Shaving products – foams, gels and creams: INCI analysis

Shaving products are applied to wet skin to soften hair and help the razor glide before being rinsed off. Aerosol foams and post-foaming gels come out of pressurised cans, creams are lathered with a brush or by hand, traditional soaps are worked into a lather, and clear gels or oils suit precise or wet shaving.

Many foams and creams rely on soaps formed in situ from STEARIC ACID or PALMITIC ACID neutralised by TRIETHANOLAMINE or POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, often with SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE. Aerosols contain propellants such as ISOBUTANE, PROPANE and BUTANE; post-foaming gels add ISOPENTANE, which turns the gel into foam. GLYCERIN, PEG-90M and other polymers add slip, while ALLANTOIN or ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE often appear further down.

Because these are rinse-off products, fragrance allergens must be named on the label once they exceed 0.01%, a higher threshold than for leave-on products. Pressurised cans carry flammability and storage warnings. The order of the list follows concentration down to 1%, so propellants and soaps usually show up among the first ingredients after water.