One of my clearest memories from early adolescence was the discovery of shaving cream, and how utterly wonderful it was. A thin stream of colourful gel would transform into abundant, creamy lather for an utterly decadent shaving experience that usually smelled like fruit salad and unicorn burps. It was one of 13-year-old Marie’s favourite things. Anyhow, I got to thinking about those compact cans of lathery joy a few months ago, and figured I could probably make something quite lovely using a foamer bottle and some of my favourite ingredients. It took a few tries, but I did it, and it’s wonderful.
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I knew this product would need two key elements to make a great shaving cream. Firstly, a low, rich latherāsomething to coat the skin and facilitate great razor slip. Secondly, we’d need some cationic, conditioning goodness. I learned from Susan about how well conditioner bars work for shaving, and I’ve loved that cationic feel + razors from the first time I tried it. I also wanted to include some anti-irritation ingredients and leave my skin feeling soft and hydrated, rather than dry and scratchy (which can definitely happen in the winter).
Because I wanted this shaving cream to dispense out of a foamer bottle, I had to keep the viscosity very low. This means keeping the solid ingredient content to a bare minimum. I knew I wanted to includeĀ Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate as one of my surfactants for its rich, low lather, but it’s also solid. My first formula used it at 8%, and that was definitely too muchānot only was the end product viscous enough that the foamer top struggled to dispense it, but after a few days there’d be a few millimetres of settled-out white powder at the bottom of the bottle. Aside from the viscosity issue, that version worked brilliantly once it was on your skināthe slip just went on and on, and I couldn’t believe how amazing my skin felt for a full 24 hours after shaving!
Our final surfactant blend is mostly liquid. There’s amphotericĀ Cocamidopropyl Betaine, anionicĀ Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, and non-ionicĀ Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside. The active surfactant matter of this shaving cream is 15%, which is considered a bit low for a body wash, but it works brilliantly. All of these surfactants have mildly acidic skin-friendly pHs as well, so we don’t have to worry about adjusting the pH of the end productāit falls around 5.5 as-is.
In keeping with our liquidy needs, all of our other ingredients are liquid or water soluble. I choseĀ polyquaternium 7 as the conditioning element, and it’s amazing. It gives this shaving cream the most incredible, long-lived, Ć¼ber-silky slip that is to die for. My bottle also doesn’t smell like dead fish, whereas my honeyquat has a distinct… whiff (and it’s one of the better bottles I’ve smelled). Vegetable glycerin helps keep skin hydrated, while panthenol helps fight irritation as well as boosting hydration.
We’ll round things off with our preservative and some fragrance or essential oils. Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside functions well as a solubilizer, allowing our choice of scented things to blend well with the end product. I elected to use a blend of some new fragrance oils from Windy Point that I’m rather smitten withāit’s sweet and a bit dusty and warm and mysterious and just…Ā swoon. Highly recommended if that’s your jam. If not, feel free to use something else, keeping safe usage rates in mind for whatever you do choose.
The final Foaming Shaving Cream is great. It’s definitely not the magically transforming gel in a canāI think it might be better. It provides amazing slip for your razor and it just keeps going. I’ll do a pass on my legs and then rub my hands up and down my calves again without dispensing any more product and BAM, I have more lather and slip and am ready for another round. My legs feel amazing for at least 24 hours after shavingāsmooth and soft and hydrated and just… swoon.Ā It’s fantastic. I even had a bearded fellow give it a go on his neck, and he liked it as well. If you are a person who shaves, give this stuff a try!
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Foaming Shaving Cream
Primary Heated Phase
24g | 12%Ā Cocamidopropyl Betaine (USA / Canada)
10g | 5%Ā Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) (USA / Canada)Secondary Heated Phase
123g | 61.5% distilled water
4g | 2% polyquaternium 7 (USA / Canada)
8g | 4%Ā vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)
24g | 12%Ā Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside (USA / Canada)
4g | 2%Ā panthenol powder (vitamin B5) (USA / Canada)Cool Down Phase
1.2g | 0.6% bourboned tobacco fragrance oil
0.4g | 0.2% amber romance fragrance oil
0.4g | 0.2% green Irish tweed fragrance oil
1g | 0.5%Ā Liquid Germall Plusā¢ (USA / Canada)Prepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
Weigh theĀ Cocamidopropyl Betaine andĀ Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateĀ into a small heat-resistant glass measuring cup. Place the measuring cup in your prepared water bath to melt everything through. This will probably take about half an hour.
While the first two surfactants are melting, weigh out the ingredients for the secondary heated phase. Once theĀ Cocamidopropyl Betaine andĀ Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate have formed a uniform paste, remove the measuring cup from the heat and add the secondary heated phase ingredients. Weigh the entire measuring cup and note that measurement before placing the measuring cup back in the water bath so theĀ Cocamidopropyl Betaine/Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate paste can dissolve into the water. I find this takes at least forty minutes.
