Best Shaving Creams For Sensitive Skin & Razor Bumps

When getting a close and comfortable shave, you must ensure everything is on point to achieve the best results.

This includes the required prep to your skin beforehand, a sharp and suitable razor blade, and the right kind of shave cream.

However, if you have overly sensitive skin, you have no room for error; otherwise, you will be in discomfort and misery long after you finish shaving.

While we recently went over the best razors for sensitive skin, we wanted to dedicate an entire article to determining the best shave cream for men with sensitive skin.

Why?

Because without a quality shave cream, any razor will fail to deliver outstanding results for your skin.  

Here are a few that we think you’ll like:

Best Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin

RankingShaving CreamContains Natural Ingredients?Contains FragranceSize (in ounces)PricePrice per OunceAward
1Taylor of Old Bond Street – Natural Shaving CreamYesNo5.30$19$3.58Best Overall
2Jack Black Beard LubeYesNo6.00$17$2.83Natural Base
3Proraso Sensitive Skin Shave CreamYesYes5.20$10$1.92Fan Favorite
4Art Of Shaving Unscented Shaving CreamYesNo5.00$28$5.60Upgrade Pick
5Truefitt & HillYesYes6.70$34$5.07Non-Comedogenic

1. Best Overall: Taylor of Old Bond Street – Natural Shaving Cream

taylor of old bond street organic shave cream

Relying on just a few core ingredients and absent of any parabens or fragrances will make this offering by Taylor of Old Bond Street one of our favorite shaving creams on this list.

Men with sensitive skin will love this shave cream using aloe, jojoba, and glycerin, along with a few other core ingredients to provide a slick lubricated base.

Like many of the shave creams we are reviewing here, Taylor of Old Bond Street does require a shave brush to whip up a thick and creamy lather.

Many men will try using this shave cream sans shave brush; we wouldn’t recommend this as you genuinely won’t be drawing out the product’s best features.

But application aside, this shave cream’s nature guarantees a soft base to make your razor blade glide effortlessly with each pass. There is a reason why Taylor of Old Bond Street has existed since 1854 – it simply works incredibly well.

So, if you have sensitive skin or just a mild degree of sensitivity, this shave cream will get you closer to achieving better after-shave relief.

What customers are saying: Customers highly recommend this shaving cream for sensitive skin, saying that it provides a close shave and produces a great lather when used with a brush. Some mention having issues with shipping, and a few found the scent of the Sandalwood version to be too strong.

Pros

  • A age-old shave cream that has withstood the test of time.
  • A favorite among men around the world.
  • Aloe, jojoba, and glycerin provide a slick lubricated base

Cons

  • It does require a shave brush to get the most out of the product.

2. Natural Base: Jack Black Beard Lube

jack black beard lube

Unlike Taylor of Old Bond Street, which has been around for over 150 years, Jack Black is a much newer entrant in the men’s grooming world.

With a wide variety of skincare products ranging from moisturizers to eye creams and everything in between, Jack Black can be the ‘one-stop shop’ for many men constantly working to look better and younger.

So how does their beard lube work for men with sensitive skin?

Like many Jack Black products – terrific.

Using a heavy base of natural ingredients, men with sensitive skin should see minimal adverse side effects that they typically experience when using a gel or chemical-based compound.

When you look at the back of this beard lube (i.e., shave cream), you will find ingredients complimenting your sensitive skin, including jojoba oilheather extractmacadamia seed oilpeppermint oil help retain the water in your skin’s moisture barrier.

One ingredient that stands out in this product, especially for men with sensitive skin, is Cetearyl alcohol.

Unlike single-chain (or called ‘simple’) alcohols, Cetearyl alcohol is fatty alcohol (long-chain).

This means that instead of drying out your skin like denatured alcohol, Cetearyl alcohol works in the opposite manner to help deliver an additional layer of moisture and be an emulsifier for the shaving cream.

Cetearyl alcohol is often derived from coconut rather than chemicals.

Beyond the ingredients, this Beard Lube by Jack Black is also a latherless shave cream; it goes on in an incredibly thin layer, making it easy to see when you make the strokes with a cartridge or safety razor.

Secondly, given its latherless nature, you don’t have to worry about picking up a shave brush upon checkout – making it a straightforward product to work into your existing shave regimen.

Lastly, if you visit the Jack Black website, you can find this beard lube in different sizes, including those under the strict TSA 3.4oz liquid rule.

What customers are saying: This shaving cream provides a smooth and comfortable shave with a pleasant eucalyptus scent. It is ideal for sensitive skin and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth after use.

Pros

  • Great for men with sensitive skin
  • Latherless shave cream goes on thin and easy to see
  • Different sizes available, including TSA-friendly 3.4oz

Cons

  • Some may prefer a shaving cream with lather
  • More expensive than some other options

3. Fan Favorite: Proraso Sensitive Skin Shave Cream

proraso sensitive skin shave cream

The classic Italian shave company Proraso knows a thing or two about delivering excellent shave products.

