Shaving cream is a common product because of its refreshing effect when you need to shave, especially when you have too much hair to shave at once. However, have you ever wondered if it has any side effects? Or if it is good or bad for your skin? We will discuss all of that today.
if you are looking for the best shaving cream, go for the highly rated Alonzo’s Sensational Shave or THRIVE Natural Shave Oil.
Is Shaving Cream Necessary?
Shaving cream has four main objectives to keep your skin healthy:
- Hydration: Shaving cream helps keep hair hydrated during shaving, making it softer and easier to cut. Shaving is much more comfortable if you don’t have to exert so much pressure in the past.
- Lubrication: Shaving cream creates a thin protective layer between the blades and the skin, ensuring less friction and minimizing the risk of redness, irritation, nicks, and cuts.
- Tracing: You do it naturally that you may not have realized it, but as you drag the shaving cream with the blade, you leave a trail that alerts you to the areas you have already passed through. This helps you not leave any areas unshaven.
- Freshness: The shaving cream helps soothe your skin and feel refreshed when you’re done.
However, is shaving cream really necessary to have a nice shave?
When shaving cream is applied to the skin, it forms a foam, which acts as a protective, moisturizing barrier between the razor and the skin.
This is to decrease the possibility of cuts and nicks caused by your razor and scraping and damage to your skin. Shaving lotion might also assist you in shaving more closely.
However, the important thing is not to have shaving cream precisely, but any product that helps your skin and your shaving technique.
So, shaving cream per se is not necessary, but you shouldn’t also try dry-shaving.
Is Shaving Cream Good Or Bad For Your Skin?
Shaving creams are advised as necessary or completely helpful to your skin.
They help you shave better by protecting your skin and ensuring you shave all of the hair intended to be shaved.
However, as you might imagine, shaving creams have many chemical components, some of which are not 100% safe for your skin.
These chemical components can cause side effects. Not everyone will have these side effects, and other times it takes a long time for them to show up.
However, this shows that shaving cream can sometimes be bad for your skin.
If we ask more generally, “is shaving cream good or bad for your skin?” the answer won’t be “it is bad” or “it is good.”
This product brings some benefits, but its components might not be good for some people’s skin.
But, what are the side effects exactly?
Shaving Cream Side Effects
The surfactants are the most commented chemical component on shaving creams that causes side effects.
Surfactants are synthetic lubricants that make your skin more alkaline, making it more difficult for your skin to rehydrate naturally, resulting in drier skin that ages more quickly.
Mineral oils are another common artificial moisturizer found in aerosol shaving cream cans. They are used to lubricate the skin while shaving.
Although mineral oils are not the most hazardous element in aerosol-based shaving creams, they have been known to close pores and aggravate skin irritation.
Menthol Shaving Cream Side Effects
Menthol is a local anesthetic with anti-irritant properties.
Menthol stimulates GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors, the brain, and the spinal cord’s principal neurotransmitter.
This is how menthol inhibits pain perception. This suggests that it most likely results in releasing analgesic chemicals in the brain.
Now, does the menthol in shaving creams brings any side effects?
On the one hand, there is the readily apparent nice cooling effect that is popular.
Additionally, many people prefer the cooling effect of after-shave products, especially when they are a bit too forceful (or sloppy) and experience some unpleasant discomfort.
On the other hand, manufacturers of shaving products may exploit the topical anesthetic qualities of menthol to hide components that may cause irritation or offer insufficient lubrication during the shave.
The conclusion is that menthol is not harmful in itself.
You just need to pay attention not to abuse its anesthetic effects, meaning you should pay attention to the force you apply when shaving.
Also, you need to read labels when buying new shaving cream. For example, if a shaving cream has too much menthol covering other components, you should avoid it.
Side Effects Of Shaving Cream FAQ
What Happens If You Don’t Use Shaving Cream?
Shaving without shaving cream may put you in danger of sustaining a shaving injury.
In addition, when you shave without lubrication (referred to as dry shaving), your skin receives less protection.
Dry shaving risks scraping skin cells away, even if there are no visible nicks or cuts. This may result in razor burn, itching pimples, and post-shave redness.
Razor bumps and ingrown hairs might occur without shaving cream, sometimes called pseudofolliculitis barbae.
Itchy and pus-filled razor pimples are possible. Additionally, they may get contaminated.
What Can I Use As Shaving Cream?
There are plenty of shaving oils that you can use, and your skin will thank you. One of the best ones is the highly rated Alonzo’s Sensational Shave.
Do You Really Need Shaving Cream?
However, you should then adopt another way of moisturizing your skin when you shave it.
Plenty of natural oils are healthier for your skin than shaving cream.
The THRIVE Natural Shave Oil is a great product that is safe for your skin.
Final Words About Side Effects Of Shaving Cream
Shaving cream can have some side effects. Of course, not everyone will suffer from them, and also, not all creams are aggressive on your skin in the long term, but adhering to more natural solutions might prove beneficial in the long run.
Although shaving creams are not necessarily bad, if you are looking for a good alternative, we recommend trying Alonzo’s Sensational Shave or THRIVE Natural Shave Oil.