This DIY shave cream with essential oils is an easy homemade shaving cream recipe that leaves skin soft and smooth. Made with natural ingredients, it’s a budget-friendly frugal beauty project that’s perfect for women’s skincare or men’s grooming. Adding essential oils gives this natural shave cream a fresh scent while helping to moisturize and protect skin. A simple DIY skincare idea that’s healthier and cheaper than store-bought shaving products.
As someone with chronic dry skin that just won’t hold moisture to save my life, having a great shave cream is so important. I need one that doesn’t give me shave bumps, but also is super moisturizing. Most store bought ones don’t do the job and the ones that do are usually super expensive.
Enter this DIY shave cream! I have been making it since around 2012 and I will never use anything else again! Once you try it, you won’t either.
This DIY shave cream recipe may sound complicated, but I promise you, it really isn’t. If you’ve made DIY beauty products before, you’ll have no issues. And even if you’re a beginner, you’ll pick it up pretty quickly.
With a handful of natural ingredients and a few spare moments, you can whip up a lather that not only gives you a close and comfortable shave but also nourishes your skin, leaving it hydrated and healthy.
Now, doesn’t that sound like an upgrade from the foam that comes out of a can?
What Are the Ingredients for Homemade Shave Cream?
The secret to a top-tier homemade shave cream is in the ingredients. I won’t get into specifics for the sake of time, but without top shelf ingredients, your final product won’t be at its best.
First, let’s talk about essential oils. The lifeblood of plants, a good, quality essential oil can make or break your shave cream. Not only that, but they help to customize exactly what you want from the cream you make.
Lavender essential oil creates a skin soothing and relaxing shave cream. Sweet orange oil or Peppermint oil can help to wake you up for groggy mornings. Tea Tree oil has antimicrobial properties that protect from razor burn and finally Sandalwood oil gives you a warm and rich scent that will make you feel “fancy” as you shave.
Honestly, the options are endless for customizing your own DIY shave cream anyway you want.
When it comes to essential oils, brand does not matter nearly as much as some would have you believe. What matters is purity. If an oil is not pure essential oil, you run the risk of it being cut with an ingredient you may not want in your final product. Common things oils can be cut with are water, olive oil, jojoba oil, rubbing alcohol and more.
On to the next magic ingredient: shea butter. Shea butter is a skin superfood that comes from the shea tree. It is vitamins A and E rich which make it perfect for your skin. Vitamin E is usually used as a preservative in homemade beauty recipes and Vitamin A is great for skin issues like acne and eczema.
In a shaving cream, they both help you create a thick, luxurious lather for shave cream that also protects and nurtures your skin.
This homemade shave cream recipe also uses castile soap and coconut oil. Coconut oil is extremely moisturizing and helps to solidify your shave cream a bit more than just pure shea butter would. You can use any castile soap you want. If you have bar castile soap on hand, follow THESE instructions to make homemade liquid castile soap. That way you’ll save even more money!
How Do You Make Homemade Shave Cream?
One final tip about making homemade shave cream is that you must use a cold, metal bowl. The reason for this is that the coconut oil and shea butter melt easily. In a cold, metal bowl, they will both stay solid long enough to whip up into the creamy texture you’re looking for. For absolute best results, stick your bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes before you make this.
I also recommend using a hand mixer over a stand mixer. In order to whip the ingredients, you will want a faster speed than a stand mixer usually gives. You can do it with a stand mixer, but it does tend to take a little longer.
Making DIY shave cream is fun, but it’s so much more than that. It is a window into the beauty of homemade beauty products and a great way to make self-care a cinch!
Homemade Shave Cream
Equipment
- 3-4 4 oz jelly jar
Ingredients
- ⅓ C. Coconut Oil
- ⅓ C. Shea Butter
- 1 Tbsp. Castile Soap Unscented
- 10-15 Drops Essential Oil of your choice
- ½ tsp. Vitamin E Oil Optional
Instructions
- Place mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes and allow the coconut oil and shea butter to come to room temperature.
- Add coconut oil and shea butter and beat with a hand mixer until fully combined and until the mixture tripled in size. If the coconut oil begins to melt, place the entire bowl back in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it down.1/3 C. Coconut Oil, 1/3 C. Shea Butter
- Once the mixture has tripled in size and has a whipped texture, add both the castile soap, the Vitamin E oil if using, and the essential oils.1 Tbsp. Castile Soap, 10-15 Drops Essential Oil, 1/2 tsp. Vitamin E Oil
- Whip gently for a few moments until both are fully incorporated.
- Spoon the homemade shave cream into jars and store in the fridge with lids on. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
Notes
- Store homemade shave cream in an airtight container in the fridge as the coconut oil will melt and the entire mixture will liquefy if kept at room temperature.
- Use of vitamin E oil will preserve it for longer, however, use the mixture within 2-3 weeks for best results.