Post date: September 19, 2023 | Adventure
Clear Shave Gel vs Shaving Cream | Which is Better?
For decades, foamy shaving creams have taken over the market and found their way into the homes of most men. However, since the recently increased popularity of facial hair, there’s been a shaving revolution towards the way these shaving products work, thus introducing clear shave gel.
Shaving gel is very different than shaving cream, yet works fundamentally the same way, to increase the “slickness” and “glide” of the razor on the skin to avoid irritation, cuts, and more.
The difference between shaving gel and shaving cream lies in their intended purpose, and how you decide to use them. Although this might sound confusing at first, let’s dive in deeper to see who could truly benefit from clear shaving gel, and who should use shaving cream.
Why Use Lubricating Shaving Products?
A sharp quality razor is obviously the first step in shaving, but even a razor sharp blade can cause issues and tugging when used without some kind of lubricating product.
Put simply, human skin is sensitive, especially when dragging sharp metal objects over it. And as I’m sure anyone who has “dry shaved” before can tell you, it’s not a pleasant experience to do so.
Using a lubricating or razor gliding product like shaving cream or shave gel helps the razor slice cleanly through the hair without catching on the skin and cutting, burning, or causing other issues.
The Difference Between Shaving Gel and Shaving Cream
The main differences between shaving gel and shaving cream are the following 3 categories:
- consistency
- precision
- convenience
Let’s dive in to each of these categories before choosing an ultimate winner!
Consistency
Although these two shaving tools are meant to help your razor glide smoothly, the biggest difference comes down to their consistency.
Shaving cream, the staple shaving product for so long, tends to foam up and produce a light and airy kind of texture that masks the entire area you apply it to. Shaving gel, on the other hand, doesn’t tend to foam up, and instead, keeps a dense translucent consistency.
Shaving cream tends to be opaque, meaning that it will cover and mask the area you apply it to, while shaving gels are often translucent, allowing you to see the skin and hair underneath. This makes the biggest difference in terms of which of these products you should choose.
Precision
Shaving cream rose to popularity in the early 1900s when men were expected to be more clean shaven. At that point, having full beards and facial hair was “out”, and it mostly stayed that way until the 60s and 70s.
Because of this, shaving cream was great because it showed you everywhere your razor has not already shaved yet, because of it’s opaque and foamy character. In other words, shaving cream is great if you plan on shaving everywhere that the shaving cream covers.
However, shaving gel is starting to grow in popularity. Due to the relatively recent increase in the popularity of facial hair, people wanted a product that let them see where their hair lines start and stop precisely.
The translucent and see-through property of shaving gel is super useful for guys who want to sculpt the perfect beard lines around their neck and cheeks, because they can see exactly where the hair line is, and how far their razor should go every single time.
Put simply, shaving gel is great for guys who try and perfectly sculpt their facial hair instead of shaving everything off at once.
Convenience
One important note here is that shaving creams tend to be a bit messier than shaving gels. Creams also often require you to wet the skin or wash the cream off towards the ends, otherwise you’ll get white streaks in your beard or clothes.
Shaving gel, on the other hand, tends to remain clear and doesn’t put marks on clothes, and also doesn’t even require water or wetting your skin before applying and shaving.
Traveling with these products is also an important consideration. Shaving creams are often aerosolized or come in pressurized cans that can be inconvenient (and in some cases, dangerous) to travel with. Shaving gels are not often pressurized, and can be more easily packed in smaller travel-sized bottles like Volt’s travel sized clear shave gel.
Which is Right For You? Clear Shave Gel or Shaving Cream?
In most cases, we would recommend the newer shaving gel for most guys out there. Not only does it give you the option to shave off all your hair like shaving cream does, but it also helps you style any facial hair you wish to keep by showing you your beard lines in real time as you shave. This makes shaving gel more versatile.
Shaving gel also tends to be a bit more useful and safe to travel with, because it doesn’t require pressurization or aerosol. And shaving gel can be used without the need for water. Not to mention most shave gels include a lot of cool benefits over shaving creams. Take Volt’s Clear Shave Gel for example.
Why Choose Volt’s Clear Shave Gel?
Volt Clear Shave Gel is packaged in a refillable aluminum bottle, meaning you’ll never have to throw away any plastic bottles of shaving gel, butter, or cream ever again. Just grab yourself a 900ml aluminum Volt refill pouch of shaving gel and refill your bottle which saves you money and helps the environment.
Volt’s Shave Gel contains the following things that re fairly rare to see in shaving creams.
Aloe Gel: Provides a slick glide while soothing burns or cuts.
Hyaluronic Acid: Moisturizes and hydrates skin while providing razor glide.
Menthol: Cools the skin while reducing irritation, inflammation, or burns.
Vitamin E: Contains antioxidants and supports healthy skin and hair.
Overall, between shaving gel and shaving cream, the winner is obvious. Clear shaving gel simply tends to be more versatile, more convenient, and more precise when it comes to sculpting beard lines and providing more skin and hair care during the shave. So, the winner is Clear Shaving Gel.
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