I Tested 7 Non-Toxic Shaving Creams For My Sensitive Skin

The shower is probably one of the only areas of my life where I have a minimalist routine down: shampoo bar, soap bar, conditioner bar — melted down into a liquid — and a razor.

I won’t lie to you, I haven’t used a shaving cream or product in a decade. And since I’ve been out of the game for so long, I didn’t even realize non-toxic/organic/natural shaving creams existed. So I can truly say that I came to this review with fresh eyes and am providing an unbiased opinion in my review!

After testing these seven brands, I have definitely noticed less irritation and shockingly (/s), less cuts and nicks while shaving! I will definitely be making a space in my shower moving forward. 

This guide contains product recommendations, and we may receive compensation through affiliate links or editorial fees. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!

Is There A Difference Between Natural & Non-Toxic Shaving Cream?

Yes, but no. I don’t love the word “natural” for a few reasons. It sounds good and it’s intuitive as a consumer, but industry-wise, there’s no standardization for it. For example, petroleum is a naturally-derived substance so technically, one could argue that it’s ‘natural’. 

So when you see ‘natural’ on a label, it’s worth looking into what that actually means before you buy (or you can just come on over here to The Filtery because there’s a good chance we already have an article about it 😆).

Of course, not every brand that claims natural is greenwashing, but non-toxic is generally more verifiable as it’s referring to the ingredients which we can verify ourselves. 

Almost all of these options are unscented or fragrance-free and they’re all designed to be moisturizing and hydrating so they’re great for sensitive skin. The ones that do contain any fragrances are derived from essential oils and/or provide a clear ingredient list.

For the most part, shaving cream isn’t at the top of the list of most important non-toxic swaps, however, shaving does open pores thanks to the hot water, so if you have allergies, sensitive skin, or irritation — or are just detoxifying your life — adding a non-toxic shaving cream can be great.

Ingredients To Avoid In Conventional Shaving Cream

Here’s a short list of ingredients I’m watching out for as I assess non-toxic shaving cream brands:

• Synthetic fragrances/parfum
• Triethanolamine (TEA)
• Petrolatum & mineral oils
• Parabens and sulfates

Learn more about ingredients to avoid in personal care products here.

Shaving Cream vs Gel vs Soap vs Oil

For the purposes of this article, I’m using ‘shaving cream’ as a general term that will cover all of the soaps, oils, and other formats.

Actually, before this review, shaving oil and soap wasn’t even on my radar. But the brands I ended up trying cover four different types of product, each with their own pros and cons:

• Shave soap is exactly what it sounds like. The base is made from soap, an oil or fat combined with an alkali, instead of a synthetic detergent-base which can cause irritation.

• Shaving cream (or foam) is the conventional stuff — the Gillette or Skintimate we grew up on if you were born pre-2000 — with the whipped, foamy texture. It works by creating a layer between your skin and the razor. It feels nice going on but the chemicals that make it foam can strip your skin’s natural oils which is why your skin feels tighter and drier than when you started. 

• Shaving gels and oils have more of that slick texture. It comes out in a gel or oil and lathers as you work through the product. 

Testing On My Sensitive Skin Across Face, Body & Legs

I have sensitive skin and all of these brands say they are formulated with sensitive skin in mind.

After shaving (without shaving cream), my skin often feels tight, uncomfortable, and it even burns, especially in the winter. Sometimes putting on a lotion or cream after showering can help, but sometimes it’s too late by then. If you know the feeling of making sure you shave last and/or rushing out of the shower to apply product, I see you. 

I’ve tried to add exfoliators, body scrubs, body oils, along with multiple moisturizers to solve it and I have to say, adding a shaving cream has been the best solution.

I also roped my husband into helping me with this review so these were all tested for beard shaving! He usually uses whatever is cheapest at the store, which most often is Barbasol, and doesn’t do a full barefaced shave but he keeps his beard short so does a maintenance shave once or twice a week.

I’ll keep you waiting no longer!

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7 Natural Shaving Creams: What We Tried & Our Honest Thoughts

Badger Shaving Soap Bar (best lather, best overall)

Best overall: plastic-free, best lathering, best for beards

Price: $14.99
Texture: Soapy Lathering
Scent: Smooth, clean gender-neutral fragrance (super subtle and made with essential oils)

We have a winner for beard shaving! My husband liked this one immediately after using it, and after a few weeks he told me he thinks this one might even be better than the one he buys in stores. I know, I’m just as shocked as you. (Except not really because Badger is great.)

