The 9 Best Shaving Soaps for Men in 2018

Featuring luxurious lather, natural ingredients, and fresh masculine scents.

So you’re looking to get the smoothest shave ever, but without the hassle and with the best shaving soap on the market. Whether you’re new to the art or an experienced veteran, you’ll find a winner in our top picks. Our list features premium crafted shaving soaps with a good lather, gentle moisturizing ingredients, and freshly masculine scents that could almost double as cologne. We’ll give you a brief intro to the company that produces or handmakes the soap, as well as a recommendation for who would best benefit from it. You’ll also get an idea of how the soap feels and smells—because we’re all about making shaving the deluxe experience it ought to be.

The best shaving soaps of 2018

1803 Natural Vegan Shaving Soap Vol. 2 from Dr. Jon’s
Cruelty-free, vegan
One of the best shaving soaps you can get your hands on, featuring vegan ingredients that make for a great shave and great skin. Dr. Jon’s has reformulated their shaving soaps again and again to reach perfection. Their vegan grooming products are all handcrafted in Ohio, and come in a variety of scents to suit your liking.

We’re highlighting the 1803 for its complex scent that makes for a deluxe grooming experience. Once applied to skin, it melts on contact to create a smooth lather and a seamless shave. That’s thanks to the mango butter and babassu oil that provide a convenient slip and prevent against nicks. Babassu oil is naturally antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, so your shave and skin can both feel satisfying smooth afterwards (no unwanted redness or infection here!). Dr. Jon’s boasts that you won’t need any post-shave treatment with this moisturizing formula, and the reviews testify that!

The scent is clean and masculine. It features fruity top notes and floral middle notes, all tied together by a musky scent of cedar and sandalwood.

Shave Soap Bar from Sam’s Natural
Cruelty-free, vegan
Whether you use a shaving brush or not, you’ll be happy to know that there’s an option for both crowds. You can quickly lather this shaving soap between your hands when you’re in a jiffy. Sam’s Natural was founded by a hardworking mechanic in New Hampshire, so you’ll know that his formulas will actually work for every busy guy out on his daily grind.

Like all of their other soaps, Sam’s Natural’s shaving soap is hand-poured using a cold process method that preserves its nourishing ingredients. We’re talking about the antioxidant-rich sea buckthorn oil that helps preserve the vigor of your jawline. Next, the soap is cured up to 6 weeks to create a long-lasting bar. The coconut and olive oil lather up easily and soothe your skin as you get about your shaving business. Yup; simple, natural ingredients that work and won’t irritate even sensitive skin.

Moisturizing Natural Shaving Soap Bar from Era Organics
Cruelty-free, vegan
Been through one-too-many rough shave? We’ve all been there. And if you’re looking to end that bad streak, this handy shaving soap from Era Organics will probably be your answer. Era Organics offers a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee (no questions asked!), so you know that their medically researched natural products are the real deal!

8 simple ingredients make this the best shaving soap for sensitive skin. Palm (you’ll want to reach out and ask about the sustainability of it) and olive oil moisturize for a smooth razor glide, reducing your chance of a nasty razor burn. They also soften your hair follicles, making for a closer shave. The ginger is anti-inflammatory to fight redness. And thanks to the anti-bacterial lemongrass oil, you won’t have to tear your hair out over acne or infected ingrown hairs that ruin your week.

This shaving soap has a mild citrusy scent.

Himalaya Shaving Soap from Men’s Soap Company
Cruelty-free, vegan
Ever wanted to try out that elusive Himalaya cologne? This shaving soap comes with a Himalaya scent made from essential oils, rather than a dubious synthetic fragrance that contains endocrine-disrupting ingredients. Men’s Soap Company makes it a point to create high-performing shaving soaps that contain healthy nourishing ingredients whenever possible. So they’re undeniably better than anything you’d find in a drugstore.

This shaving soap promises a generously thick lather for a smooth shave. Safflower oil lubricates skin for effortless grooming, while also soothing to prevent irritation and razor burns. The combination of shea butter and Vitamin E is perfect for anyone with dry skin who’s had enough of rough patchy shaves.

Black Willow Soap from A Wild Soap Bar
Cruelty-free
Ever tried to shave around a pimple? Not pretty business. But get excited, here’s a shaving soap specially made for those of you with acne-prone or oily skin. A Wild Soap Bar has been crafting soaps since 1995, so you know that they’re seasoned pros at what they do. It’s worth noting that their palm oil is sustainably sourced. What’s more, they donate a good amount of their profits to sustainable causes every year.

