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Every close shave starts before the blade touches skin, and the product that decides how that first pass feels is the one sitting in the bowl. A good shaving cream such as Proraso Refreshing Shaving Cream builds a dense, cushioning lather that lets the razor glide instead of scrape, and the difference between a drugstore foam and a proper tub shows up the moment the first stroke lands. We rounded up five that are in stock right now, from the classic Italian cream most shops keep at every station to a brushless option for guys who skip the brush entirely, plus how to build a lather that actually protects the face.
Quick answer
Classic pick: Proraso Refreshing. The eucalyptus and menthol Italian cream barbers have loaded into brushes for decades.
Brushless pick: Cremo Original. A slick, concentrated cream that needs no brush.
Luxury pick: Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood. A proper English bowl with a dense, old-school lather.
In this guide
How we chose these shaving creams
A shaving cream has one job that matters: hold water in a lather dense enough to keep the blade riding above the skin instead of dragging on it. Every pick here came back to that. First, the lather itself, because a cream that whips up fast and holds its peaks through a second pass is the one that works on a busy morning and behind a barber chair alike. Second, the cushion and slickness, since the razor needs to glide without the face feeling like it is being sanded. Third, the scent and afterfeel, because a cream that dries the skin or leaves a fragrance fighting with the cologne loses points fast.
Every pick below was checked on Amazon and is in stock at the time of writing. The list runs from tubs that need a brush and a bowl to a brushless cream that works straight onto the face, so both the traditional wet shaver and the guy shaving in ninety seconds have an honest option. Pair any of them with a proper brush from our guide to the best shaving brushes and bowls and the routine gets closer to a barbershop hot towel shave every morning.
Proraso Refreshing: the classic
The Proraso Refreshing shaving cream is the green tube most people picture when they hear the words. The eucalyptus oil and menthol formula, per the listing, whips into the kind of thick, glossy lather that stays put through a three-pass shave, and the menthol gives the cool, wide-awake feel that made this cream a barbershop fixture on two continents. It loads fast in a brush, needs little more than a minute of whipping, and a little goes a long way.
What earns it the classic tag is consistency. The lather behaves the same on a cheap boar brush and a good badger, it rinses clean without a film, and the scent is present without following you out the door. Men with coarse, wire-brush beards have kept this in rotation for generations because the cushion lets a fresh blade take a first pass without skipping. If the choice is one cream for everyone in the house, this is the answer.
Cremo Original: the brushless pick
The Cremo Original shaving cream skips the brush and the bowl entirely. It is a concentrated gel-cream, per the listing, that goes straight onto damp skin and turns slick under the razor, in the classic citrus scent, per the listing. A small amount covers a full face, so the 6 oz tube goes a long way.
This is the pick for men who want the closeness of a wet shave without the ritual. No lather means no cushion, so the technique shifts to light pressure and a sharp blade, and the reward is a close wet shave with no lather to build. It also travels well: one tube, no brush, no bowl, and it works in a gym bag exactly the same as at the sink. For the man who has never owned a shaving brush, this is the cream that will not make him wish he did.
The technique shift is the whole learning curve: light pressure, a sharp blade, two thin passes and zero lather to rinse out of a brush afterward. The Cremo Original cream is the pick for exactly that routine.
Taylor of Old Bond Street: the luxury bowl
The Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood shaving cream bowl is the old-school pick, and it behaves like one. The sandalwood scent is warm and properly masculine without shouting, and the cream, per the listing, whips into a dense, cushioning lather that is a genuine pleasure to build in a scuttle or a bowl. This is the tub that makes the morning shave feel like an occasion rather than a chore.
The lather is the reason traditional wet shavers keep rebuying it. It is built to be whipped in a bowl, which suits long, unhurried shaves. The tradeoff is ritual: it wants a brush, a bowl and five unhurried minutes, and it delivers exactly what that investment buys. As a gift for a man who already owns a proper razor and brush, it is the safest pick on this list.
If the morning already includes a brush and a bowl, the Taylor of Old Bond Street bowl is the cream that makes the ritual worth keeping.
