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Ingredients Used in Our Shaving Soap VS. Over-The-Counter Brands

Whether you use shaving soap, cream or gel, they are all formulated to produce a lather that reduces blade friction against the skin during shaves. The quality of a shave largely depends on the lather and the ingredients from which it is made. A perfect lather should be smooth, thick, bubble free and silky to the touch that helps blade glide over the skin, catching only the hair. The lather should not irritate the skin during pre-shave application, shave and post-shave. Also, the post-shave skin should feel hydrated and moisturized.

Shaving formulas made from natural ingredients will give you the best shave result for all skin types – dry, normal, oily, sensitive or combination. Please note that even natural ingredients can trigger skin sensitivity issues due to allergic reaction one may be prone to, but chances are significantly lower than synthetic ingredients. The table below lists ingredients used in our shaving soap compared to common over-the-counter cream and gel formulas:

MSC Shaving Soap OTC Shaving Cream OTC Shaving Gel

Formula base

Glycerin (vegetable)

  • Soy
  • Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
  • Both are skin conditioning agents

Formula base

Stearic Acid

  • Extracted from animal fats mostly
  • Rarely from plants

Formula base

Glycerin (synthesized)

  • Carbohydrate materials
  • Or from substances such as propylene

Purified Water

Water

Water

Cleansing Agent

Sodium Castorate (Castor) Oil

  • Is a sodium salt of the fatty acids from (Castor) Oil
  • Natural - Nontoxic, environmentally friendly

Cleansing Agent

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

  • Sodium lauryl sulfate is the sodium salt of lauryl sulfate
  • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
  • Organ system toxicity
  • Ecotoxicology - Harmful to the environment

Laureth-23

  • Contamination concerns
  • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
  • Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
  • Ecotoxicology - Harmful to the environment

Triethanolamine

  • Strongly alkaline substance used as surfactant and pH adjusting chemical
  • Contamination concerns
  • Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Cleansing Agent

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

  • Ingredient derived from ethoxylated lauryl alcohol
  • May be contaminated with potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane

Saponifying Agent

Sodium Hydroxide

  • Essential ingredient in any soap making process
  • When mixed with fats and oils, will cause a chemical reaction called saponification

Saponifying Agent

Saponifying Agent

Sodium Hydroxide

  • When mixed with fats and oils, will cause a chemical reaction called saponification

Moisturizer

Sorbitol

  • Skin conditioning agent
  • Is a sugar alcohol with a sweet taste

Carthamus Tinctorius (Hybrid Safflower) Seed Oil

  • Acts as a lubricant on the skin surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance

Shea Butter

  • Forms a breathable barrier on your skin that helps to protect it from harsh elements like the sun and wind

Moisturizer

Propylene Glycol

  • Skin conditioning agent
  • Has been associated with irritant and allergic contact dermatitis as well as contact urticaria

Moisturizer

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

  • Skin conditioning agent
  • Has been associated with irritation and allergic contact dermatitis

Fragrance

Oils

Fragrance

Aloe

  • Extracted from the succulent leaves of the aloe plant

Propylparaben

  • Parabens mimic estrogen
  • Can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors
  • Ecotoxicology - Harmful to the environment

Fragrance

Benzophenone-4

  • Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
  • Potential hormone (endocrine) disruption
  • Ecotoxicology - Harmful to the environment

Viscosity controlling agent

Viscosity controlling agent

Viscosity controlling agent

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

  • Is a polymer of actylic acid and related chemicals

Disodium EDTA Methylchloroisothiazolinone

  • Used to sequester and decrease the reactivity of metal ions that may be present in a product

Preservative

Preservative

Diazolidinyl Urea

  • Chemical release concerns
  • People exposed to such formaldehyde-releasing ingredients may develop a formaldehyde allergy or an allergy to the ingredient itself

Methylparaben

  • Is in the paraben family of preservatives that mimic estrogen 
  • Can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors

Preservative

Phenoxyethanol

  • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
  • Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Methylisothiazolinone

  • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
  • Neurotoxicity
  • Ecotoxicology - Harmful to the environment

Propellants

Propellants

Propane

  • Is a hydrocarbon gas
  • Used as a propellant in aerosolized products
  • Contamination concerns
  • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs),
  • Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Isobutane

  • Is a hydrocarbon gas
  • Contamination concerns
  • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs),
  • Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Propellants

Dye

Dye

Dye

Blue 1

  • Blue color 
  • Is a synthetic dye produced from petroleum

Coolant

Coolant

Coolant

Ext Violet 2

  • Synthetic
  • May be derived from animals
** Learn more about these Ingredients at EWG | Environmental Working Group.