jar of homemade shaving cream next to safety razor on tile floor

Make Shaving Cream

Week 17

The day I had to start paying for my own shaving cream was the day I decided it was no longer a necessity. Even once I could afford to pay my rent and non-ramen groceries without working weekends, I still opted for the ol' soap and hot water technique. This week, my solely monetary concerns were enhanced by environmental concerns. There are so many toxic ingredients in regular shaving cream that I'm slowly trying to phase out of my life including parabens, sulfates, and pthalates.

When I started searching for all natural alternatives, I found DIY recipes and suddenly, I felt like I could get back in the shaving cream game! I tried out a few recipes that left my skin itchy, blotchy, or oily, but after a few alterations, I found a combination that works for me. The castile soap did a great job of cutting the oil and the baking soda was the magic ingredient that prevented razor burn.

This recipe takes about five minutes to make and lasts for two or three months. You really only need about a quarter size dollop per leg. Feel free to play around with this recipe to find what works best for your skin.

What you'll need:

  • 1/3 cup shea butter
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp castile soap
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • Air tight jar or container. I used a 4oz mason jar, but you can reuse an empty sour cream tub or something similar.

Let's make some shaving cream!

  1. chunks of coconut oil and shea butter in glass mixing cup

    Put your coconut oil and shea butter in a mixing cup and pop it in the microwave for 45 seconds.

  2. whisk mixing coconut oil and shea butter in silver bowl

    Mix the coconut oil and shea butter until smooth.

  3. tablespoon of olive oil being added to coconut oil mixture

    Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until creamy.

  4. mixture transferred from silver bowl to small glass jar

    Spoon mixture into air tight jar or container and keep sealed between uses.

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