This bar of soap may not look like much, but it packs a bunch of anti-acne ingredients that are natural, soothing, and potent. It starts off with calcium bentonite clay and activated bamboo charcoal that deeply cleanse pores of excess oil. Even the blend of essential oils is thoughtfully crafted. Tea tree oil fights off acne-causing bacteria. Patchouli oil helps to heal infections. Black willow clears and tightens pores for a smooth finish. Has a refreshing scent of eucalyptus.

The Black Rose Shaving Soap from the Los Angeles Shaving Soap Company
Cruelty-free, vegan
We don’t mean to alarm you, but if you haven’t tried a rose shaving soap, you’re missing out. The company products are all pioneered by just one guy living in Southern California, who hand-makes all of the soaps and tests each of them on himself first. His shop has all of your bases covered: it also offers a range of grooming tools and aftershave products.

What’s to love about this soap? Keeping in theme with the subtle rose scent, the base starts with French red clay to provide a luxurious vegan alternative to tallow (animal fat) soaps. It easily whips up into a rich lather with just a little bit of water. We’re a fan of the allantoin and activated charcoal that purify your pores as you shave to ward off against irritation and ingrown hairs. And check out the cedarwood and vetiver essential oils that give this soap a characteristically masculine scent. Whoever said that roses aren’t for guys too? Do note that this soap contains palm oil.

Cedarwood Shaving Soap from Manna Love
Cruelty-free, vegan
This shaving soap doesn’t boast as thick of a lather as its conventional counterparts, but it does actually protect your skin as you shave. Manna is a Hungarian natural cosmetics brand featuring over a 100 different products that have the whole family in mind. They boast a good number of certifications that testify to their high quality and ethical standards.

If you’re looking for a painless close shave, this might be your favorite pick. The olive oil and castor oil in this gentle soap are highly compatible with skin and hair follicles. They provide just enough slip to prepare for the perfect shave, and leave skin moisturized even after use. Kaolin clay purifies skin to produce a smoothing shaving surface. Are you a fan of that cedarwood scent? You’ll be pleased to learn that it can also soothe your skin as you shave. This soap contains only 9 ingredients, and it’s free of palm oil too.

Shaving Soap – Orange & Lavender from Friendly Soap
Cruelty free, vegan
If a traditional wet shave is the way you like to roll, this soap will be the only one you need. Friendly Soap makes a promise to bar harsh sulfates, parabens, palm oil, and animal testing and animal byproducts from their soaps. You can rest assured that they have the highest commitment to ethical business standards and manufacturing practices. It’s worth reading about why they do what they do to make a difference.

Just combine the soap with hot water in a shaving bowl, and use a brush to whip up a luxurious lather that fully softens the wildest of beards. Or, if you’re short on time and are only looking for a quick shave, just roll the bar around in wet hands to get started. We love the refreshing punch of lavender and orange, and it’s definitely something we could get used to on a daily basis.

Shave & Body Soap from Tame the Beast
Cruelty-free, vegan
Looking to get some shaving down on other parts of your body too? Tame the Beast offers a versatile soap bar that’s excellent at cleaning, as well as shaving faces and bodies. They’re based in Tennessee, and strongly believe that the most energizing men’s grooming products are ones that rely on intense botanical ingredients that you can name and smell.

No need to bother with a shave brush. Just scrub this soap directly against skin anywhere on your body for a slick lather. What sets this shaving soap apart from its competitors is the organic gluten-free colloidal oatmeal that softens and soothes skin. The soap gets its cleansing properties from lavender and tea tree essential oil that also impart it with an invigorating scent.  The soap includes organic palm oil that’s Rainforest Alliance certified to help preserve wildlife.

Not everyone’s a perfectionist, but you most certainly can pin down the perfect shaving soap to match your grooming routine. We’d love to know what other grooming products you’re interested in, so leave us a comment!

In the meanwhile, you might be interested in these articles to help beef up your grooming intel:

Best Natural Deodorants for Men: Because having one that’s simple and actually works is something to be proud about.
6 Essentials Oils for Hair Growth Backed by Research: Essential oils are gentle enough to use for daily treatment and for boosting long term hair growth.
Beauty Tips for Battling Acne Around Mouth: With natural ingredients and good habits, those pimples will be the least of your worries.