Proraso Sensitive: for touchy skin
The Proraso Sensitive shaving cream takes the classic Italian formula and swaps the menthol kick for green tea and oatmeal, per the listing. The lather is the same dense, reliable build as the Refreshing tube, but the afterfeel is calmer, which matters for men who find menthol too much.
It is the right pick for the two hardest shaving jobs in the house: sensitive skin and coarse hair on a tender neck. The formula leaves out the menthol chill of the green tube, which is the whole point for men who find menthol too much. Barbers who cut all day tend to keep a sensitive tub at the station for clients who flinch at menthol, and the same logic applies at home. If the classic Proraso left your face tingling in the wrong way, this is the tube to reach for.
Keep the Proraso Sensitive cream for the neck pass, where irritation shows up first on most faces.
Pacific Shaving: the natural pick
The Pacific Shaving Company natural shaving cream leans on shea butter and vitamin E, per the listing, with a short ingredient list aimed at men who read labels. It lathers with a brush or fingers into a creamy, lower-volume foam that prioritizes slip over billow, and the formula skips synthetic fragrance, per the listing.
The honest framing is that this is a short-ingredient-list cream. It suits daily shavers who want shea butter and vitamin E in the formula and a soft afterfeel, and the 3.4 oz size is carry-on friendly, per the listing. For the man whose routine is built around fewer ingredients, this is the tube that fits the shelf.
The Pacific natural cream doubles as the travel pick: the 3.4 oz tube fits carry-on rules and a dopp kit corner alike.
How to build a lather that protects the face
Technique decides most of what a cream can do. Soak the brush, shake it once so it is wet but not dripping, and load the cream with firm circular pressure for about thirty seconds before taking it to the face. Build the lather on the skin itself in the same circles, adding water a few drops at a time until it looks like wet whipped cream: glossy, with peaks that hold. Thin, bubbly lather is what lets the razor tug, whatever the cream. A dense cream like the sandalwood bowl rewards a full thirty-second load before the brush ever touches the face.
Order matters too. Wash the face with warm water first so the hair takes on water, then map the shave: with the grain first, across second, and against only where the skin earns it. The steps mirror the way a pro runs the full sequence in our guide to the pre-shave and post-shave routine, and finishing with cold water and an alcohol-free splash from our guide to the best aftershave for men keeps the calm afterfeel the cream started. On days the beard is at its thickest, a hot towel or the steamer from our guide to the best hot lather machines softens the hair before the brush ever loads.
FAQ
Brush or brushless shaving cream, which is better?
Neither is better, they are different tools. A brush-built lather gives more cushion and a warmer prep, which helps coarse beards and multi-pass shaves. Brushless creams trade that ritual for speed and slickness, and a good one like the Cremo above shaves extremely close. Choose by how much time the morning allows. When speed wins the morning, the Cremo brushless cream is the tool for the job. On tender skin the Proraso Sensitive cream closes the gap between cushion and calm.
Does shaving cream expire?
Most packs print a shelf life or an after-opening symbol, so check the label. A cream that changes color, separates or smells off has turned, and it will not lather properly even if it looks usable. Buy a size that matches how often you actually shave. Stored with the lid tight and out of the shower spray, the Proraso Sensitive tube keeps its texture for the life of the tub.
Can I use shaving cream with an electric razor?
Most foil and rotary shavers are built for dry skin, so no. Wet-hybrid shavers are the exception and take cream or gel by design. For a cartridge or safety razor, a proper cream is exactly what the blades were made for. If your skin runs reactive, the Pacific natural cream is the gentlest way to keep a lather in the routine.
How much shaving cream should I use?
An almond-sized scoop is enough for a full-face lather in a brush, and less is more with concentrated brushless creams. Overloading does not add protection, it just wastes product and clogs the razor. Lighter-lathering creams like the Pacific natural cream run out faster, so start with a slightly bigger scoop.
The verdict
For most bathrooms the Proraso Refreshing shaving cream is the one to buy: the classic Italian lather that behaves every single morning at a budget tier. Step to the Cremo when the brush is one step too many, the Taylor of Old Bond Street bowl when the ritual is the point, the Proraso Sensitive when menthol is too much, and the Pacific Shaving cream for a short, natural ingredient list. Whichever lands on the counter, the lather routine above is what turns it into a barbershop-grade shave.