Like Taylor of Old Bond Street, Proraso has been around for several years (since 1908, to be exact) and caters to men with different skin types, including those that skew a bit more sensitive.

The white-label product line by Proraso has been specially formulated to take care of men with sensitive skin.

Offered in both a traditional shave cream and a shave soap, it’s up to you to decide which form factor works better in your workflow.

However, if it’s your first time jumping into more traditional shave products, we recommend a cream as it’s easier to generate a rich lather with minimal effort and know-how.

So, what makes the Proraso white label line different from the rest?

Primarily two key ingredients: oatmeal extract and green tea.

When these two work together, they will help not only provide anti-oxidant properties through the green tea extract (which is crucial in fighting free radicals), but it will also provide a post-shave soothing effect that will help to ward off any pronounced irritation or redness.

Men with mild to sensitive skin will benefit from this shave cream.

If you are looking for a more traditional European offering that has withstood the test of time, Proraso will make a fine choice. Also, even though this shave cream comes in a tube form, it still will require a shave brush to achieve the best results.

What customers are saying: Customers enjoy the easy lather and pleasant smell of this shaving cream, finding it to provide a slick and comfortable shave. Some customers have concerns about packaging and the cream being thinner compared to other versions, but overall, it is considered a great product, especially for sensitive skin and traveling.

Pros

  • Offered in cream and soap, you can pick the one that is right for you.
  • Provides a post-shave soothing effect
  • Proven brand

Cons

  • Requires a shave brush to achieve the best results

4. Upgrade Pick: Art Of Shaving Unscented Shaving Cream

art of shaving shave cream unscented

Art of Shaving is likely going to be one of the more familiar offerings on this list. While this shave cream will help quell any post-shave blues for men with sensitive skin, it does tend to cost a bit more than many of the other offerings on our list.

For example, the Taylor of Old Bond Street shave cream costs roughly about $3.20 per ounce, whereas Art of Shaving can set you back to around $5.00 per ounce – a whopping 56% increase in price.

Price aside, there is a reason why you find the Art of Shaving so highly revered among other men with sensitive skin, the formula base of glycerin and coconut acid will help to ensure that your face feels smooth to the touch, absent of any irritation long after you shave.

So, if you have chronic pain in your neck coupled with a razor burn, this shave cream can help remedy many of those issues.

For men with super sensitive skin, this shave cream is for you.

Just expect to pay for this performance with your wallet.

Note: Art of Shaving instructs that this shave cream can be used with or without a brush.

What customers are saying: Customers enjoy the shaving cream for its effectiveness on sensitive skin and lasting power, but some have concerns about the increasing price and old packaging.

Pros

  • Very effective at reducing razor burn and irritation
  • Glycerin and coconut oil based formula leaves skin feeling smooth

Cons

  • One of the more expensive shave creams on the market

5. Non-Comedogenic: Truefitt & Hill

truefitt and hill shave cream

Another shave cream that has been designed especially for men with sensitive skin is this offering by Truefitt & Hill.

In business for over 200 years, Truefitt & Hill is the crème de la crème when it comes to shaving creams. It’s considered by many to be the Rolls Royce of the shave cream world – and a price tag to equally match it.

But what makes this cream so much better than others on the list?

Several factors:

For starters, Truefitt & Hill smartly excludes any other fragrances to this cream. So sensitive skin or not, you won’t be applying any unnecessary chemicals to your face when you use this cream. But not only that, if you plan on using a cologne or body spray, this shave cream acts as a great complementary product as you won’t be carrying conflicting fragrances on your skin.

But when it comes to shaving comfort, here’s where it shines:

Of course, Truefitt & Hill will also work if you have occasional acne (if you have heavy acne, you will want to check out the Neutrogena Gel, which we also cover in this article).

Its natural non-comedogenic properties ensure that this shave cream doesn’t cause a significant uptick in acne post-use.

We found that many men who have mild acne but desire a close shave recommend this shave cream repeatedly due to this product’s excellent results.

Expect close and rewarding results with this shave cream after a single use.

Unfortunately, it’s tricky to find this cream in stores (save for the boutique stores in larger cities), so online will be your best bet.

What customers are saying: Customers praise the cream’s pleasant smell, thick lather, and smooth coverage. They also mention that it works well for sensitive skin and provides lasting results. However, there were some reports of damaged products upon arrival.

Pros

  • 200 years of experience
  • Great for sensitive skin
  • Gives a close shave

Cons

  • Difficult to find in stores
  • Pricey

Adam Williams

As the lead editor of Tools of Men, Adam loves men's grooming products. Particularly of interest is managing facial hair and perfecting the art of the modern man's skincare routine. His work has been featured or quoted in several publications, including New York Magazine, Vice, Sharpologist, MIC, Elite Daily, and more. When Adam isn't working, he enjoys spending time with his two little kids who keep him both on his toes and young at heart.

Ask a Question