The Greenest: Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Organic Fair Trade Shaving Soap Gel
This product has a fantastic tea tree smell. It is also the greenest of the bunch. It’s a gel, so there’s no real foam action going. But it does give a close, moisturized shave. Dr Bronner’s points out that this product is certified by the same National Organic Program that certifies food. Free of synthetic ingredients, this product is USDA Organic, Certified Fair Trade and cruelty-free.

The Best Smell: Nature’s Gate Creamy Cucumber and Mint Shave Gel
This cream is very fresh with a light peppermint smell. It’s clean smelling, and not overpowering or perfume-like. There wasn’t much lather to it, but it gives a smooth, very close shave. The only downside was that it was hard to get off. As our tester tells it, “I actually had to wash my face. Usually, I just wipe off shaving cream with a towel. But maybe that’s why it worked so well.” This product is certified organic by Quality Assurance International, Oregon Tilth and more. It is also certified vegan and cruelty free.

And the other good stuff”¦.

Depth Bay Coconut Shave Cream
This has an interesting, almost fruity scent. (Which makes it a good cross-over product for women.) It’s highly moisturizing after shaving and does allow for a close shave. This product is 70% organic, contains 100% natural aroma blend, and it is free of artificial colors and SLS. It is also 100% vegetarian.

Burt’s Bees Natural Shave Cream
Our tester was ambivalent on this product. It is musky but not too heavy. It goes on creamy but doesn’t provide the closest of shaves. My tester protested that he had to shave every day, as opposed to every other, when he used this product. 100% natural but not organic, the product contains anti-inflammatory calendula. It is free of SLSs, parabens, and phthalates, and it is also cruelty-free. For $8, it’s a good bang for your buck. Not to mention, the tube is 23% post consumer recycled material.

Burt’s Bees also has an aftershave which gets high marks from the girlfriends of our testers. Frankly, it smells great. It is ph balanced and free of parabens and phthalates.

JASONS All Natural Shaving Lotion
Unfortunately, this product didn’t fare as well as some of the others. Our tester found it grainy and seedy which wasn’t a great texture for getting a smooth shave. Also, it needed a large amount to lather properly. In fact, it hurt and wasn’t a smooth shave at all. This is because it is soap-free and propellant-free and contains several naturally sourced ingredients.

Kiss My Face Cool Mint Moisture Shave
This cream suds up rather nicely, which allows a closer shave than some of the other brands. It contains no animal ingredients, artificial colors, or unnecessary chemicals. It was smooth, easy to lather and left my face feeling fresh. As our tester tells it, “it has me look forward to my next shave!” It is not organic and by no means the “greenest” of the bunch – but does contain natural olive and coconut oils.

Avalon Organics Peppermint Moisturizing Shave Cream
This product has a yummy, minty scent and goes on like a cream. It contains organic extracts of calendula, chamomile and green tea, with organic aloe, organic sunflower and flax oils. It is free of parabens, preservatives and grapefruit seed extract with 100% vegetarian ingredients. It is not USDA Organic, but it is certified organic with Oregon Tilth, among others.

Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser
Jurlique recommends this product for after shaving. My testers tried it out and felt it just worked better as a straight up cleanser, not noticing any particular “after shaving” benefits. It has a very subtle floral scent. It’s pricey at $40 a bottle, but a little does go a long way. It contains several natural ingredients that come from the Jurlique sustainably farmed compound in South Australia.

Triple Razor by Preserve
This 100% recycled razor of #5 plastic has a reusable handle that is partially made from Stoneyfield yogurt cups. (It is also compatible with Personna® Acti-Flexx® and Gillette® Sensor® blades.) It’s durable and the maneuverable razor performs a close shave. It gets high marks and is worth the $8.95 for an original razor.

The post For the Guys: Best Natural and Organic Shaving Products appeared first on EcoSalon.

After checking out a few of the greener products on the market, it’s clear that many of us have been short-changing our shaving experience. After all, shaving cream is intended to prevent razor burn. But traditional creams usually involve a mixture of oil, surfactants and alcohol. No thanks!

The first natural shaving creams were made of wood alkali and animal fat. But we’ve come a long way, baby! Recently, I had the opportunity to check out some excellent girl-friendly eco-products designed to green up our hair removal regimes. And here’s what I found”¦

Triple Razor by Preserve

This 100% recycled razor of #5 plastic has a reusable handle that is partially made from Stoneyfield yogurt cups. (It is also compatible with Personna® Acti-Flexx® and Gillette® Sensor® blades.) It’s durable and the maneuverable razor performs a close shave, which is nice for certain arm-pitty areas on the body. I give it high marks and found it worth the $8.95 for an original razor.

Whish Pomegranate Shave Cream

This product smells yummy – it has an “easy” fruit scent few are going to dislike. It goes on smoothly and produces a knick-free shave. But there’s a definite waxy, sticky residue left over that actually dulled my new pedicure polish. It is free of parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates, DEA and TEAs. It also contains natural and organic ingredients and they use eco-friendly packaging. (No animal testing at Whish, either.)

Whish Hair Inhibiting Gel

This has a lovely almond scent and it felt cool and refreshing on my newly-shaved skin. But does it inhibit growth? I sampled it for two weeks, as did another green girl. At press time we were, ahem, not noticing any less hair growth. However, it does get high marks as a straight up moisturizer. Like the shave cream, it is free of parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates, DEA and TEAs.

Avalon Organics Lavender Moisturizing Shave Cream

This product contains organic extracts of calendula, chamomile and green tea, with organic aloe, organic sunflower and flax oils. It has a nice scent and goes on like a cream. It is free of parabens, preservatives and grapefruit seed extract with 100% vegetarian ingredients. It is not USDA Organic, but it is certified organic with Oregon Tilth, among others.

Kiss My Face Peaches and Cream Moisture Shave

This is certainly very peachy and creamy – using it is almost like eating a sundae, but without the guilt. And it suds up rather nicely, which allows a closer shave than some of the other brands. It contains no animal ingredients, artificial colors, or harsh chemicals. It is not organic and is by no means the “greenest” of the bunch – but does contain natural olive and coconut oils.

EOs Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream

If you like perfumed products, you will like this cream. And if you’re using it for hard-to-reach spots, it can be a good choice. But it was a bit too strongly scented for my tastes. It’s non-foaming, paraben-free, and contains natural aloe and shea butter. It is not organic, unfortunately.

Erbaviva Organic Bath Oil
And when you’re done? This Erbaviva bath oil is actually a great way to keep your gams as moisturized as possible. (You can also use olive oil!) It is made from organic carrier oils with a blend of organic and wild crafted essential oils of grapefruit, orange and jasmine. It does keep you hydrated and the smell is to die for, (as in, it’s lovely). And it is USDA Organic.

The post Looking for a Clean, Green Shave? Best Nontoxic and Organic Shaving Products appeared first on EcoSalon.