When the mixture in the water bath is transparent and uniform, remove it from the heat. Weigh it, and top it back up to the originally noted weight with hot distilled water.
Let the mixture cool, either by leaving it alone for a few hours, by putting it in the fridge, or using an ice bath. Once cool, stir in your cool down ingredients and transfer to a 240mL (~8fl oz) foamer bottle.
To use, dispense a pump or two of foam into your palm and spread it over the area to be shaved (the skin and hair should already be wet). As you shave you can continue to work up more lather and slip, which is wonderful. Rinse off when you’re done and enjoy silky smooth, soft skin!
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this shaving foam/cream contains water, you must include a broad-spectrum preservative to ward off microbial growth. This is non-optional. Even with a preservative this project is likely to eventually spoil as our kitchens are not sterile laboratories, so in the event you notice any change in colour, scent, or texture, chuck it out and make a fresh batch.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 200g.
- I don’t recommend swapping out theĀ Cocamidopropyl Betaine or Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate. You could try Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSa) (USA / Canada) in place of the SCI.
- TheĀ polyquaternium 7 is the key to the smooth, conditioned, slippy wonderfulness of this product. You can try honeyquat instead, but I preferĀ polyquaternium 7āI find it to be more conditioning, and it smells much better.
- You can useĀ Coco Glucoside (USA / Canada) instead ofĀ Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, just be sure to test the pH and adjust if necessary asĀ Coco Glucoside is much more basic thanĀ Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside. You may also need to include some Polysorbate 20 to solubilize the fragrance/essential oils as Coco Glucoside is not as effective as a solubilizer asĀ Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside.
- Feel free to scent it as you please.
Ooh I really want to have a try of this. I do wish I could get someCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside. It’s only available in 500ml bottles here though, and at over Ā£20 before P&P it’s rather more than I want at the moment (If I don’t like it that’s a HUGE amount to waste). I will try this with coco glucoside though. There are no end of ‘shaving cream recipes around, but made shower clogging coconut oils etc. Thank you for this one Marie.
If you like coco glucoside I think c/c glucoside is a pretty safe bet š I find I’m choosing it over coco all the time now simply due to its lower pHāmy concoctions are much less likely to need adjusting with c/c compared to coco. But, yes, Ā£20 + shipping seems like quite a lot and I totally understand the aversion to adopting potentially unnecessary ingredients!
Dear Marie – Have been following you for several years and applaud your knowledge of chemistry! However, I am wondering about your use of fragrance oils… I have only heard how bad they are for people from several sources. I looked in your FAQ for information and found nothing. Could you please speak your opinion on this matter.
Thank you, Denise P.
I’ve actually made an entire video about this š https://youtu.be/GgQPzTBEM3Q
This one is also relevant: https://youtu.be/X_VRMwbcrZ4
Hi, I was wondering if this recipe is paraben free? I love the idea and cannot wait to make it! Thanks Lisa H
I think all of Marie’s recipes are paraben free Lisa.
Unless you see “parabens” in the ingredient list it is paraben free š
Hi Marie! I couldn’t get capyrl glucoside in my country , i can only get a hold of decyl glucoside, can i substitute with this?
And do I need to add any adjustments if i use decyl glucoside?
Decyl glucoside should work, but it does have a higher pH so you will need to test and adjust downwards š
I just made this. Hubby loves it and Iām going to make another batch.
We donāt have capryl glucoside so I used coco glucoside. I do have decyl glucoside – which would work better?
I used polysorbate 1:1 with my EO and only saw later in the comments they it should be 4:1. My solution looks clear though, no separation. Should I stick to 1:1?
Was thinking to sub some water with either witch hazel or aloe Vera extract. Reduce amount of water, and add these at cool down. What do you think ? Thanks so much. Love ya!
If what you’re doing is working, keep on keeping on! You could easily make the water/aloe/witch hazel swap, though the aloe may cause the mixture to thicken thanks to the electrolytes, so tread carefully thereātoo much viscosity and this won’t foam well. Happy making!
Hello can I use poly 80 maybe if donāt have capryll glucoside (however you spell it ;))? Please advise P.S. You are so creatively awesome.
You can’tāplease read this FAQ š
Could this product be used as shaving cream for men as well?
Absolutely!
I can’t seem to find just the caprylyl glycol for purchase only caprylyl glycol EHG. I’ve tried researching the difference but I cannot find any solid information that tells me the property differences in how they perform or if I can use them interchangeably.
Hey Cori! Why are you looking for caprylyl glycol in the context of this formula? I’m afraid I’ve never worked with either of the ingredients you’ve mentioned so I’m not sure I can offer much help.
