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Most of my posts are geared toward women, but I’ve gotten several requests on Facebook for natural skincare and shaving options for men, since shaving is one of the biggest parts of skin care for most men.
While I obviously have no firsthand experience with this, I interviewed by husband and did some research on The Art of Manliness about the best shaving options for men.
I’ve been making my husband’s shave soap, after shave, and facial rinse for years because he has such thick hair that regular products didn’t work and just irritated his skin. He also switched to an old fashioned razor and a brush shaving set a few years ago and he loves it.
Ladies, if you’ve been looking for a unique and usable gift for your husband, boyfriend, or dad, a real shaving kit with some homemade products is a great option!
A Real Shaving Kit
My husband’s opinion and the general consensus on the Art of Manliness forums is that to get a real shave (if you are going to shave, which was a controversial topic over there) a man must use an old fashioned safety razor or straight razor and preferably a brush and mug soap rather than conventional shaving cream.
There are even brush and mug sets like this one or nicer brush sets with stainless steel brush handle and safety razor. Fortunately, these “old-fashioned” shaving options actually save money in the long run (no disposable or expensive razor heads to buy) and are MUCH better for the skin when used with natural shaving cream.
The Shave Soap
If your man is open to natural shaving, there are several great recipes for homemade shaving soap that you can make at home and that are 100% natural and organic.
If you aren’t up for DIY shave soap, there are actually some decent and really inexpensive store bought options. Williams seems to be the most popular and is actually relatively natural (much more so than shave creams according to the EWG database). There are also more high end options available, like this one which smells great or this pine-scented natural version!
The Aftershave
Alcohol-based aftershaves can be problematic for the same reason you aren’t supposed to use rubbing alcohol on new piercings: it slows healing. Instead, use an alcohol-free, nourishing option like my homemade herbal aftershave for men.
Follow up with a homemade lotion bar with ingredients like:
- Rosemary Oil – naturally antibacterial and has a great woodsy scent
- Shea Butter – an excellent after shave lotion and has a manly scent
- Coconut oil – will discourage breakouts from shaving (is there anything it won’t do?!)
- Apple Cider Vinegar – works great by itself or infused with cinnamon sticks, cloves and bay leaves (if you can handle the smell)
What do you (or your man) use for shaving? New razor or old fashioned? Shaving cream or soap? Aftershave or no? Share below!
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Nice post.
I started traditional shaving with a DE this time last year, and my skin has never felt better.
Williams is a long-standing staple, but the latest formulation has proved to be finicky for a lot of wet shavers. I’d recommend Van Der Hagen as a better option that’s available in drug and department stores.
For people who are willing to go mail order, the RazoRock Artisan line of soaps is a great combination of quality, ease of lathering, effectiveness and price.
will the lotion bars break me out?
I would guess it depends on your skin, but I doubt it. I have naturally oily skin and it doesn’t bother my skin (or hubby’s) at all. Shea butter and coconut oil are naturally antibacterial which helps with that…
I am getting mine a rechargeable electric shaver for xmas, as he hates shaving and always nicks himself
My husband has been a ‘wet shaver’ for several years. We have tried several types of shaving soaps. The best so far is mitchell’s wool fat. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LY7FRK//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkId=c735a296f2b1f2ebd0138e6b872ba5db
The next best (which started shaving better after hubby gave up all dairy) are the handmade one’s by mama bears. They are all glycerin based. She also makes blends for the ladies
https://mamabearssoaps.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1
The definitive place for learning how to wet shave is the forum
this forum will have reviews for the soaps, after shaves, razors and blades. Also lots of helpful advice for switching from a mach3 type shave to real shaving.
https://www.badgerandblade.com/
I just tried melting two different homemade soaps in order to make the shave soap, but they don’t melt 🙁 I’ve given them about 2 hours in the water bath but no result. Can you please be more specific as to what ingredients must the soaps have in order to be used successfully for your recipes? Thanks!
I’m using oil based soaps, but glycerine based soaps should work as well. Do you know what ingredients were in your soap?
lol nevermind i think i found it 🙂
i cant find your recipe for the mens shaving cream? is there one?
https://wellnessmama.com/2628/shaving-soap/
I have 4 adult sons and 1 husband and I make and sell soap. A few years ago I gave each one of my men a shaving mug, a Kent badger brush and some homemade shaving soap. They all LOVED it and say it is the best way to shave. A couple of my sons have very thick facial hair and they say it is the smoothest shave they ever had.
I make my shaving soap with lots of castor oil for lather, add vitamin E and added kaolin clay to give it the “slip” for a close shave. We just cut a bar in half and put in the shaving mug. I sell my shaving soap so if anyone wants to check out my website it is http://www.prairiekari.com I use only natural ingredients in my soap and can let people know the exact ingredients in each bar if they want to email me through my site.
I actually use a bar to shave my legs too. I rub the bar on my legs and shave. Nice!
My husband is trying to perfect using a straight razor these days and has found there’s definitely pros and cons. We haven’t tried homemade cream/lotion yet though. His cheapest way: grow a beard! (although he shaved it for summer now).
I’m so glad you picked this topic to discuss. I have just recently made the shaving cream using your recipe and my husband loves it. He has thick hair and we spend a lot of money on new razors and razor refills and they never seem to work good enough. He also likes to use an after shave for his sensitive skin but so far nothing seems to really work. However, I have noticed that his skin is so much softer since we have switched to the homemade shave cream. I definitely plan on purchasing the safety razor and the brush which will come in handy for the shave cream. I will also try introducing other options for the after shave to prevent bumps. Thank you for the great post I can’t wait to share the info with my husband:)