The Best (Sustainable) Shaving Soaps for Sensitive Skin
Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
Finding a sustainable shaving soap or cream for your sensitive skin that you like can be tricky. If you hope to make a green, earth-friendly choice, consider shaving soap bars! Going plastic-free in your health and personal care routine doesn’t have to be difficult. Switching from old-fashioned non-recyclable shaving cream canisters to shaving soap and brush is one of the easiest eco-friendly changes you can make. Let us help you find the perfect shaving soaps for your sensitive skin!
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Why You Should Choose a Shaving Soap Bar
Sustainable Packaging for Shaving soaps
First, let’s consider the packaging. Typically, shaving creams come in an aerosol container, which we’ve known for some time now are harmful to the environment. In case we’ve forgotten, here is a citation from NASA to remind you – “(the term aerosol) was used a lot by the media during the 1980s and 1990s to refer to the spray cans that released chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the air, which damage the ozone layer and created the ozone hole.”
Although most canisters of shaving cream can now be recycled in your curbside pickup, you will first need to empty the contents fully, remove the cap, and double-check that your city’s service does indeed accept the cans. There must be a better option for a responsible shaving routine.
And there is! Solid shaving soap can be purchased either naked or in eco-friendly packaging, such as recycled or recyclable paper or cardboard. No nasty CFCs are released into the air, and far fewer recyclable materials are used in the packaging.
Natural & Organic Ingredients
Many shaving creams and other beauty and personal care products contain harmful ingredients that can be damaging to your health and the environment. Here are a few of the main culprits:
- Sulfates – have been linked to many skin issues, such as irritation, clogged pores, acne, dry skin, rashes, and impaired hair growth. Sulfates also contribute to the acidification of water, something to think about when you rinse your cream down the drain.
- Fragrances – can be carcinogenic, irritating to the skin, trigger asthma, be animal-derived, etc. This article states, “More than 1,200 fragrance chemicals currently in use have been flagged as potential or known “chemicals of concern.” For this reason, you may want to choose an unscented shaving soap.
- Triethanolamine – also known as TEA, along with DEA (diethanolamine) and MEA (monoethanolamine), can be absorbed into the skin over prolonged use and have been linked to allergic reactions, eye irritation, skin, hair dryness, hormone disruption, and can develop cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines.
- Glycols – can cause rashes, dry skin, and allergies. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is petroleum based, and therefore terrible for the environment as well.
- PTFE – polytetrafluoroethylene, more commonly known as Teflon, is poisonous to birds and linked to osteoarthritis, breast cancer, early-onset menopause, and heart disease.
- BHT – butylated hydroxytoluene is a preservative commonly used in shaving cream and has been shown to cause hormone disruption in animals.
If these chemical ingredients can cause all this damage and ill effects on our skin and health, imagine what they do in our waterways after we wash them down the drain. I wouldn’t consider anything with these ingredients to be the best shaving soap for sensitive skin!
Time-honored tradition
There is something to be said about the picture of a man in a barber shop chair, draped in a protective cape, waiting while the barber masterfully whips up a lather with his brush and shaving soap. I’m not a man and don’t have a beard, but I can appreciate what it must feel like to have that thick, creamy shaving soap lather swiped off your face with a straight razor, leaving only smooth, fresh skin behind.
Although cream may require slightly less effort to create a shaving lather, soaps provide a more robust lubricating layer than creams. Unless you’re a beginner to shaving, once you master the technique, solid shave cream can create a thicker and more luxurious lather. Not to mention that if you treat it right, your shaving bar soap will last far longer than that canister of cream, and you can pack a shave soap for travel in your carry-on!
And let’s not forget that men aren’t the only ones with shaving needs. Any shaving soap bar suitable for a man’s sensitive skin is certainly acceptable as a shave soap for women (and all other gender identifiers) too!
What to look for if you have sensitive skin
Anyone would most certainly want to avoid all those awful ingredients mentioned above. Still, when you have sensitive skin, you’ll also need to look for more specific components. Firstly, all-natural and organic shaving soap is your friend. Look for organic and other personal care product third-party sustainability certifications – these are a good indicator that the product is sustainable and won’t contain harsh chemicals.
You will also need more specific ingredients that point towards shaving soap for sensitive skin – like moisturizing shea and cocoa butter or jojoba oil. You’ll want aloe vera, lavender, chamomile, or calendula to soothe your skin. Many organic bar soaps for shaving use bentonite clay for lather, which has been used to remove impurities on the skin and toxins from the body for thousands of years.
Although essential oils can add natural fragrance to a product, they can sometimes irritate sensitive skin, so be wary of them. A smart idea would be to do a patch test on your forearm or wrist before subjecting your face to any new personal care product!
The Best Sustainable Shaving Soaps for Sensitive Skin
You don’t have to sacrifice a beautiful shaving lather to find an organic shaving cream suitable for sensitive skin. The following sustainable health and beauty companies make some pretty awesome eco-friendly shave soaps!
Shaving Soap by Chagrin Valley
This gentle shaving soap bar is made without dyes, alcohol, or synthetic fragrance, but it’s loaded with plant oils and butters like shea, cocoa, and avocado to protect your sensitive skin. Non-GMO, Leaping Bunny Certified, and Certified Organic by OEFFA, you can choose between rugged spice and lemon-lime scents.