I have Coco glucoside and would like to make this with either Poly 20 or 80 ( I have both) but I am not sure what percentage to start experimenting at. Should I just do 1:1 Poly20:EO Blend?
I’d probably start with 20 at a 4:1 Polysorbate 20 to fragrance/EO š
Hi Marie! Just wanted to let you know that the weight in this recipe add up to 199 grams, but the percantage adds up to 100. I think the frangrance oils are the culprit š
Ah, whoops! Good catch, thank you š
Marie can i use this https://www.makingcosmetics.com/Polyglucose_p_276.html instead of caprylyl/capryl glucoside? I can’t find a supplier that sell the caprylyl but they sell this one, it’s non-ionic like the caprylyl but with 50% active matter
You can, but you’ll need to make the same changes you’d have to make if you used coco glucosideāsee the substitutions list š
Hello!!
Thank you so much for all you do and all the great information you put out into the world. Itās truly a blessing.
Iām curious if this can be used as a menās facial shaving cream? I would assume so but felt I should double check just in case.
Much love from Tennessee!
Hey Grady! I had a dude test this as a facial shaving cream and he said it was great š Happy shaving!
Beautiful, thank you so very much.
Much love from Tennessee!
Would love to see a recipe for a men’s creamy shaving cream like the ones they buy in the store.! Thanks Marie for all you do. Blessings from New York!
I’ll keep it in mind š I’m not sure it’s possible to do without the special pressurized packaging, though š
I wonder then if this can be transformed into a whippy shaving cream with the addition of some butter and an emulsifier like btms-50?
It’s worth a try!
Based on your video, I like that (although the stuff out of the pump is opaque) once applied, it provides a slick surface for shaving while being essentially transparent. Can the product be applied by putting a drop or two of the liquid via a dropper (or a dollop from the pump’s nozzle) onto a wet/moist shaving brush and agitating the skin with the brush? If so, what is the smallest number of drops of liquid one would need for, say, one calf?
Can jojoba oil replace polyquaternium 7? Whether or not that is possible, can argan oil and jojoba oil be made part of the ingredients?
Hey! So, no, not really. Oils won’t solubilize well in this and they will dramatically reduce the lather.
Intrigued by this formulation and your remarks above concerning substituting some water with aloe vera. Suppose the desired result is a somewhat thick, essentially transparent, slick layer that does not cause hair to droop and stick to the skin (as coconut oil would) — and from the video, it looks like such is indeed the achieved result except that the layer is a bit on the thin side. Would the aloe help toward getting a bit thicker layer? And would the aloe also make it possible for the product to be applied by putting a raisin sized amount on the tips of a moist/wet shaving brush and agitating on the skin?
Hello. Would Plantapon TF Surfactant be an an be an acceptable substitute for Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside in this recipe?
Thank you.
I think that should work well š Happy making!
Hello. I planned on making this shaving cream for all the men in our family this Christmas,, so I made a test bottle for my husband to try. His comments were as follows:
Facial shaving by nature is drying and somewhat abusive to the skin, so extra slip, body and moisture is needed.
He loved the fragrance and liked the concept of using DIY products.
He said there was insufficient slip resulting in skin tugging. Shaving against the beard grain was particularly uncomfortable.
He thought the formulation was ‘thin’ which would not have been an issue if the slip had been adequate.
In summary, he thought the shaving cream had great promise and wondered if the formula could be improved.
Thank you so much for this feedback, Katherine! My testing was mostly done on my legs, which are obviously rather different from a man’s face, ha. I have been working on versions of this that have a higher active surfactant matter for more slip and keep butting up against the issue of more surfactant = more viscosity = poor dispensing from the foamer top š Stay tuned, I’d love to figure something out!
You nailed it again, Marie!
I am sitting here smiling in my kitchen, with super smooth legs.
Again: thank you very much!
Hooray for super smooth legs! Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making š
I have customers asking for my shaving cream a lot over the last two months, as I made one before that was incredible and made legs so soft even a week later! Unfortunately, I lost the recipe and can’t remember where I got it. So, today, I got on your YouTube page as I trust you and your knowledge! I love this recipe and want to try this but am worried what it would look like in the bottle. The fact that my foaming bottles are clear., and this looks like water, it’s not very eye appealing., Can I add a bit of colorant to this recipe? If so, what do you recommend? Could I add titanium dioxide to make it look like traditional white shaving cream? Thanks for your time!
Hi Marie,
I’m working on some shave soap bars and I’m wondering if there is an ingredient I can add to make it even foamier. I’m using a melt and pour shave soap base from Bulk Apothecary, but it isn’t foamy enough for me. I want it crazy foamy! What do you think? Any advise?
Thank you. You’re by FAR my favorite formulating YouTuber.