There are also many unique issues with maintaining and shaving an African American mane. Black men’s manes are much thicker and dryer than most. When it comes time to shave, the choice of shaving cream will have a great effect on your skin and your comfort.
Depending on what choice of shaving cream you use, shaving your mane can be like mowing a wet lawn or raking dry autumn leaves. Black men have to take specific care of their beard utilizing a unique set of tools for skin susceptible to dryness, bumps, and irritation. When the time to shave arrives, it’s important to use hydrating shaving creams that protect our skin.
African American Beards are Often Rough
Shaving as an African American can be difficult without a good hydrating shaving cream. African American beards tend to be thick, curly, and prone to dryness. Shaving with the wrong cream could result in razor burn, pulled hair, cuts, and many other unpleasant sensations.
To protect the skin and make shaving a painless experience, African American beardsmen will require the most moisturizing shaving creams available. Shaving creams designed specifically for sensitive skin often have exactly the ingredients many black men are looking for. As a result, black men would greatly benefit from utilizing shaving creams made for sensitive skin.
The 9 Best Shaving Creams for Black Men
For black men looking to shave their manes, they’ll have to assess their own beards and find out what works best for them. However, here are some excellent shaving creams to start with that work effectively on most African American beard types.
9. Cremo Barber Grade Original Shave Cream
This citrus-scented shaving cream is imbued with high-quality ingredients, including macadamia seed oil, aloe, calendula extract, lemon extract, papaya extract, and olive leaf extract. Cremo Barber Grade’s shaving cream is designed to offer a close and comfortable shave that reduces the chances of nicks, burns, and irritation.
However, this comes with a major downside. It has some harmful ingredients, including BHT (potential carcinogen – liver and kidney damage), Limonene (a known carcinogen), and Linalool (a narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders. If I have to talk to my doctor before using a shaving cream, there might be a problem.
Pros
- High-quality ingredients
- Citrus scent
- resistant to nicks, burns, and irritation
Cons
- Some of these ingredients may be harmful
8. Bulldog Original Shaving Cream
Bulldog Original Shaving Cream reduces the chances of razor burn and irritation. It has a good mixture of natural ingredients, including aloe, green tea, and camelina oil, which moisten the skin before shaving. Bulldog’s shaving cream is also a cheap and popular option on the market.
Pros
- Natural ingredients
- Cheap
Cons
- Mediocre compared to other options
- May not be good for sensitive skin
7. The Art of Shaving Cream Sandalwood
This may be one of the more expensive options for shaving cream. The Art of Shaving’s cream is optimized for sensitive skin. It includes a carefully selected set of ingredients intended to soothe the skin pre-shave; that includes palmitic acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, potassium hydroxide, coconut acid, glycerin, triethanolamine, fragrance, and many others. It smells pleasant and will, no doubt, make shaving easier for African American men.
The only downsides are the price and the fact that the bottom third of the container is a false compartment that doesn’t hold anything. It’s almost like buying an expensive bag of fries and finding out most of the bag is just filled with air.
Pros
- Very effective for sensitive skin
- Highly moisturizing
Cons
- A bottom third of the container holds nothing
- Expensive
6. Edge Shave Gel Sensitive Skin
Edge Shave Gel is very common and very popular. Those who’ve used it know it’s excellent for sensitive skin. Moisturizers and lubricants in this gel provide excellent razor glide. Edge Shave Gel contains aloe and is designed specifically to avoid irritation on sensitive skin. It also leaves your face with a cooling sensation afterward, which feels refreshing after shaving a beard.
The only downsides to this are that the shaving cream is relatively pricey compared to other cheaper options. It’s also quite messy.
Pros
- Provides excellent razor glide
- Cools the skin
Cons
- Pricey for its purpose
- Can be very messy
5. Nivea Men’s Sensitive Shave Gel
Nivea’s Men’s Sensitive Shave Gel is formulated with natural, soothing Chamomile and Witch Hazel extracts. These ingredients care for your skin pre-shave, and also protect against irritation. Nivea’s shaving cream helps with razor glide and reduces the chance of micro-cuts. As an added bonus, it’s also enriched with Vitamin E.
This shaving cream is specifically designed to give men with sensitive skin a close and comfortable shave. It’s proven to be very effective and comes at an inexpensive price. The only downside is the horrible dispenser design which causes you to have to basically press with all your strength to get the cream out – that’s kind of ridiculous.
Pros
- Cares for skin before shaving
- Protects from irritation and micro-cuts
- Vitamin E
- Decent price
Cons
- Horrible dispenser, unless you want an extra workout while shaving
4. Vitamin A & D Ointment
Okay, this is not a shaving cream, but hear me out. If you’re a black man suffering from beard dryness, dandruff, or eczema, this is probably one of the most hydrating agents on the market. Vitamin A & D Ointment is originally designed to soothe and protect baby bottoms, but there are few things, if any, that will hydrate and nourish your skin better than this.
Shaving with Vitamin A & D Ointment is sure to leave you with a close shave and skin that feels wonderful. Since this ointment is made for baby bottoms, it contains no harmful ingredients and is very safe to use.
The only downside is that it smells like medicine. Imagine what you think medicine smells like and that’s probably it. This ointment is also kind of thick and will clog your razor, but that can be fixed with running it under hot water.
Pros
- Nourishes the skin with vitamins
- Extremely hydrating
Cons
- Smells like medicine
3. Pacific Shaving Company Caffeinated Shaving Cream
This is caffeinated shaving cream, so if you ever wished you could drink coffee and shave at the same time, this is probably the next best thing! Pacific’s caffeinated shaving cream contains safe, natural, and organic ingredients such as aloe and essential oil. This formula reduces burn, irritation, and bumps. The caffeine is rich in antioxidants and naturally derived.
The only negative to this shaving cream is that it may take a lot of product to create the necessary amount of foam. To make it last longer, it could possibly require applying it to the face with a brush or other creative methods.
Pros
- Very effective
- Includes caffeine
- Cheap
Cons
- May require more product than usual to create sufficient foam
2. Neutrogena Men’s Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin
This shaving cream is clinically proven by dermatologists to help provide a close and comfortable shave and to help prevent razor bumps and ingrown hairs. Neutrogena’s shaving cream is for treating, moisturizing, cleansing, and protecting the skin before, during, and after shaving.
Overall, this shaving cream has fine results and many excellent reviews. If you’re an African American and not sure what shaving cream will best suit you, then this might be one you’d like to put at the top of your list to try out.
Pros
- Excellent skincare throughout shaving
- Highly effective at reducing bumps and irritation
- Dermatologist approved
Cons
- The cream may be too thin
1. Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel with Oats and Vitamin E
This shaving cream combines moisturizing lubricants, vitamin E, and oats, which helps moisturize and relieve dryness. It’s a rich and lubricating gel uniquely formulated for dry and sensitive skin that is easily irritated by shaving. As an added bonus, it’s very cheap and delivers a whole lot more than most shaving creams.
African American men often have skin that dries quickly and becomes irritated by shaving. This situation is the specific type of skin this shaving cream targets.
Pros
- Contains Oats and Vitamin E
- Helps relieve dryness and irritation
- Specifically targets a skin type many African American men have
- Cheap
Cons
- May be difficult to rinse from razor
Conclusion
Out of all these shaving creams, the Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel with Oats and Vitamin E is probably the best choice of shaving cream for a vast majority of African American men. Its formula for hydrating and relieving dry skin that’s easily irritated by shaving just might be the best thing for many black men.
Obviously not all black men have that skin type, but for the wider population that does, this shaving cream will soothe their skin and leave their hair follicles ready to grow the next beard with healthy, hydrated skin.