Shaving Cream, Shaving Foam or Shaving Gel: Which One To Choose?
Every guy with the capacity to grow facial hair is familiar with the concept of shaving, even if their preferred choice of style is sporting a beard. And he knows how beautifully the process gets transformed into a hassle-free exercise when done right. With so many products and types available in the market, let’s see how to choose the right and the most convenient companion for your face razor…
THE PURPOSE OF SHAVING CREAM, FOAM AND GEL
The purpose of a shaving cream, foam or gel is to create a protective barrier of lather over hair to make them soft before running a metal razor through them. They minimise friction on the face, so the blades glide smoothly without causing any nicks, cuts and bumps. We can summarise the common contribution of these three concepts broadly in these 3 points:
1. Moisturisation. They hydrate the hair before shaving so that they soften up and are easier to cut.
2. Lubrication. They reduce friction on the face and hair, so that the blades can glide over them smoothly, without hurting the skin.
3. Relaxation. Many shaving creams/foams/gels are formulated with natural ingredients that have skin calming properties.
BENEFITS OF SHAVING CREAM
Shaving cream is the most basic form of a lathering agent that accompanies a mighty razor and a shaving brush. We’ve grown up seeing our dads exhaust tonnes of shaving cream with that iconic action of lathering up their stubble with the soft bristles of a brush. The benefits of these tubes go beyond what match the eye.
1. Face Massage. The brushing action of thus lathering up delivers a healthy massage to the beard area of your face. This improves blood circulation and improves the overall health of your facial skin and hair.
2. Close Shaves. The sheer amount of time you spend in creating the lather out of cream ensures better softening and lubrication of the hair. This translates into more satisfying and close shaves.
BENEFITS OF SHAVING FOAM
This is a close cousin of the shaving cream, with pre-lathered foam pressurised inside a can. What every shaver will swear by is the point and shoot convenience offered by shaving foam, followed by replacing the brush with just your hands. The benefits of shaving foam are quite obvious to be missed under any subtlety.
1. Saves Time. Shaving foam doesn’t require similar preparation as a shaving cream, as the foam is ready to use. All you have to do is wet your face, push the foam out of the can and apply on your face. Saves a lot of time.
2. Pure Convenience. A shaving foam offers you the ultimate convenience for its ‘fast’ service. But many critics of the can complain that they don’t contain ingredients beneficial to your skin, unlike shaving creams. However, many brands offer highly specialised shaving foams with superfoods that are extremely useful for your skin. Check out Charcoal, Turmeric, Coffee and Sensitive shaving foams from Bombay Shaving Company, with their amazing skin benefits.
BENEFITS OF SHAVING GEL
Shaving gels are less popular than the other two types, but offer amazing benefits that set them a league apart. They’re a modern fusion of shaving cream and foam with some unique features of their own. Like shaving foam they come packed in cans, but are denser than them like shaving creams, but in the form of a gel. Here’s what makes them special…
1. Maximum Lubrication. Shaving gels provide the most lubrication of all the three concepts, and thus offer the smoothest shaves, even without water.
2. Suitable for Sensitive Skin. The above benefit of greater lubrication also makes shaving gels more suitable for sensitive skin, as with minimum friction they offer better protection from nicks and cuts.
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO SHAVE?
The best way to shave is a three-part ritual that includes pre-shave prep, the act of shaving and post-shave care. This not only gets the most out of your efforts but also supports the skin with better look and feel.
The Prep
The first step of shaving is preparing the skin for the act, which starts with exfoliation or removal of dead skin cells. Do this with a good facial scrub and don’t leave out the beard area on your face. Charcoal and Coffee Scrubs from Bombay Shaving Company offer you multiple benefits besides exfoliation.
Shaving
The pores of your skin open up after the prep and this is the best time to shave it for a close shave. Use a good quality lubricating agent that sends in beneficial ingredients into the open pores and shave. Check out the 6-in-1 Premium Shaving Kit from Bombay Shaving Company for an immersive shaving experience.
The Care
Ideally, with decent lubrication and a good quality razor you should not get any nicks or cuts, but this step is important because we’re not always so lucky. Even if we are, resorting to a soothing action after the skin has been under the blades is a good idea. Use a calming post-shave balm or lotion with aloe vera that relieves the inflated skin and protects it from drying up. Check out Post Shave Balm from Bombay Shaving Company with its added skin repair benefits.
IN SHORT…
We’ve listed down the top two benefits of shaving cream, shaving foam and shaving gel, each, for you to make an informed choice. So, if you have the patience of the traditional shaver, feel free to pick up the tube of a shaving cream; if you’re looking for a quicker option, go for a can of shaving foam that should last you way more than the shaving cream; and if you have sensitive skin and don’t mind spending a tad more, go for the more expensive shaving gel. Happy Shaving…
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