For face: He likes how sudsy it gets and said it’s much less irritating. He also wants me to note it could be because he’s not doing a full bare-faced shave, but for what he uses it for, he likes it. He also feels like it will last a long time.

For body: To be honest, I’ve only used this one a couple of times because my husband keeps it at the sink, but I like it! It gets sudsy easily, which is nice, and it feels really hydrating while you’re using it. Most importantly, I don’t feel irritation, tightness or dryness after using it. 

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Toups & Co Men’s Tallow Shave Soap Bar (plastic-free)

Best for: plastic-free

Price: $19
Texture: Soapy lathering
Scent: Gender-neutral Douglas Fir (made with essential oils)

This one went the exact opposite of how I thought it would. I thought this would be better for the face than the body but we found it to be the opposite!

My husband is a get-in-get-out kinda guy so he’s not ever going to do the whole shave brush routine and it seems like that’s what this bar was designed for. 

For face: He said it doesn’t stay sudsy enough for him. It’s great at first but by the time he’s shaving, it’s already lost its suds, so he’s not a fan of that. Unfortunately, he felt irritated after shaving as well. (Although, I will say because I was hovering while he was using this that I’m not convinced he lathered it enough.)

For body: The smell is nice, the feel is nice, and it lasts the whole time I’m shaving. 

It foams well, kind of like a soap bar or shampoo bar, so you get a foamy, smooth texture. I do feel like there’s not a huge layer of protection between the skin and razor, so you can feel the shave, but also it’s not irritating. I put this in the shower with my other bars and it has become my go to everyday option. I like how quick it is to grab the bar and I don’t feel any irritation or sensitivities during or after shaving. 

Code THEFILTERY will get you 15% off.

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Glimmer Goddess Organic Shave Cream (best for sensitive skin)

Best for: irritated, sensitive, and dry skin

Price: $21.95
Texture: Oil
Scent: Unscented (also available in Lavender-Lemon)

Years ago, I shaved with straight coconut oil. I stopped because it’s bad for your pipes, but also because it still didn’t guarantee my skin wouldn’t feel stripped afterward. So I was excited to try this one and as no surprise it is absolutely one of my favorites.

This formula comes out as a liquid no matter the temperature. It looks a little like coconut milk, and goes on like an oil. It does not get sudsy or foamy. 

For face: My husband doesn’t like to use oils but I made him try it once. He said it feels good and overall he didn’t feel irritated.

For body: While shaving it felt like a thinner barrier between my skin and the razor, however, it wasn’t rough and I don’t think I would have noticed if I wasn’t intently studying everything for this review.

The oil feels nice and hydrating going on and it really locks it in when you’re done shaving as well — just like using coconut oil would. I also want to note that it does not make the shower oily or slippery. 

Overall, my skin feels really soft — and dare I say hydrated — when I get out of the shower.

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Dr. Bronner’s Organic Shaving Soap (most affordable)

Most affordable; best available option at retailers like Target and Walmart

Price: $11.99
Texture: Soap that lathers well
Scent: Technically unscented, but has that slight scent that all castile soap has

The price is great, the formula is great, it’s conveniently sold in stores in retail stores, but there’s one caveat: the bottle it comes in makes for a terrible user experience, so you may want to put it into a different type of container.

For face: My husband doesn’t like shaving with liquids like this. But, he said he didn’t feel any friction during the shave and was not irritated afterwards.

For body: I actually like this a lot! 

The formula comes out very, very liquidy. Not quite an oil, not quite a soap. It’s like a more liquidy/oily castile soap and it has that faint castile-soap smell. 

It lathers really well, stays on my skin the whole time I’m shaving and doesn’t dry up. The shave is really smooth and I don’t feel any friction between the razor and my skin. I can tell while I’m using it that it’s not going to make me feel irritated.

The worst part about this product is the packaging: The oil just kind of falls out of the bottle. No matter how you hold it, it makes a huge mess and you’re always wasting a bunch. Plus, it gets all over the shower, and it’s brown, so you can see it. I hate wasting product so this was really frustrating.

In the end, I poured it out of the bottle it came in and into an old stainless steel soap pump I had. Honestly, that solved the problem and fixed my frustration. I like it much better like that, so if you don’t mind that extra step then this is great! 

