The Best Shave Creams for Every Skin Type

Sometimes, the lightest hand can still lead to razor burn. This clear gel contains coriander seed oil to soften follicles and ensure maximum glide, ensuring you aren't left red in the face.

Chic yet frill-free, Horace is fast becoming a (pleasingly affordable) mainstay in grooming kits everywhere. This silicone-free – so non pore-clogging – cream contains a combination of butters, oils and soothing plant extract allantoin to ensure a seamless shave.

Ignore the aggressively patriotic branding on this one – Kiehl's shave cream is for sensitive boys. The lightweight cream comforts dry skin, while the menthol inside feels really quite nice.

Once you’ve experienced the sting of a proper razor burn, you understand the importance of a decent shaving cream. Elemis’s traditional foam has been loved for years, thanks to the way it cools and calms skin while delivering a truly satisfying lather.

Matthew Malin has hyper-sensitive skin himself, so you can be sure that anything in his own line will be thoughtfully formulated to work with complexions prone to rosacea, dermatitis and eczema. It’s translucent, so you can actually see where you’re wielding the blade, and contains soothing vitamin E alongside softening shea butter.

The Murdock boys know how to create high-performing essentials, just like this tinted shaving gel. It's deliberately blue-tinged, allowing you to see exactly where you've shaved and cut a sharp beard line. Apply water to foam the formula up before rinsing away.

A dense cream can feel cocooning and comforting, but a gel offers practicality in that you can actually see what you’re doing. This one is lightweight, cooling and can be foamed up on wet skin once you’ve mastered the art.

This gentle non-foaming cream is ideal for dry skin. Shea butter and plant oils increase hydration and prevent razor burn, leaving skin feeling calm and comforted. Prep with the brand's equally impressive face scrub for a top-tier shave.

Aveda’s gentle formulas are a fail-safe choice for sensitive types, and this shaving cream will help reduce any discomfort on even the most temperamental of faces. Those prone to ingrown hairs rave about it.

This is a great choice for anyone looking to sharpen beard edges: it doubles up as a pre-shave softener and a conditioning treatment, adding shine and softness to the hair you want to keep. It's lighter than you might expect, and doesn't leave a film on skin.