The Best Aftershaves For Men

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Let’s face it, shaving your face can cause irritation, even if you have the most rugged of skin. So why not treat yourself to some nutritious ingredients to take care of your precious skin post shave? The best aftershaves for men are geared toward providing you with relief, moisture, and sometimes even a pleasant scent.

What Is Aftershave For?

Even the most sensitively designed razors still rely on a blade cutting the hair on your face at the surface. So it should come as no surprise that shaving can create irritation that results in razor burn and ingrown hairs. Aftershaves are designed with ingredients that help to soothe the skin and prevent these issues. They can also oftentimes be dedicated for specific skin types, so if you have sensitive skin, be sure to look for something catering to your needs!

How to Use Aftershave

Once you are done shaving your face entirely, be sure to thoroughly wash all of the shaving cream off with cool water, and pat the skin dry. From there, follow the instructions on the bottle of aftershave that you’ve purchased, and gently massage it into the skin on the areas you’ve shaved.

Why Does Aftershave Burn?

Many people still associate aftershave with the products that their father used, and it conjures up images of a harsh and painful burning feeling. Make no mistake, products that do this are available, and they may even have their place. Ingredients that cause burning, like isopropyl alcohol, can help to kill bacteria. But the good news is that, while available in some products, they aren’t mandatory for an aftershave to do what you want it to.

Important to note is that any aftershave can have a bit of a stinging sensation if your skin is particularly raw from the shave. But it’s important to realize that some burning can be the cause of fragrances that are added to the ingredients, and certain people, specifically those with sensitive skin, may want to avoid these types of ingredients.

What to Look For in an Aftershave

There’s a few key things that we recommend you look for in your aftershave to make sure that you’re getting the most that you can out of it.

• Products That Match Your Skin Type. Try to identify whether you have oily, combination, normal or dry skin and whether or not your skin is sensitive (whether it reacts to certain products and environmental changes). Some aftershaves are designed specifically for certain skin types. Men with oily skin, for example, may want to avoid heavy formulas designed to provide extra moisture. Those with dry skin should be especially careful to steer clear of formulas that contain alcohol. Keep that in mind as you browse.
• Clean Formulas. It never hurts to try and lean towards formulas that aren’t overly loaded with chemicals and additives like fragrance whenever possible. Consider looking into products that use a slew of natural ingredients like aloe to help keep the skin calm.
• Natural Fragrances. You don’t have to eschew fragrance completely in order to avoid irritation. Natural fragrances (those that come from natural sources like plants and fruits) smell amazing and authentic, and won’t aggravate skin the way that artificial fragrance can. So if you want a classic aftershave experience with a masculine scent, just make sure that scent is from natural sources.
• Soothing Products. Look for ingredients like aloe vera, shea butter, chamomile extract, and natural oils like avocado and sweet almond. Ingredients derived from oats provide excellent soothing benefits. These ingredients will ensure that you get swift relief from razor burn, itching, and general irritation.
• Aftershaves That Address Your Concerns. What are you most worried about after shaving? Nicks and cuts? Razor burn? Ingrown hairs? This may seem obvious, but look for products that address your concerns. If razor bumps usually trip you up, go for ingredients like witch hazel and tea tree, which will clear your pores of the buildup that leads to these pesky bumps. If you usually feel dry and itchy after shaving, opt for aftershaves with a creamy, lotion-like texture that contain hydrating ingredients. There are solutions out there for all kinds of post-shave problems.

Types of Aftershaves

Like other skincare products, aftershaves come in a variety of styles and designs, so your preference can really be met.

• Balms. Aftershave balms tend to have a creamier consistency than lotions, as well as a milder formula. They’re often unscented or lightly scented and provide in-depth soothing without alcohol or any other irritants.
• Tonics. You might think of aftershave tonics as more traditional. They come in liquid form and are meant to be splashed or sprayed on the skin rather than rubbed in with your hands. Historically, these are the options that rely on alcohol, but that’s not always the case, so read the ingredients ahead of time if this would be a deal breaker for you. If you have oily, acne-prone skin, a tonic may be better suited to you than products that contain heavy-duty moisturizers.
• Gels. A gel is different from a balm in that it typically doesn’t contain any oils. Gels, unlike tonics, usually rely on moisturizing ingredients. They’re a happy medium for men with oily skin who still want to replenish moisture after shaving, and often provide cooling relief to razor burn.
• Lotions. When you hear the word “lotion,” a thick, creamy, moisturizing formula may come to mind. With aftershaves, though, lotions typically mean hydrating formulas that contain astringents (like witch hazel or alcohol), while balms are the ones with a creamy texture and lots of moisture.

Blu Atlas continually amazes us with its products, so it’s no surprise that its aftershave is on our list. With 96 percent of its ingredients coming from natural origins like plants and fruits, this is a product that you can really feel great about using. What are those natural ingredients? It relies on aloe barbadensis leaf, a succulent plant that naturally moisturizes, rose flower water to help with dullness and puffiness, and oat kernel meal for its natural antioxidant features to help protect the skin and alleviate redness. Reach for it to prevent irritation and leave your freshly shaved skin feeling moisturized.

