of them are made with a high quantity of oils, which makes them more hydrating, says Dr. Susan Binder, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Binder Dermatology. Gels are the most concentrated of the bunch and offer the most hydration. Some produce bubbles after being massaged in, but others stay glossy, which can make it harder to track where you’ve already shaved. Gels can also clog razor blades faster, meaning you’ll have to buy replacements more often. Finally, with their cloudlike texture straight from the bottle, foams don’t need any lathering. This does save a step, but it might not allow sufficient time for the hair to soften, which could result in irritation. And because foams aren’t as hydrating, Dr. Binder says they’re best for those with a normal skin type.

Scented

You might prefer a scent in your shaving cream, you might not (your skin might be sensitive, or you might have a perfume or cologne you like to wear) Below, I’ve noted if each cream is scented.

Best overall shaving cream

Ingredients: Vitamin E, Soy, and Aloe | Texture: Gel | Scented: Mild

As someone with eczema, I’m familiar with Aveeno and its range of nourishing, hydrating products. It was no surprise, then, to hear it recommended as the very best shaving cream overall by three dermatologists.

“For those who prefer a gel, this contains a combination of soy, aloe, and vitamin E to soothe the skin,” says Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at Cornell. And while fragrance is usually a derm no-no, Dr. Garshick says she doesn’t mind this one because it’s so subtle. Dr. Binder also loves this option for its vitamin E and aloe, which “help condition both the hair and skin.” After lathering up with the gel, Strategist contributor Anneke Knot described her skin as feeling so supple and smooth she felt that she could forgo her lotion. And for its emollient-rich and sensitive-skin-friendly formula, two dermatologists even gave this Aveeno gel the okay for facial use.

You can use it on your face and body, and it’s hydrating, and priced at just $6 a bottle. So I’m crowning this our best shaving cream overall.

Best foaming gel

Ingredients: Vitamin E, Glycerin and Shea Butter | Texture: Gel | Scented:

To me, Gillette is synonymous with shaving — so one of their gels was bound to appear here. To decide precisely which one, I spoke to Dr. Karan Lal, a board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric dermatologist, and Dr. Purvisha Patel, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. They both pointed me towards the ultra-sensitive cream, which contains glycerin (a humectant), as well as vitamin E and shea butter — each deeply hydrating ingredients. Dr. Lal calls it “very elegant” for its sophisticated-for-the-price-point ingredients. Texture-wise, it comes out as a gel but foams up quickly. It’s more than gentle enough to be used on the face, but it does contain fragrance — so if you’re extremely sensitive, you might want to pick another option from our list.

Best shaving cream for facial hair

Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Menthol | Texture: Cream | Scented: Menthol scent

Shaving your face can cause bumps, razor burn, and irritation, but it can also have some positive effects like exfoliation. Soren Roi, senior barber at Fellow Barber in New York City, places Proraso amongst his top picks because of its effective ingredients, including lactic acid for even more gentle sloughing on top of the physical exfoliation a razor provides. A long-time barber favorite, Proraso was also recommended by two more grooming professionals in our story on the best shaving creams for men. Russell Manley, owner of New York City’s Ludlow Blunt, loves the combination of glycerin, lactic acid, and menthol that brings hair to the surface and therefore reduces the chance of getting ingrowns. And while Proraso is marketed to men, women have found it works just as well on their skin — in a previous version of this story, one reviewer wrote that this cream left her underarms “tight and smooth but also soft and smell[ing] like the dad you never had.” It has a light, refreshing menthol scent.

Best shaving cream for dry skin

Photo: courtesy of Bliss

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Candelilla Wax | Texture: Lotion | Scented: Citrus

This isn’t a traditional shaving cream — in fact, it isn’t a shaving cream at all. In some cases, choosing to shave with a body butter could actually be more beneficial for skin health than foams and gels that can exacerbate dryness. (Dr. Patel says you can technically use anything that will make your skin slick enough for the razor to glide.) This cult-classic body butter comes recommended by Dr. Garshick, who points to the shea butter, coconut oil, and sodium hyaluronate as key for moisturizing and nourishing the skin pre- and post-shave. And you can also use it for a post-shave hit of moisture: I love a twofer.

