Men's Shaving & Facial Care
Shop vegan and cruelty-free men's shaving products. All products in our store are 100% free of animal-derived materials, ingredients, by-products and testing.
Men's Shaving & Facial Care
What are vegan and cruelty-free men's shaving products?
The term “vegan” with regard to a shaving product, refers to a product that does not contain animal ingredients or materials; however it might be tested on animals. The term “cruelty-free” means the product and its ingredients aren’t tested on animals; however it might include animal ingredients and/or materials. Shaving products that are both vegan AND cruelty-free avoid the use of all animal products and testing altogether.
Your current shaving products might not be vegan
Did you know that if you’re currently shaving with a razor that has any kind of gel strip or moisturizing strip on it, your razor may not be vegan, and may not be cruelty-free? Sadly, many common brands of razors contain animal-derived ingredients (such as animal glycerin or lanolin) or contain ingredients that are tested on animals in the moisturizing strips. What makes the situation worse is that these products can be hard to avoid; companies aren’t forced to disclose this sort of information on the packaging of these products.
What types of ingredients/materials should I avoid?
Unfortunately, many of today’s popular drugstore brands use animal-derived and animal-sourced ingredients in their shaving creams, foams, gels, soaps, brushes and yes, even razors. Be sure to avoid products that use the following ingredients (among many possible others) if you want a vegan-friendly shaving experience:
- Badger Hair: Used in shaving brushes.
- Pig Bristles: Used in shaving brushes.
- Lanolin: A wool by-product that’s used in the lubricating strip above the razor blade.
- Animal Glycerin: Used in the lubricating strip above the razor blade (will just be labelled as “glycerin” oftentimes, which can be confused with vegetable-based glycerin, so best to stick with brands you know are vegan.
- Animal-Derived Stearic Acid: Generally used as a thickener, stearic acid can also be tricky to pick out, as it will be simply labelled as “stearic acid”, which could be derived from animals or vegetables…it’s best to stick with a known vegan brand, because if they use stearic acid it will be vegetable-based.
What companies make vegan/cruelty-free shaving products for men?
If turning away from products that use animal ingredients, materials or testing is something that you’re interested in, then we’ve got good news; there are several companies (and more popping up all the time!) that make men’s shaving foam, shaving cream, brushes and/or razors that don’t use ingredients that are sourced from, derived from, or tested on animals. These companies include:
- Every Man Jack
- Jack Black
- Herban Cowboy
- Bulldog
- men-ü
- Aubrey Organics
Please Note: You may not see products from some of these companies listed in our storefront above, as they may not be available on Amazon.
Why buy vegan and cruelty-free?
The simple fact is that every shaving product conceivable can be effectively made without animal derived and sourced ingredients, and without those that are tested on animals. Buying vegan and cruelty-free products means you’re supporting products that don’t use ingredients forcefully taken from animals, or are forcefully tested on them. What’s more, when you buy a vegan shaving product, you’re telling the company to keep making it, and giving them the revenue to do so.
Why should I use shaving cream, foam, soap or gel at all?
Shaving creams and similar products can greatly facilitate shaving, and provide a much more comfortable shaving experience by achieving three effects: lubricating the cutting process; swelling keratin and hair follicles; and desensitizing skin.
Does buying one vegan/cruelty free shaving product really make a difference?
Absolutely, and doing so is actually a very effective form of animal welfare activism! Here’s how it works; by purchasing vegan and cruelty-free shaving products (such as shaving gel, foam, cream, brushes or razors) you’re telling retailers and manufacturers that there’s a market for these animal-friendly shaving products. Revenue coming in from these products will help support the product line, so more can be made. Demand fuels supply, and with more supply comes more opportunities for everyone (not just vegans!) to purchase cruelty-free and animal-free shaving supplies.
Are vegan & cruelty-free shaving products expensive?
In general, vegan and cruelty-free shaving cream, foam, gel, razors, brushes and other personal care products are not any more expensive, or any less-expensive, than products that include animal sourced and derived ingredients and/or were tested on animals. Just like non-vegan/non-cruelty-free products, there are differences in the quality and availability of the ingredients used, the effectiveness of the products, differences in the manufacturing processes employed, and different brand names out there; this can affect product pricing, and make prices can vary quite a bit from one product to the next. Some products are very inexpensive, some have a steep price tag, and many fall somewhere in between.
Should I get rid of any non-vegan products that I own?
There are a few different ways you can go about replacing your old, non-vegan shaving products as you become more immersed in a vegan and cruelty-free lifestyle. One way is to give away any unused products to friends and family. Another option would be to use the products until they’ve run out, and simply replace them with cruelty-free and vegan products when that time comes. At the end of the day though, it’s completely up to you to decide what you can afford, and which of your old products you’re still comfortable using, if any. Simply throwing them away is generally considered wasteful, and we would recommend turning to that only as a last resort...but again, it's up to you.
How do you choose which companies to list?
We keep a growing list of companies that we find, or are suggested to us, whose entire line of men’s shaving products seems to be completely vegan-friendly. We get in touch with these companies to find out which products of theirs, if any, use animal derived or sourced ingredients, or have ingredients that are tested on animals. If they assure us that their shaving products are cruelty-free and suitable for vegans, and they can be bought on Amazon, then we list those products here for your convenience.
Similar product categories
If you’ve read enough about vegan and cruelty-free shaving products for now, check out our similar product categories:
- Men’s Personal Care
- Men’s Soap & Body Wash
- Men’s Sun Protection & Tanning
- Men’s Oral Care
- Women’s Shaving Products
For companies that make men’s vegan/cruelty-free shaving products
If you (or your employer) make vegan and cruelty-free shaving cream or foam, razors, brushes, or any other shaving accessory, we’d love to feature you and your products on our site... at no cost! Contact us at - info(at)getitvegan(dot)com - to find out more!
Sources
Some of the information for this mini guide on men’s vegan shaving products was obtained from the following sources:
- Shaving: “What Does Shaving Cream Do When Applied To Your Skin?.” (October 4, 2016). Tools of Men. Retrieved March 27, 2017. http://www.toolsofmen.com/what-does-shaving-cream-do/
- Posts: “Are Your Razors Vegan?.” Jana Free (February 4, 2016). Vegetarian Beauty Products. Retrieved March 27, 2017. http://www.vegetarianbeautyproducts.com/are-your-razors-vegan/