Beer Shave Soap Bar by Unearth Malee
With all the good, natural oils, including extra virgin olive oil and a high content castor seed oil, you’ll be sure to work up a creamy lather with this bar handmade in the U.S! You won’t find any palm oil, synthetic fragrances, parabens or chemical preservatives here either. The best part? The outside wrapper is made from plantable flower-seeded paper – so cute!
Tip-to-Toe 2-in-1 Shampoo & Shave Bar by Ethique
Free from glycols, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, palm oil, and more, this vegan women’s shaving soap will last at least 80 uses. The organic cocoa butter will create silky skin, and the citrus and peppermint oils will leave you with a fresh scent. Fun Earth-Friendly Facts – Ethique’s head office is powered by 100% renewable energy, and its packaging, padding, and shipping boxes can be composted at home!
Aloe Vera & Cooling Mint Shave Bar by Jungle Culture
The cooling mint extract with soothing aloe vera in this organic shaving soap will leave your face clean, soft, and feeling fresh. The bars are handmade by artisan soap makers in Vietnam and will be shipped to you in recycled boxes and paper. Jungle Culture is also a member of 1% for the Planet.
An honourable mention: the gender neutral moisturizing shave bar from woman-owned Canadian brand good juju.
Moisturizing Shave Bar – Good Juju
About this item:
- Fresh, with a little hint of musk
- Blend of organic essential oils is calming and relieves stress
- Each bar replaces as many as 5 cans of shaving cream
- Free from harmful ingredients like SLS, hormone disrupting parabens, and synthetic fragrances and dyes
If you really don’t want to use a shaving soap bar, this sustainable shaving cream alternative is a great choice!
Natural Shaving Lather by Butter Me Up Organics
Organic honey, mango butter, and coconut oil will moisturize your skin beautifully, leaving you with a subtle hint of peppermint. This non-irritation shaving cream will treat your sensitive skin right!
You know what else is a great sustainable swap for someone with sensitive skin? Trading in your chemical-laden toilet paper for some eco-friendly stuff, or even going all the way to a bidet! Don’t believe me? Let me convince you here.
Choosing the Right Tools
Once you’ve found the best all-natural shaving soap that works for you, it’s time to think about your tools. Solid shaving soap users tend to use a stiffer brush to bring out the shaving lather from the hard soap. Traditionally, boar bristles are used, but if you want vegan shaving products, they’re also available!
You will need a mug or dish to set your shaving cream bar in while you create your lather. Ceramics and wood are terrific choices, but you can always use any appropriately shaped dish from your kitchen for maximum sustainability! You will also want to keep your soap somewhere dry between shavings for maximum longevity.
You should also select a good quality multi-blade or a double-edged safety razor for a closer shave. Although straight razors may provide the closest shave of all, you should let the experts at the barber shop handle those!
Pivoting Head Stainless Steel Razor by Leaf Shave
With this stainless steel and zinc spring-loaded pivoting head razor, you can choose from 1-3 blades for versatility, making it one of the best shavers for sensitive skin. It has a lifetime warranty, and used blades can be returned to Leaf for proper recycling.
Chagrin Valley Shaving Set
Get all three essentials for high-end shaving in the best shaving brush, soap, and bowl set. The beautiful bowl is hand-turned from beautiful, sustainable, Prickly Acacia wood, and the brush is made with synthetic badger hair made to feel like the real thing (and protect our furry friends!) This old-fashioned shaving kit also comes with one bar of shaving soap for sensitive skin (described above).
Bamboo Soap Shelf by No Tox Life
To increase the longevity of your shaving soap puck, you’ll want to store it somewhere dry between uses. This minimalist soap shelf is made with Moso bamboo and is 100% compostable at the end of life.
After You Shave your sensitive skin sustainably
After shaving, you can keep your skin and beard soft and manageable with these fantastic eco-friendly and sustainable products.
Organic Beard Wash – Butter Me Up Organics
About this Item:
- Organic and free of any synthetic ingredients
- BPA free squeeze bottle.
- All-natural and non- toxic premium ingredients
- Non-GMO
- Completely cruelty-free, vegan shaving product
- No sulfates, phthalates or parabens
- Labels printed on recycled paper using eco-friendly soy-based inks
- Zero waste company
Natural Beard BAlm – Roosevelt Grooming Company, LLC
About this Item:
- Plant-powered blend of all natural ingredients and nourishing oils
- Vegan & cruelty free.
- Plastic Free
- Available in a 2oz metal tin that can be recycled.
- Choose between Marcy Summit, Adirondack, or Unscented.
Moisturize Juniper + Hemp – cocoon apothecary
About this Item:
- Contain valuable antioxidants that can help minimize the visible signs of aging
- Innovative formula also creates a breathable barrier that can safeguard the skin after shaving, promoting optimal healing and protection.
- Helps heal dry, irritated skin
- Offers a convenient bottle recycling program.
Final Thoughts about shaving soap for sensitive skin
Finding the best zero-waste shaving options for sensitive skin is now easier than saying that tongue twister quickly five times! Look for all-natural, organic ingredients free of the harmful chemicals listed above. Whether you’re shaving your face, legs, or anywhere else, choosing an eco-friendly shaving cream or soap bar and tools can help you lead a more sustainable lifestyle!
Remember, every journey begins with just one single step, and the road to green grooming solutions is no different!
All products recommended to you on Successfully Sustainable are independently researched in depth. To avoid waste and lead a minimal lifestyle, we test products only when required. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about this here.
