Best Shaving Cream: 8 Tubes and Tubs Compared by Ingredients and Cost per Shave
Proraso Refreshing is the best shaving cream for most shavers: a 150 ml tube at a $10 list price that lathers with a brush or bare hands and carries menthol, eucalyptus oil and camphor. If menthol stings your skin, buy the Proraso Sensitive tube instead, same size and price, built on oat and green tea extracts.
Eight creams cover almost every way people shave. Three are Proraso tubes, two are Cremo brushless tubes, and three are British tubes and tubs from Taylor of Old Bond Street and Castle Forbes.
Every price below is the maker’s own list price, and every ingredient comes from the label the maker publishes. The calculator under the table turns any of them into a cost per shave.
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8 Shaving Creams Compared: Size, Base and List Price
| Cream | Format and size | Base (from the label) | Ingredients the maker highlights | Lather | Maker list price (per 100 ml or g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proraso Refreshing (green) | Tube, 150 ml | Soap: stearic acid, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide | Menthol, eucalyptus leaf oil, camphor | Brush or hands | $10.00 ($6.67) |
| Proraso Sensitive (white) | Tube, 150 ml | Soap, same base | Oat kernel extract, green tea leaf extract | Brush or hands | $10.00 ($6.67) |
| Proraso Coarse Beards (red) | Tube, 150 ml | Soap, same base | Shea butter, sandalwood oil | Brush or hands | $10.00 ($6.67) |
| Cremo Original | Tube, 6 oz | Syndet: sodium cocoyl isethionate | Macadamia seed oil, aloe, calendula extract | Brushless | $8.99 (Not listed) |
| Cremo Sensitive Skin | Tube, size not stated by maker | Syndet: sodium cocoyl isethionate | Rice bran extract, chamomile and lavender oils, no synthetic fragrance | Brushless | $8.99 (Not listed) |
| Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood bowl | Tub, 150 g | Not listed on maker page | Sandalwood fragrance | Brush | £12.95 (£8.63) |
| Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood tube | Tube, 75 ml | Not listed on maker page | Sandalwood fragrance | Brush | £8.95 (£11.93) |
| Castle Forbes Lime | Tub (PET jar), 200 ml | Not listed on maker page | Lime essential oil, paraben-free | Brush | £26.75 (£13.38) |
List prices from each maker’s site, checked October 2026. Taylor of Old Bond Street and Castle Forbes list in pounds on their UK stores, and Cremo gives the 6 oz size for the Original only. Amazon prices change daily; the buttons show today’s price.
Formula: shaves per container = size / dose; cost per shave = price / shaves per container. Assumes 1 ml of cream weighs about 1 g.
What Is the Best Shaving Cream for Men?
For most men it is Proraso Refreshing, because it lathers easily, costs $10 a tube and works under any razor you already own.
Proraso builds all three tubes on the same soap base: stearic acid and coconut oil reacted with potassium hydroxide. Only the add-ins change, which is why the Proraso shaving cream colors behave so alike on the brush.
The red Proraso Coarse Beards tube adds shea butter and sandalwood oil, and Proraso pitches it at thick, coarse or curly beards. Pick it over the green one if your beard is thick or wiry.
Video: Gentleman’s Gazette
Which Shaving Cream Is Best for Sensitive Skin?
The best one is the cream that leaves out what your skin reacts to, and menthol and camphor are the usual suspects.
Proraso Sensitive drops both and adds oat and green tea extracts. Cremo Sensitive Skin goes further on scent, with no synthetic fragrance, but it does list lavender, chamomile and geranium oils, which still carry scent compounds of their own.
If you react to fragrance at all, read the full label before you buy. The checklist in our guide on how to choose a men’s shaving cream walks through which label lines matter.
Do You Need a Brush for Shaving Cream?
You need one only for lathering creams; brushless creams like Cremo go straight onto wet skin.
Proraso, Taylor of Old Bond Street and Castle Forbes are lathering creams. A brush whips air and water into them, and that cushion is what protects your skin. Proraso says the green tube also lathers with wet hands, which works in a pinch.
Cremo is built on sodium cocoyl isethionate, a mild synthetic cleanser, and it turns slick with water instead of foaming up. If you are weighing a hard puck against any of these, the trade-offs are laid out in shaving soap vs shaving cream.
How Much Shaving Cream Should You Use per Shave?
Start with the maker’s own dose: a dime-size amount for Proraso and an almond-sized squeeze for Cremo.
Castle Forbes only says a small amount is enough, which matters at £26.75 a jar. Your real dose decides your cost per shave far more than the sticker does, so put your number into the calculator above.
Tubs usually win on price per gram. Taylor of Old Bond Street’s 150 g bowl works out at £8.63 per 100 g against £11.93 per 100 ml for its 75 ml tube, so buy the tube for travel and the bowl for home.
Questions people ask about best shaving cream
Is Proraso or Cremo better?
Proraso suits you if you lather with a brush or like a cold menthol finish. Cremo suits you if you want no brush and no lather, just a thin slick layer on wet skin. Both cost under $10 at list price.
Is a shaving cream tub better value than a tube?
Usually yes. Taylor of Old Bond Street's sandalwood bowl costs about 8.63 pounds per 100 g on its UK store, while the 75 ml tube costs about 11.93 pounds per 100 ml. The tube is easier to pack.
Can you use lathering shaving cream without a brush?
Yes. Proraso says its green tube lathers with wet hands as well as a brush. The lather is thinner by hand, so add water a little at a time and work it into your stubble for longer.
Is Castle Forbes shaving cream worth the price?
It is the priciest cream here at 26.75 pounds for a 200 ml jar, about 13.38 pounds per 100 ml. The maker says a small amount is enough, so your real cost per shave depends on your dose.
