One can get the impression that the trend towards wild growth on the face has subsided. In other words, more people are shaving again. Then also wet. So with a blade and foam or gel. Öko-Test knows what to smear on your face without worrying.
According to surveys, more than 70 percent of men shave their faces – more than half of them use shaving foam or gel. Ascending trend. Because wet shaving is valued by many men as a particularly thorough and clean method. A lubricant is needed to ensure that the wild growth is cleared gently and the skin is not scraped open.
Öko-Test reveals what you can safely smear on your face. For the study, 22 men’s shaving products were purchased, including 9 gels and 13 foams, at prices between 0.63 and 7.32 euros for 200 milliliters.
The laboratory checked whether the cosmetics contained controversial or questionable ingredients such as formaldehyde/formaldehyde splitter, halogenated organic compounds, diethyl phthalate and problematic fragrances. Depending on the declaration, the products with paraffins from mineral oil components, so-called MOAH, were examined. Because these can contain carcinogenic compounds. It was also checked whether the shaving products contained PEG/PEG derivatives, butylated hydroxytoluene or synthetic polymers/silicones.
Result: Men have a large selection of recommended shaving products. Around two thirds of the products score “very good” or “good”. Neither problematic fragrances nor controversial halogenated organic compounds were found.
On the other hand, all shaving products that score “good” or worse contain PEG/PEG derivatives in their formulations. Manufacturers like to use them in many different cosmetic formulations because they can fulfill several functions. Among other things, they act as surfactants, i.e. washing-active substances, or as emulsifiers to help water and oil components to mix better. They also ensure a nice lather. No wonder they’re in shaving products. But they can also make the skin more permeable to foreign substances. This can become a problem, especially when a product contains other controversial substances that can more easily pass through the skin barrier.
Five shaving products also contain BHT. This substance is used as an antioxidant. It is found in products such as “L’Oreal Men Expert Shaving Gel Hydra Sensitive” (“satisfactory”) and “Gillette Fusion 5 Shaving Gel Ultra Sensitive” (“sufficient”) as well as the two shaving products from Nivea (“Nivea Men Sensitive Pro Shaving Foam”, “satisfactory”; “Nivea Men Sensitive Shaving Gel”, “sufficient”), also in the “Aveo Men Sensitive Shaving Gel” (“satisfactory”) from the Müller drugstore. The substance is suspected of acting like an environmental hormone. In addition, animal experiments have shown, among other things, indications of an impairment of the thyroid function. The product concerned was devalued by one note. No product was rated worse than “sufficient”.
A total of 9 shaving products were awarded the top mark. Among other things, these were: “Lavera Men Sensitive Milder Shaving Foam” (7.32 euros) or the significantly cheaper “Balea Men Shaving Foam Sensitive” from DM, “Bevola Men Shaving Foam Sensitive” from Kaufland, “Cien Men Shaving Foam Sensitive” from Lidl, ” Ombia Men Shaving Foam Sensitive” from Aldi Nord. 200 milliliters are available here for 0.63 euros. The “Bulldog SensitiveFoaming Shaving Gel” (3.45 euros) was the only gel to receive the grade “very good”.