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Ursa Major Stellar Men’s Shave Cream (best smelling)

Best smelling

Price: $26
Texture: Non-lathering 
Scent: Gender-neutral forest-fresh aroma (kind of citrus-y but subtle; made with essential oils)

For face: It applies nicely and goes on like a face cream. My husband didn’t love it while shaving and felt it didn’t provide the buffer he wanted or was used to. However, he did not feel irritated after.

For body: Another one that’s fine for me. It does come out like a cream but gets a tiny bit foamy. I think it spreads well and stays on enough while I’m shaving in the shower. The friction isn’t as smooth as some of the others, but in the end it wasn’t irritating during use or after.

It has a subtle fragrance (from essential oils), but nothing crazy or overwhelming. Per my husband, it “smells good.”

Overall: we didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.

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Jackfir “The Classic Shave Cream” (best for men)

Best for men specifically

Price: $30+
Texture: Lotion/cream
Scent: It has a slight ‘forest-y’ smell, but it’s subtle.

Abbie’s Review:

As you can see, a lot of these natural shaving creams are gender neutral. Jackfir is a brand that was specifically formulated with men in mind. (Not that others can’t use it too of course; it just has more masculine branding & marketing.)

Their Classic Shave Cream is not only EWG Verified for safe ingredients; it’s also NSF certified for a certain amount of organic ingredients, and Leaping Bunny Cruelty-Free and vegan. It’s also won a few awards from mainstream men’s media outlets like GQ and Men’s Health.

Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t use shaving cream. I wish I could give you his POV on this one. I will say that he does like their other products though, like the facial cleanser and face lotion.

But I can at least give you my own experience from using it on my body. It’s got a creamy, lotion-y texture that I would say is mid-weight—not super thick, but not like an oil either. It allows for a smooth glide from the razor and definitely helps prevent nicks, cuts, and ingrown hairs too. (I was just using regular soap before; that’s what I was comparing it to.)

I also just appreciate how Jackfir makes it really easy for guys to take care of their skin without overcomplicating it. Their Face Kit includes all the basics you need — face wash, moisturizer, and shaving cream.

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Hygiene Lab Men’s Shaving Cream

Price: $36
Texture: Cream
Scent: Unscented

Hygiene Lab is geared toward men but it’s got a pretty gender-neutral aesthetic. 

For face: My husband said it goes on like a cream. It doesn’t get foamy but it also doesn’t dissolve immediately. He doesn’t feel like it creates enough of a buffer between the razor and his skin, specifically more than conventional shaving cream would.

For body: Unfortunately, this is my least favorite of this list. I agree that it does apply like a lotion and I also agree that it doesn’t spread very well. 

While I was shaving, the protection from the razor was fine, however, once I finished I could almost immediately feel my skin begin to tighten. By the time I got out of the shower my skin was tightening and burning a little. 

Because it doesn’t spread well I had to use quite a bit. More than a quarter sized amount for just one of my shins that only provided a thin layer. Once I got out of the shower I noticed there were quite a few spots that I missed. 

Overall, neither of us was a big fan of this one.

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Rustic Maka Shaving Gel

Price: $24.75
Texture: Gel that foams
Scent: Gender-neutral Fresh Scent (made with essential oils)

Since this is an aloe-based formula, this could be great for folks with dry, sensitive skin. I think this will be really nice in the winter. 

This is on the pricier side so I also want to note that you get a big 12 oz bottle! This is also another favorite of mine. It comes out as a gel so at first I thought it was going to be on the oily side. 

But it’s really just like a gel soap. It lathers very quickly and really well! 

For face: He doesn’t really like smell but other than that it’s fine. He didn’t feel irritated after shaving. 

For body: It stays lathered enough while I’m shaving but mostly importantly, it stays hydrating. This is absolutely another one where during and after shaving I felt hydrated and not stripped or dry. While shaving I felt like there was enough of a barrier between my skin and the razor. 

On Prop 65: This shaving cream comes with a CA Prop 65 warning label. That’s because it uses unfiltered whole-leaf aloe, which contains a compound (aloin) from the leaf’s outer layer that was linked to cancer in rats fed large amounts of it. Most aloe-based skincare uses aloe gel or filtered aloe, where the aloin is removed, so no warning is needed. It’s kind of a technicality about which part of the plant is used. This is not concerning to me because it’s a rinse-off product; I’m not eating it.

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Overall, I’d recommend most of these non-toxic shaving creams. It really just depends on your personal preference, budget, and what you’re looking for!