Pride & Groom | The Best Shaving Cream for Men

Photo:  pidjoe/Getty Images.

Listen up men, it’s time we have the talk. Not all shaving cream is created equal. In fact, some shaving cream is almost directly responsible for the closest shave and smoothest skin you’ll ever experience, while some probably shouldn’t even be legally allowed to call itself shaving cream.

There’s a difference between the good stuff, and the stuff that you’re buying, and today we’re going to break down some great options that are sure to give you that amazing shave, without making your skin look like a lab experiment gone horribly wrong.

Chances are, you’ve been buying shaving cream based on price, or because your father used it before you. The thing is, brand loyalty (or just plain laziness) won’t necessarily lead you to the best options. Better criteria you can use to determine the best shaving cream for men are Performance, Ease of application, Scent, Availability and Price.

So instead of choosing with your heart or your overwhelming sense of nostalgia, read up on our selection of the best shaving creams that can get the job done, including shaving soaps, gels, and creams ranging from the inexpensive but effective to the pricey but powerful. 

Supermarket Specials

When shopping at your local grocery store or big box chain store like Target or Wal-Mart, the options for the best shaving cream for men are quite limited. That said, not all options are equally crappy, as a few have shown to be worthwhile options for a wide variety of skin types. For example, Neutrogena Men Skin Clearing Shave Crème is a no-foam formula designed to fight razor bumps and irritation for those with sensitive skin. It’s not the end-all-be-all by any means, but for budget shoppers who have still failed to realize that you can buy things on the internet, it’s a decent option.

Also: How to Shave Properly: Best Shaving Tips for Men

Others are not as readily available as the first, but if you can find them they make better than average options. Cremo Cream is available at select Wal-Mart and Target stores and Kiss My Face is an option you can find sporadically at drugstores throughout the country. The latter option is actually completely organic and available fragrance free if you would prefer to avoid the scented approach.

Traditional Lathering Creams

The best shave comes from lathering creams. You know, the kind your grandpa and any barber featured on the Sopranos used? For this, you’ll need a lathering brush. There’s several options for brushes: old schoolers will want to stick to badger hair, but there are many synthetic, cruelty-free options that work just as well. 

These are a rarity to find outside of specialty shops, so you might have to turn to online shopping to find them. However, Piccadilly, St. James of London, Taylor of Old Bond Street, Truefitt & Hill all have rave reviews and a variety of scents and skin type options. In reality, you can’t go wrong with any of them. 

Trash the cheap gel or foam. Get out there and get yourself the best shaving cream for men that is worthy of that ruggedly handsome face of yours.