The shaving habit for many male shavers during the early part of the 20th century initially involved washing and lubricating the face and neck with hot water. A small shaving brush typically made from animal hair was then used to produce lather from a bar of shaving soap that sat in a shaving cup or bowl. The soapy lather would then be quickly brushed even onto the face and neck area and shaved off with a long sharp razor.
During the mid 1900's manufacturers commonly used CFC gas (chlorofluorocarbons) to make canned shaving creams until the use of CFC was drastically reduced during the 70's and replaced with other more environmentally friendly gases. Nowadays, many canned shaving foams and gels contain alcohol and mentholated ingredients because they act as refreshing antiseptic agents to help reduce infection if the skin is cut during the shaving process. However, because the skin can dry out when using alcohol-based shaving creams, other products such as moisturizing shave gel containing enriched organic plant-extracts and other natural vegetable oils formulated to soothe the skin were developed.
Today, using modern manufacturing methods a variety of moisturizing creams, shaving gels, foams, shaving oil, cleansing creams and brushless shave creams are available that have been formulated with unique ingredients, vitamins, natural fruit, vegetable and plant extracts and oils to meet consumer demand. Men shavers looking for a spotted cream or a special aftershave for men lotion have the luxury of choosing a product that best suits their personal taste from the many grooming products available on shop shelves today.
For example, with the innovative use of oils and extracts taken from fruit, herbs and vegetables such as apricot kernels, chestnut, cucumber, cinnamon, pineapple and lavender some manufacturers of men's grooming products can now supply consumers with a number of tempting formulated products temptingly labeled and marketed as facial fuels, herbal extract toners, facial scrubs, herbal moisturizers and facial energizing scrub to name a few.