21 Stellar Ways to Get a Clean Shave, From Smooth Creams to Slick Razors
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Full Grizzly Adams beards, patiently manicured stubble and all levels of facial hair in between can look great on the right guys, and they can even be trendy. But the most classically stylish amount of scruff to have is none at all. Which is why so many of the best-dressed guys in the world have a tendency to keep their faces bare—and why there’s a veritable sea of products designed to assist with the routine act of maintenance we call shaving.
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The list of products below, from grooming stalwarts like Acqua di Parma and Lab Series to newer firms such as Supply, can help any guy get a close, comfortable shave.
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Aesop Moroccan Neroli Shaving Serum
Packed with soothing aloe and licorice root extract, this clear shaving serum was designed so that a little goes a long way. Two pumps of the stuff should cover your entire face and give you enough slip to shave comfortably and without irritation. Plus, the neroli scent is so alluring you’ll wish Aesop offered it as a cologne.
Bellefontaine Soothing After-Shave Balm
Bellefontaine is one of those Swiss spa brands that we always wish more people used at home. Its after-shave balm, designed to comfort dry and sensitive skin, soothes any redness you might encounter with seaweed extract, shea butter, sesame oil, and coconut oil.
Buy Now on Bergdorf Goodman: $250
Supply Trimmer
If you have a lot of hair to get through before you can go fully bare, reach for Supply’s new trimmer. It’s a more durable answer to the electric shavers that have proliferated on the market in recent years, and its high-powered razor makes quick work of a week’s worth of stubble.
The Grey Men’s Skincare Cleansing and Shaving Mousse
Two-in-one products used to get demonized—and for good reason—but The Grey’s dual cleansing and shaving mousse is, actually, a really great way to save time and effort. As a daily cleanser, it foams gently, increasing hydration with squalene and vitamin E. Add a little less water and it turns into a shaving mousse, packed with mushroom-derived enzymes that help prevent ingrown hairs.
Bevel Shaving Kit
Tristan Walker set out to address the shaving concerns of men of color when he started Bevel in 2014, but he sparked a revolution in how all sorts of guys shave. (If you know any who’s started using a double-edged safety razor in the last 10 years, they have Walker to thank.) His premium safety razor is great, but if you’re just getting started on your clean-shaven journey, we’d recommend getting the full kit, which includes shaving gel, post-shave balm, the razor, and a few extra blades to get you on your way.
Panasonic ARC5 Palm-Sized Electric Shaver
This is one of our favorite ways to stay sharp on the grow—not just because it’s small enough to fit into your hand, but also because its surprisingly powerful and can shave for 50 minutes on a single charge.
Acqua di Parma Barbiere Shaving Gel
Acqua di Parma’s Barbiere line is the best-smelling line of shaving products, bar none—and it’s a no-brainer if you already wear the company’s line of fine fragrances.
Buy Now on Grooming Lounge: $58
Claus Porto Shaving Bowl With Classic Scent
If you’d prefer a solid shaving soap, reach for this option from Claus Porto, a Portuguese company that’s been a staple in that country since its founding in the 1930s. We like that it generates a rich later with a little agitation from a good shaving brush, and we also like that its generous size can last a good while longer than anything packaged in a can, tube, or jar.
Truefitt and Hill Travel Brush
Speaking of brushes, this one from Truefitt and Hill is designed to last a lifetime. It’s technically the travel size of a larger brush the company makes, but we’d get it anyway: That way it’ll be easier to take with you when you hit the road.
Buy Now on Truefitt and Hill: $280
Jack Black MP10 Nourishing Oil
Jack Black has long made a commitment to using natural ingredients that won’t harm your skin—which is important for the products you use all over your body, but especially so for the ones you put on your face. This pre-shave oil smells like argan and marula oils, because those are what’s in it, alongside a dose of grapeseed oil to help your razor slip over your skin with ease.
The One Blade
Double-edge razors are a dime a dozen, but The One Blade stands out because it features a single blade with a single edge. While that does mean you have to rinse it out more often than you would a double-edged variant, it also allows for a great design element: a pivot. As it moves across your face and neck, a hinge in the handle makes sure it conforms to the unique contours of those areas. In our experience, that means suffering far fewer cuts than you get with traditional razors.
Lab Series Razor Burn Balm
Most guys can get by without an aftershave, no shortage of which are fragrance conduits masquerading as moisturizers. But if you find yourself suffering from razor burn at the end of your shave, there are few products better at calming the irritation than this lotion from Lab Series. That’s thanks to aloe and caffeine, two powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients, which feature prominently in this product’s formulation.
The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream
The Art of Shaving lives up to its name: It turns the quotidian task of taking hair off your face from a chore into an aesthetically pleasing experience. There’s no better proof of that than its standard-setting sandalwood shaving cream.
Buy Now on The Art of Shaving: $35
Gillette Labs Heated Razor
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The Gillette Labs Heated Razor is one of the most comfortable ways to get a clean shave. Turn a daily chore into something the guy on your list actually looks forward to, and he’ll be eternally grateful.
Buy Now on Gillette Labs: $150
Baxter of California Beard Line-Up Shave Gel
Though it’s designed to help guys with beards create clean lines, this clear shaving gel also works well for guys with thick stubble. Because it’s transparent, you can always see exactly what you’re doing.
Buy Now on Baxter of California: $20
Muhle Hexagon Razor Stand
Muhle, the German maker of fine shaving goods, won a Red Dot Design Award a few years ago for this six-sided razor and brush set. The clean edges make it easier to hold onto, and it looks really attractive on your bathroom countertop.
Patricks FS1 Diamond Face Scrub
Yes, there are crushed diamonds in this facial scrub—and yes, it’s worth it. In addition to gently lifting the hairs off your face, it also removes dead skin and helps prevent ingrown hairs.
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
If you don’t want to scrub your face with diamonds, try this rice-based exfoliating powder instead. To use it, you dispense a little of the powder into your hands and mix it with water. Once you do, it activates the formula’s alpha hydroxy acids to give you both chemical and physical exfoliation, lifting hairs from the skin to prevent ingrown.
Lorenzi Milano Shaving Stand
If you’re already dedicated to a particular Gillette blade, the best way to give it an upgrade is to mount it on Lorenzi Milano’s stylish, smoked stainless steel razor. This one comes with a badger-hair brush and a stylish stand.
C.O. Bigelow Premium Shave Cream
C.O. Bigelow’s Italian-made shaving cream is like a wake-up call, thanks to its bracing splash of eucalyptus. Think of it as the tonsorial equivalent of a well-pulled ristretto.
New England Shaving Company Premium Safety Razor Blade Sampler
If you’re new to the double-edged safety razor game, you’ll need to figure out which blades suit your face best. This sampler pack offers everything from Gillette to Astra and Feather (personally, this writer prefers that last company’s Japanese-made blades) to give you a sense of what’s on the market before you commit.
