How to make shaving cream at home (DIY style)

In this guide we've focused on simplicity. The recipes below are extremely easy to follow and the ingredients are easy to find. Our shaving cream recipes are also very customisable, so feel free to add extra ingredients if you feel comfortable.

Why are natural ingredients better than synthetic ingredients?

If you want to know how to make your own shaving cream quickly, scroll down a few paragraphs to find some quick and easy shaving cream recipes. If you’d like to learn about the benefits of homemade natural shaving cream, let’s kick off by looking at why natural ingredients benefit our skin and general well-being versus synthetic ingredients.

Although most people use some form of synthetic skincare product. Natural ingredients are generally considered safer than synthetic alternatives. If you’ve been using synthetic skincare products your whole life, you may have noticed that from time-to-time you’ll break out in a rash when you switch to a new product.

Most people don’t experience huge issues, but for those of us with sensitive skin, synthetic ingredients can lead to some more severe skin problems.

Switching to skincare products that contain all natural ingredients won’t completely alleviate the risk of acne, rashes or itchy skin, but it will reduce that risk. Natural and homoeopathic skincare products are typically more gentle on the skin - leading to less irritation.

Now - the elephant in the room. The environment. 

We all know that natural products are better for the environment, because they are, well, natural. But just how detrimental are synthetic ingredients to our world?

Well… every time you wash your face using a synthetic skincare product or put your clothes in the washing machine with a scoop-ful of chemical-laden washing detergent, those products go down our drains and into our local sewage systems, eventually leading to our rivers and oceans. These products can affect our reefs, aquatic wildlife and lead to a lot more plastic in our oceans. Several studies compiled by brightly here show the extent of the problem around the world. If you shave using synthetic shaving foam, gel or soap, your shaving routine is contributing to environmental waste.

Benefits of making homemade shaving cream DIY

Natural ingredients may be better for our health and the environment, but surely it’s easier to just visit your local zero waste store and buy some shaving cream rather than shop for all of the ingredients and spend hours upon hours mixing and scooping, just to find out that your own homemade shaving lotion is not that good. Why not leave it to the experts instead?

Well… Here are a few reasons why you might decide to make a simple DIY shaving cream at home.

Cost savings

Purchasing the ingredients to make a simple homemade shaving cream recipe is not as expensive as you might think. For now, take our word that it’s cheaper and we’ll give you a full price breakdown later on a per/ recipe basis!

Customisation

When you purchase shaving cream from a store, you’re limited to what the brand chooses to make. If you make DIY shaving cream at home, you can modify the scent and consistency to suit your individual taste. You can also batch make homemade shaving cream to last you even longer!

Quality control

At Jungle Culture our shaving soap bars are made using only high-quality natural ingredients, but other shaving creams may use low-quality ingredients that cause harm to your skin.

Making shaving cream at home means that you guarantee only the ingredients that you feel comfortable with.

Convenience

Hear us out. The first time you make shaving cream at home, things may get a little messy. You have to run around purchasing different ingredients, you might spill some things… we won’t pull wool over your eyes, it may take a few hours.

But once you have the ingredients, you can make DIY shaving cream at home in bulk to last you up to one full year. We’ve all experienced those moments when you run out of shaving cream and need to run to the shop to grab some. Does that sound convenient?

Incidentally, if you do run out of shaving cream, here are the best alternatives to shaving cream that are lying around the house.

Sense of accomplishment

Much like producing a good meal, making your own shaving cream at home can give you a tremendous sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. DIY shaving cream is also a fantastic starting point for making other cosmetics at home, so jump right in and give it a go, then enjoy the sense of wellbeing afterwards!

P.s. It’s also a great conversation starter!

What Ingredients are needed to make homemade shaving cream?

All shaving creams are structurally similar, the only difference is the specific ingredients.

When preparing homemade shaving cream, you need 4 basic types of ingredients:

A base - Our shaving creams always use a coconut oil base, but you can use almond oil, beeswax or a number of other options.

A lubricant - Unlike body and face soaps, shaving cream typically contains a lubricant to help your sustainable safety razor glide over your skin. Shea butter is a great, cheap and easy to find lubricant.