Best shaving cream for sensitive skin

Vanicream Shave Cream
$10
$10

Ingredients: Glycerin | Texture: Cream | Scented: Unscented

I come across Vanicream on a weekly basis, both as a beauty and grooming writer, and as someone with sensitive skin. Skin flaking off due to acne? Vanicream. Eczema feeling particularly irritated? Vanicream. So, if nothing else seems to be cooling that post-shave irritation, my suggestion? Vanicream. Both its packaging and ingredient list are as simple as they come. Its hero ingredient is glycerin, a powerhouse humectant that absorbs water back into the skin. Both Dr. Garshick and Dr. Binder say the Vanicream is safe for those with sensitive skin, as it’s free of fragrance, preservatives, formaldehyde, and parabens. (In fact, Dr. Binder says she prefers sensitive-skin shaving creams in general, as “I do not like putting a lot of foreign ingredients in sensitive areas.”) This cream is also suitable for allergy-prone skin, Dr. Lal notes, with a gentler, preservative-free formula to decrease the chance of irritation.

Best shaving cream for body

Ingredients: Shea Butter and Aloe | Texture: Cream | Scented: Pomegranate and raspberry

If your razor has to cover a lot of surface area, you’ll want a cream that’s just as suitable for your legs as it is your bikini line. This is it. And, as an added bonus, it costs less than $5. Despite the inexpensive price point, it’s packed with nourishing shea butter and skin quenching aloe. Though it doesn’t foam, the texture spreads easily and can be rinsed off or left on post-shave like a moisturizer. Either way, “this stuff will leave your legs as smooth as the day you were born,” as one user said in a previous version of this story, in which the EOS also emerged as a reader favorite. The bottle is also lovely and pink — it will look nice on your bathroom shelf.

Best shaving cream for legs

Ingredients: Aloe, Olive Leaf Extract, Macadamia Seed Oil | Texture: Gel | Scented: Jasmine

The legs cover the most surface area, so it’s important to choose a shaving aid that provides maximum slip. This formula squeezes out as a concentrated gel, but once it comes into contact with water, it transforms into a milky serum. The unique texture “creates an ultraslick surface so the razor can easily glide over top without slipping or snagging,” Dr. Patel says of the hydrating and redness-reducing formula that contains olive-leaf extract, aloe, and macadamia-seed oil. And because the gel is relatively thin, you can see your progress as you shave. A little goes a long way, though — while the product description claims that a single container of Cremo lasts for 90 days, Strategist contributor David Walters worked on a tube of the original version for over a year and a half.

Best shaving cream for bikini line

Ingredients: Aloe, Olive Oil, Marshmallow-Root Extract | Texture: Cream | Scented: Unscented

For most, the bikini line will be by far the most sensitive area to shave. Dr. Jamie DeRosa, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon and the founder and lead facial plastic surgeon of DeRosa Center Plastic Surgery & Med Spa in Boston and Palm Beach, recommends using this whipped, ultramoisturizing cream for a close, nick-minimizing shave. “It’s infused with soothing ingredients like marshmallow-root extract, aloe, and shea butter to cushion against razor burn and help minimize ingrown hairs and bumps,” she says. And while it is formulated specifically for the pubic area, “the skin-nourishing, unisex formula works anywhere a person might want to shave — underarms, chest, legs, and face,” Dr. DeRosa adds. Our resident beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton uses it on her legs, for example. “This gel formula is rich in aloe vera and coconut, so it helps deeply condition skin as you shave,” she says. “My legs used to feel insanely dry and parched when I stepped out of the shower, especially after I shaved — they feel moisturized and silky when I use this.”

Some more shaving creams and gels we’ve written about

Our experts

• Dr. Naana Baokye, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Bergen Dermatology
• Dr. Susan Binder, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Binder Dermatology
• Dr. Jamie DeRosa, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon and founder and lead facial plastic surgeon of DeRosa Center Plastic Surgery & Med Spa in Boston and Palm Beach
• Dr. Marisa Garshick, board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at Cornell
Anneke Knot, freelance writer
• Dr. Karan Lal, board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric dermatologist
• Russell Manley, owner of Ludlow Blunt in New York City
Dr. Purvisha Patel, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare
• Soren Roi, senior barber at Fellow Barber in New York City
• Rio Viera-Newton, Strategist beauty columnist
• David Walters, Strategist contributor

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best women’s jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.

The 8 Very Best Shaving Creams