The most dangerous part of your shaving routine doesn't involve the razor, it's the shave gels and creams you lather on. Like most products, shave gels and creams contain harmful ingredients. These ingredients, glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, TEA, and mineral oil are toxic. You use hot water when you shave which opens up your pores. This allows the shave gel/cream to penetrate deeper into the skin. You also exfoliate the dead skin while shaving. This leaves you with a fresh new layer of skin that is highly porous and soaks up the gel/cream. Since you shave every day, or every other day, these chemicals can leave your skin irritated, dry, and with red itchy bumps. Yuck!
So what can you do? Make your own. I use the below recipe and I love it.
Shave Gel
1/2 cup Dr Bronner's liquid Castile soap
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 tsp salt (this acts as a preservative)
2 Tbsp vegetable glycerin
2 Tbsp pure aloe vera gel (make sure you buy one that's 100% pure, like this )
8 drops of essential oil (optional, I left this out because I used a scented Dr Bronner's)
Dissolve the salt in the hot water then add remaining ingredients. Transfer to a pump bottle.
If you don't want to make your own, here are a few good chemical free ones
Shea Moisture Shave Creme - coconut hibiscus shave butter creme
Dr Bronner's Shaving Soaps - shaving soap
