In most of the online forums, shave gels and foams are frowned upon. They don’t offer the same kind of protection and lubrication as soaps and good lathered creams, and they aren’t applied with a brush, which most will say helps get the lather worked in and around the beard hairs to help get them standing straight for the shave and also softened enough to make them easier to cut.
I’ll agree with that point on the foams. I’ve used a couple (both Barbasol products), and found them okay, but not as good as a gel or the soaps. They may have volume, and even some density, but by the time you’ve applied them to the beard, something is lacking. And for my face, they don’t lubricate the skin nearly as well. I should revisit them with some or my preferred pre shave and not pre shave oil to see if that makes any difference at all, but my experience prior to my preferred pre shaves was disappointing in retrospect.
But both gels I’ve used are very good in my experience. They lather quickly when rubbed between the hands or on the face with some water, they’re thick and rich, and bring a good amount of protection and lubrication. They’re much quicker to apply then a lathered soap, so they save some time in the morning.
I’ve used two–Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel, and Nivea Sensitive Shave Gel. And while I like them both, the Nivea works much better for me than the Aveeno.
First off, and this could be either a plus or a minus, the Aveeno has very little scent. The fragrance for the Nivea can occasionally be too much, or sometimes not enough. Generally, I’ve gone for unscented products because frequently I find scented products bring too much fragrance. But the Nivea is not an unpleasant smell, and is a nice change of pace to the more lightly scented products or unscented ones.
Second, the Nivea is substantially thicker, and it seems like less out of the can, but makes more lather. I’ll have just a little water on my hands and face, and it produces a very good lather that sticks well to my face, and occasionally clogs up the Henson razor in particular. Though this is easily corrected with extra rinsing.
The Nivea also provides more lubrication than the Aveeno which helps as well. And paired with the Nivea after shave balm, it makes for a great shaving experience.
One bonus to these products (including the foams) is that they’re easier to find–I’ve purchased both of the foams I have and both of the gels at my local grocery store–and that they make for a faster shave. But if you’re getting started and don’t feel ready yet to jump into a shave soap, I can fully recommend the Nivea Sensitive Shave Gel.