A soothing element -Similarly, body soaps normally do not contain a soothing element, but shaving can be rough on a person’s skin, so all of the best shaving creams contain something like aloe vera to help soothe your skin. Shea butter does a pretty good job at this too, so additional soothing ingredients are not always necessary.

Fragrance -Most diy shaving cream recipes include a scent which can be created by adding essential oils to your recipe. It’s important to be cautious when adding essential oils as adding too much, or the wrong type can irritate your skin. Follow the recipes below carefully, and if you’re substituting a different essential oil, make sure to check with a trustworthy source before doing so.

Here is a guide to using essential oils safely

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe 1: Coconut Oil Shaving Cream

Ingredients:
2 x tablespoons coconut oil
1 x tablespoon shea butter
1-2 x drops essential oil (optional, for scent)

Instructions:

1. Melt the coconut oil and shea butter in the microwave or on the hob.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in essential oils (if you are using them).
3. Pour the mixture into a container, let it cool and solidify.
4. At this point you can use your recipe like a shaving lotion, or you can whip it for a few minutes using a handheld whisk to create a shaving cream.

 

Recipe 2: Almond Oil Shaving Cream

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup of almond oil
1/4 Cup of shea butter
2 x Tablespoons of beeswax
1-2 x drops essential oil (optional, for scent)

Instructions:

1. Melt the almond oil, beeswax and shea butter in the microwave or on the hob.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in essential oils (if you are using them).
3. Pour the mixture into a container, let it cool and solidify.
4. At this point you can use your recipe like a shaving lotion, or you can whip it for a few minutes using a handheld whisk to create a shaving cream.

 

Recipe 3: Honey Shaving Cream

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup of honey
1/4 Cup of coconut oil
1/4 Cup of shea butter
1-2 x drops essential oil (optional, for scent)

Instructions:

1. Melt the coconut oil and shea butter in the microwave or on the hob.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in essential oils (if you are using them).
3. Pour the mixture into a container, let it cool and solidify.
4. At this point you can use your recipe like a shaving lotion, or you can whip it for a few minutes using a handheld whisk to create a shaving cream.

Please Note: These recipes can be used as a basic and simple starting point for making a cost-effective DIY shaving cream at home. If you’d like to add more ingredients, these recipes can be customised to suit your individual taste preference.

Warning: Not all essential oils are safe to use on your skin. Some can cause rashes, irritation or may even be toxic. It is vitally important to do your research before selecting an essential oil.

With that said, many essential oils are safe and regularly used in skincare products. A lot of essential oils also provide a range of benefits. Here are a few examples of essential oils that are commonly used in skincare products:

Lavender oil: Known for its calming and soothing properties. Lavender essential oils are great for sleep and relaxation.

Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It can help reduce irritation and acne on skin.

Frankincense oil: Long been known to help reduce the appearance of scars and help ageing skin.

Chamomile oil: Calming and soothing, chamomile oil is great for sensitive skin.

Rose oil: Often used in beauty products targeted at the elderly. Rose oil is thought to reduce wrinkles and improve the appearance of ageing skin.

When using essential oils, it is essential to dilute them before using them on your skin as they can be very concentrated. A good rule of thumb is to use no more than a few drops of essential oils per/250g (1 ounce) of shaving cream. You can also put 1 drop of the essential oil you’d like to use in a small amount of shaving cream and test this on the back of your hand to make sure that you do not have an adverse reaction.

Don’t forget to experiment with different ratios of shea butter, oils and other ingredients to create a consistency that suits your skin type.

Final Thoughts

We’re all guilty of falling into the trap of ordering online, buying out of convenience and never trying to make things ourselves. But making shaving cream at home really isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s one of the easiest cosmetic products to make and there should be nothing holding you back.

The ingredients to make natural shaving cream at home are cheap, accessible and can be purchased online or at most supermarkets. The recipes are probably more simple than your last breakfast and the time it takes to make shaving cream at home is minimal.

If shaving cream is not your thing, don’t worry. We’ll be posting recipes teaching you how to make shaving lotion, how to make shaving soap, how to make shaving gel and more over the coming months!

After reading this blog, hopefully you have the confidence to start making shaving cream DIY style at home and if you don’t, let us know what’s holding you back and we’ll try to help and maybe give you that extra push you need!