Men need homemade gifts, too! I already shared a unisex lotion bar recipe, so this week I thought I’d continue the self-care trend with a homemade shaving cream recipe.
This works great for men who prefer the brush and lather method, but it works fine for the ladies, too!
It’s very moisturizing and I selected two essential oils – citronella and cedar oil – that are known for their insect repellent properties. You can, of course, use any scents you’d like, or even no scent at all, but the more woodsy, masculine oils seemed appropriate for this project.
Alternatively, you can change up the scents and just make it as a fantastically moisturizing cream! This is not a soap, so you can use it for deep nourishment of skin in need of hydration.
I decided to write this recipe after experiencing somewhat annoying failure with a couple of other recipes I found online. To me, they contained way too much oil and simply turned into a near-liquid at room temperature.
I wanted whipped, creamy shaving cream goodness!
This recipe is more solid and very moisturizing, making it idea for cooler weather use and for legs. Ladies, don’t be afraid to make this for yourself instead of giving it as a gift to a man! I chose to use cocoa butter instead of shea butter for this project becuase shea butter is a bit more solid and I live in a warm area. It does have a chocolatly aroma you may want to take into consideration when planning your scents. Alternatively, you can simply use shea butter – it works just as well and is actually slightly easier to melt.
You can substitute shea butter or mango butter if you’d like!
This tutorial is amazingly easy – the hardest part is waiting for the mixture to cool down so you can whip it!
1. Combine the cocoa butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is melted and combined. You can use a double boiler set up if you’d like, but as long as you heat on low and remove the pan from the heat when the cocoa butter is melted, you should be fine without a double boiler.
2. Off the heat, stir in the almond oil and essential oils.
3. Refrigerate until the mixture is almost solid and remove it from the fridge.
4. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat until the mixture is noticeably creamy. This should take 1-2 minutes. Even the heat of the mixer may start to melt the coconut oil – don’t stress. It will resolidify at room temperature.
5. Transfer the mixture to a class or plastic container with a tightly fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark place and enjoy!
Additional tip – If you live in a hot climate, you may want to add a tablespoon or two of kaolin clay. This helps keep the shaving cream more solid and acts as an exfoliant. If you’re in a cold climate and want to add the clay, you may also want to add at extra tablespoon of almond oil.
Whenever you use essential oils for a project like this, it’s vital to make sure you use ones that are 1) safe for topical use and 2) pure essential oils, not chemical “fragrance oils.” I used to exclusively use DoTerra essential oils, but a lot has changed in the years since then! There are so many brands available these days that you really have to go with what feels best for you and your family. I currently mostly purchase NOW Foods essential oils when I need something new. Just make sure to read the description – they have some that aren’t pure essential oils, but they are clearly marked.
Citronella essential oil can cause irritation and burning especially for individuals with sensitive skin. Lemon eucalyptus essential oil has the same bug repelling constituent as citronella but in a concentration that is safe to put directly onto the skin.
Both of us have pretty sensitive skin and regularly use a lotion bar with citronella without problems, but it’s good to know citronella irritates some folks!
Just finished making a batch of this and can’t quite get the creamy whipped texture. I can get it to a creamy whipped texture, but as soon as it touches my skin, it melts and when I leave it in room temperature, it hardens and becomes more like a butter. It still will work for shaving, and I absolutely love this recipe and the way it smells, but I am wondering if you have any tips for me. I live in Dallas, Texas, but it is about 30 degrees right now! brrrrr. Would love to hear any of your thoughts. Thanks!
Eek, that’s cold! I would remelt it and add a little more almond oil. As in, two tablespoons or less! It’s your ‘liquid’ component that won’t stiffen up in the cold. You might want add just about a tablespoon, see how things go, and work from there. When I originally tried to make this, I used more almond oil than the finished recipe and it ended up being almost a liquid, overall! It was also a lot warmer than 30, though.