DIY ALOE VERA SHAVING GEL || QUICK AND EASY TO MAKE

This diy aloe vera shaving gel takes just 3 ingredients to make, and it leaves your skin feeling soft and supple. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never go back to commercial shaving products again.

The main purpose of a shaving gel is to eliminate any irritation to the skin that may be caused by using a razor. It helps the razor to effortlessly glide across the skin and remove hair.

For me, the product should never be more complicated than the purpose. And this homemade shaving gel fits the bill.

Why You Should Make Your Own Shaving Gel

Commercial shaving products can be both expensive and harmful to your health. They are loaded with chemicals.

Some of these chemicals are used to make these products shelf stable so that they can be stored, shipped, and displayed for sale for long periods of time.

The health of the consumer is the last consideration of the companies who produce these products. After all, they are running large scale businesses, and that requires them to place profit at the forefront of their priority list.

If you take a look at the back of a commercially produced shaving product you will likely find a long list of ingredients that cause concern.

Here are just a few of the ingredients you may find …

• TRIETHANOLAMINE – Used to adjust pH levels. This ingredient is a known respiratory allergen.
• RETINYL PALMITATE – This ingredient is a form of vitamin A that has been found to speed up the development of skin lesions and tumors when it is applied to the skin in sunlight.
• ISOBUTANE – Isobutane is a propellant that is used in aerosolized products. It is known to be an immune and respiratory toxicant and allergen.
• PARABENS – Used to extend the shelf life of personal care products. This ingredient mimics estrogen. It is potentially an endocrine system disruptor.
• METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE – This is a preservative that is a known immune toxicant and allergen.
• FRAGRANCE – Fragrance ingredients do not need to be disclosed to the public. There is no way to know exactly what is in the fragrance that is put in a personal care product. Fragrance formulas are among the top 5 known allergens.

Ingredients Needed To Make DIY Aloe Vera Shaving Gel

The ingredients that are used to make diy aloe vera shaving gel are readily available, inexpensive, and chemical-free.

They will save you money and give you peace of mind. That’s exactly what I’m looking for in the products that I use on my body.

This recipe calls for 3 ingredients. Two of them are necessary ingredients and the third is optional.

These are the ingredients needed to make this homemade shaving gel …

• ALOE VERA GEL – Aloe vera gel helps to alleviate dry, itchy skin. It encourages skin to retain moisture and has cooling properties. It is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.
• ALMOND OIL – Almond oil has been used to treat dry skin conditions for hundreds of year. It is an emollient, which means that it reduces water loss from skin thereby encouraging it to retain moisture. It also has antibacterial properties.
• LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL – Lavender oil is soothing and calming to the skin. It reduces redness and irritation. And it has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties.

Aloe vera gel and almond oil are the two ingredients in this recipe that are absolutely necessary to make your shaving gel.

Lavender essential oil is added primarily for it’s fragrance. I have also used other essentail oils to lend a nice scent to my shaving gel. You can choose whatever works for you. Try to avoid oils that irritate the skin, such as citrus.

Choosing Aloe Vera For This Recipe

I have been purchasing my aloe vera gel at a drug store for some time now. This is not my favorite option, but living as remotely as I do it is sometimes difficult to obtain what I consider to be ideal ingredients for my homemade personal care products.

The aloe vera gel that you purchase in big box stores is not 100% pure. Although, most of the ingredients it contains are pretty reasonable.

If this is the route you choose for purchasing your aloe vera gel, look for a product that has as few ingredients as possible. And be sure to avoid aloe vera gels that have been tinted green.

These gels simply contain an additional unnecessary, potentially harmful ingredient.

Use fresh grown aloe vera stalks to make your shaving gel …

I would love to grow my own aloe vera gel. However, I’m not sure that I would be able to produce enough to make all of the diy aloe vera shaving gel I use.

It is my intention to start growing at least some of my own aloe vera plants as soon as I am out of this wickedly cold northern climate.

When I lived in the pocono mountains there was a small ethnic store that I visited a few times. They sold very large aloe vera stalks in the produce department.

As I remember, these stalks were close to two feet long! That’s alot of aloe vera gel.

I’m hoping that I will be able to find fresh aloe vera stalks where I am moving in North Carolina. It is a health conscious area. So, I think I have a pretty good chance.

This is the purest way to purchase aloe vera that I’m aware of. Note that if you use fresh aloe vera gel from a plant to make your diy aloe vera shaving gel, you will need to refrigerate it so that it doesn’t go rancid.

Make your gel in small amounts as it will only last a few weeks in the refrigerator.

How To Make DIY Aloe Vera Shaving Gel

I rarely make a large batch of diy aloe vera shaving gel at a time. I tend to mix up a small one use batch whenever I shave my legs. It literally takes minutes to do.

I’m going to put the measurements for a one cup batch on the recipe card for this post as a guideline for those who want to print it out. I feel that’s a reasonable size batch for most people who want to prepare it ahead of time.

But, the actual formula for this homemade shaving gel is simple … mix equal parts aloe vera gel and almond oil together, add some essential oil if you like, and you’re done!

I would suggest 25-30 drops of essential oil for a one cup batch.

Substituting Oils In This Recipe

I have made this diy aloe vera shaving gel with fractionated coconut oil many times. I actually prefer using this oil as it’s a little less expensive than almond oil.

It’s not available way up north where I am right now. So, almond oil has become my current oil of choice for this recipe.

They are both a really great choice. However, there are many other great choices out there as well so do a little research and pick one that suits you.

Any liquid form oil that is skin friendly will work just fine in this recipe. I’ve grabbed cheap cooking oil from the kitchen cupboard in a pinch, and I assure you I still had a great shaving experience.

How To Use DIY Aloe Vera Shaving Gel

Using diy aloe vera shaving gel is really no different than using any other shaving cream/gel. Simply dampen your skin with a little water, apply a thin layer of homemade gel, and shave as you normally would.

If you’ve premade a large batch of shaving gel, you may need to reblend the ingredients before you apply it to your skin. They tend to separate some over time.

I highly recommend making the simple task of shaving as indulgent as possible. For me, it is generally part of a spa night routine.

This routine includes several different personal care practices. AND it also includes a little candlelight, some relaxing music, and a favorite beverage.

So, set yourself up for a spa night and enjoy your new batch of diy aloe vera shaving gel.

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