Men and women shave from time to time. There are several options available if you want to get rid of unwanted or excess hair on your face, armpits, bikini lines, or other parts of your body. These options depend on what you want or how deep your pocket is.
Some of the more popular options include laser hair removal procedures, shaving creams, and more. But the truth is, you don’t have to spend so much money to shave your hair.
One of the best options for shaving your hair is shaving soap. However, if you prefer to use shaving soaps, you must first determine whether or not your specific choice meets your unique needs.
So what should you pay attention to when buying shaving soaps? First, let’s find out what shaving soaps are and how they work.
What are shaving soaps and how do they work?
Shaving soaps are products that you can lather on your face with a shaving brush just before you shave. This provides lubrication and protection for your face.
Some shaving soaps are made from various organic chemicals, oils, fats, etc. These chemicals are primarily formulated to create the perfect balance of lather, protection and creaminess.
The best shaving soaps contain all-natural ingredients, mostly containing coconut oil, fat or palm oil as a base, while essential oils are used as fragrances.
Shaving soaps are usually available as pucks or solid bars that you can quickly lather up with a badger brush or just your fingers.
By adding water to this soap in the shape of a puck, the fatty acids contained in the soap appear and mix incredibly well with the water. The result is an ultra-rich, foamy lather perfect for shaving beards, mustaches, and more, using double-edged safety razor blades.
What to pay attention to when buying shaving soap
However, before settling for any particular shaving soap, here are the key factors to consider to ensure you are spending well:
1. Allergies
Different allergens trigger different allergic reactions. Unfortunately, many allergens are relatively unknown until they come into direct contact with human skin.
Some shaving creams and soaps are made with ingredients that cause itchy sensations. You should stop using these products immediately. But if the itching persists for several days, you may need to see a board-certified dermatologist.
Never let allergies to shaving creams and soaps get the better of you. This is why you should always check the many ingredients used in making these products.
People who have such allergies but ignore them end up having anaphylactic reactions, which can even lead to death. Therefore, it may be best to stick with shaving creams and soaps made only with organic ingredients or materials. It’s the best option for people with very sensitive skin – the organic ingredients contain virtually no harmful chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions when they come into contact with your skin.
2. Perfume
Everyone who uses shaving creams and soaps has personal preferences for scents. Men always prefer products with masculine scents, while women like to use products with feminine scents.
Determining the scent profile of shaving soaps before buying them is equally important. The best or unique shaving soaps are expertly scented with natural ingredients and essential oils. Interestingly, the aromatic scents of essential oils/natural ingredients remain before and after shaving.
Perfumed shaving soaps give you a pleasant and very impressive smell after shaving. But that’s not all; the skin of your face will benefit from excellent protection throughout the day. This may be due to their content of essential oils, for example, coconut oil, lavender oil, rose oil, etc., which are very beneficial for the overall health of your skin right after the shaving.
3. Size
The best shaving soaps come in different shapes and sizes, and it’s best to choose only what you need. For example, if you are a digital nomad, you might want to go for a small size shaving cream because you don’t necessarily need big shaving creams and soaps while traveling.
4. Price
The price of shaving soaps is another crucial aspect to consider while buying the best one. Still, there’s no harm in looking for great discounts and deals on anything you want to buy, including shaving soaps.
However, sacrificing quality by opting for cheap shaving soaps shouldn’t be an option. Many cheap shaving soaps are made with synthetic materials or inferior chemicals, most of which are harmful to human skin.
These shaving soaps can cause severe skin irritation due to the added chemicals, leaving you with a scarred face. Also, cheap shaving soaps will never provide enough lather to satisfactorily meet your shaving needs at once. Lastly, they don’t last very long.
Beware and avoid shaving soaps that display the following on their labels:
- Synthetic fragrances
- SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate)
- Artificial colors
- Parabens, etc.
The best scented shaving soaps made with natural ingredients and essential oils can last anywhere from two to six months. Of course, this greatly depends on how often you like to shave as well as whether you choose to create lather, i.e. with a good shaving brush or just with your fingers.
In summary, getting a quality shaving cream will cost you a few dollars, but you don’t necessarily have to dig deep into your pocket.
5. Design
Some shaving soaps on the market today have specially designed handles, while others are bare. If you’re a traveler who travels with shaving creams and soaps, as well as other paraphernalia, sticking to shaving products that come with handles is a great idea.
This means you won’t have to worry unnecessarily if the shaving soaps accidentally get wet.
Conclusion
Shaving creams and soaps are great additions to any man or woman’s shaving/grooming kit. However, it is essential that you take into account the factors discussed in this article if you are considering buying the right shaving soap or the most suitable for your skin.
Be sure to read all the ingredients on shaving soaps before paying for them. This helps you confirm that shaving soaps contain the right amounts of natural ingredients, fats, oils, etc., that will always provide you with a close, protective scented shave every time.
In some cases, you may need to experiment with a wide variety of shaving creams and soaps before settling for the best. But be sure to stay away from cheap shaving soaps made with cheap chemicals/materials.