Take it from us, Close-Shaver’s Squadron from Kiehl’s lives up to the hype. Using some awesome ingredients like aloe vera, willow herb extract, and vitamin E, it’s geared toward irritation alleviation while also exfoliating *gently* to prevent ingrown hairs. At the same time, it moisturizes, so it’s really a do it all formula. And if you have sensitive skin, you can still reach for this pick. One reviewer calls it a “game changer.” We concur.

Get rid of that raw skin feeling after shaving with this aftershave for men from Fellow Barber. It provides all the ingredients your skin needs to expedite the healing process and get your face back to peak performance in no time at all, such as witch hazel for toning and aloe vera for soothing. It also features lemon extract to potentially alleviate ingrown hairs, as well as vitamins A, C, and E to nourish the skin.

Skip the nasty greasy feel with this moisturizing pick from Le Labo. Relying on some top tier ingredients like avocado, sunflower, and rosemary, this plant based balm is ideal for anyone looking for an option that nourishes and protects at the same time. Plus, it features a wonderful bergamot, lavender, violet, and tonka bean scent that one reviewer called “tasteful.” Count us in.

Hydration is the name of the game when it comes to aftershaves, which is why L’Occitane’s Cade makes our list. It uses shea butter for hydration and protection of the sensitive and newly shaved skin and it also includes cade essential oil, which is an antioxidant, to help purify the skin. One sensitively skinned reviewer noted that this is the only option they have used that didn’t irritate their skin.

This pick from Harry’s uses natural cucumber extract and aloe vera to keep the skin feeling *cool* while also moisturizing. But we also appreciate that it works to re-balance the skin’s natural pH and that it’s paraben and sulfate free. It’s also quick drying in nature. Reviewers appreciate that the soothing sensation helps with razor burn, so reach for it if you want a refreshing cool down post shave.

This pick from Jack Black (no, not that Jack Black) features some of our favorites like aloe leaf to calm the skin while also softening it, as well as chamomile for soothing benefits and redness reduction. But it also includes sage, lavender, and rosemary for some pleasant scents as well as some antioxidant properties. Finally, it has balm mint, another antioxidant for damage protection against free radicals.

While it’s not necessarily an aftershave in name, Weleda’s Skin Food is a do it all product that we have tested and loved as an after shave. Designed as a moisturizer for rough and dry skin, this super hydrating pick is bountiful with plant extracts like rosemary, chamomile, and pansy while sweet almond oils and sunflower deeply nourish and replenish the skin, leaving us with a lovely glow, in addition to thoroughly hydrated skin. Oh yea, this pick is also certified natural based on NATRUE standards, which earns it some extra points in our book for sure.

If you struggle with ingrown hairs, this pick is really made with you in mind. It relies on isopropyl alcohol, so if you don’t like putting alcohol on your skin, it may not be suited toward you. However, the results speak for themselves, with reviewers noting that it works to alleviate bumps, and lowers irritation and redness.

This Restoring Balm from Bevel is an alcohol-free pick designed to make razor bumps a thing of the past while bringing fast relief to burning skin. It uses tea tree oil to keep infection away, witch hazel to prevent bumps, and a combination of salicylic and lactic acids to buff off dead skin cells to unclog your pores. Meanwhile, oat kernel and shea butter tackle inflammation and irritation, and jojoba oil works with other natural oils to ensure moisture.

A little goes a long way with this product from Marlowe, which contains all the ingredients necessary for smooth and happy skin and none of the ingredients that might disrupt your skin’s balance, such as parabens. It comes in a lightweight lotion texture, so all you need is a few drops of the product for optimal results.

It relies on green tea extract to help to bust inflammation and promote fast healing. Willow bark lends its soothing properties, as passion flower extract delivers moisture and high levels of vitamin C, and finally aloe vera works to help nourish as well.

Light and hydrating, we couldn’t consider this list complete with this aftershave from Ahava. It uses a blend of Dead Sea minerals as well as what the brand calls its “G-force”, which is an antioxidant combo that utilizes ginger root, ginsen, ginkgo bilbao and calendula. The result? A soothing option that softens while hydrating. Reviewers appreciate the immediate benefits, the mild scent, and how it works for sensitive skin.

Clinique really has it figured out when it comes to skincare, so of course we had to include its Post Shave Soother. It’s a fragrance free and allergy tested product that steers clear of parabens and phthalates. Instead this option focuses on using aloe vera for a calming and replenishing experience that is lightweight. Reviewers like the nice and pleasant tingling sensation it provides as well.

This aftershave for men uses caffeine as an antioxidant, protecting skin from damage while stimulating it to get the circulation going. This means you can expect faster-healing skin after each shave, so no more worrying about cuts! The product also contains plenty of ingredients to calm irritated skin so you no longer have to feel the burn. It also uses alcohol, so be weary if this is a deal breaker. In the end, aloe vera and green tea run the soothing mission, as menthol provides that revitalizing cool feeling, and natural oils like argan, jojoba and avocado make sure skin stays hydrated long after your beard is gone.