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See also depilatory cream
Chemical depilatory

A chemical depilatory is a cosmetic preparation used to remove the hair from the skin on the human body. Currently, a common active ingredient is Thioglycolic acid, which breaks down the disulfide bonds in keratin and weakens the hair so that it is easily scraped off where it emerges from the hair follicle....
 for the cosmetic potion of this name.
Shaving cream is a substance that is applied to the face or wherever else hair grows, to provide lubrication and avoid razor burn
Razor Burn

Razor Burn is the 7th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening , released on Massacre Records in September 2006....
 during shaving
Shaving

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg, and underarm hair....
. Shaving cream is often bought in a spray can
Aerosol spray

Aerosol spray is a type of dispensing system which creates an Particulate mist of liquid particles. This is used with a spray can or bottle that contains a liquid under pressure....
, but can also be purchased in tubs or tubes. Shaving cream in a can is commonly dispensed as a foam
Foam

The most general definition of foam is a substance that is formed by trapping many gas bubbles in a liquid or solid. It can also refer to anything that is analogous to such a phenomenon, such as quantum foam....
 or a gel
Gel

A gel is a solid, gelatin material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute crosslinked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state....
. Creams that are in tubes or tubs are commonly used with a shaving brush to produce a rich lather (most often used in wet shaving).

The cream itself commonly consists of a mixture of oil, soaps, surfactants, and water or alcohol, manufactured under carefully controlled conditions to ensure proper pH
PH

pH is a measure of the Acid or Base of a solution. It is defined as the cologarithm of the Activity of dissolved hydrogen ions . Hydrogen ion activity coefficients cannot be measured experimentally, so they are based on theoretical calculations....
 and consistency.

dimentary form of shaving cream was documented in Sumer
Sumer

Sumer was a civilization and a historical region located in Southern Iraq , known as the Cradle of civilization. It lasted from the first settlement of Eridu in the Ubaid period through the Uruk period and the Dynastic periods until the rise of Babylon in the early 2nd millennium BC....
 around 3000 BC.






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Encyclopedia


See also depilatory cream
Chemical depilatory

A chemical depilatory is a cosmetic preparation used to remove the hair from the skin on the human body. Currently, a common active ingredient is Thioglycolic acid, which breaks down the disulfide bonds in keratin and weakens the hair so that it is easily scraped off where it emerges from the hair follicle....
 for the cosmetic potion of this name.
Shaving cream is a substance that is applied to the face or wherever else hair grows, to provide lubrication and avoid razor burn
Razor Burn

Razor Burn is the 7th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening , released on Massacre Records in September 2006....
 during shaving
Shaving

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg, and underarm hair....
. Shaving cream is often bought in a spray can
Aerosol spray

Aerosol spray is a type of dispensing system which creates an Particulate mist of liquid particles. This is used with a spray can or bottle that contains a liquid under pressure....
, but can also be purchased in tubs or tubes. Shaving cream in a can is commonly dispensed as a foam
Foam

The most general definition of foam is a substance that is formed by trapping many gas bubbles in a liquid or solid. It can also refer to anything that is analogous to such a phenomenon, such as quantum foam....
 or a gel
Gel

A gel is a solid, gelatin material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute crosslinked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state....
. Creams that are in tubes or tubs are commonly used with a shaving brush to produce a rich lather (most often used in wet shaving).

The cream itself commonly consists of a mixture of oil, soaps, surfactants, and water or alcohol, manufactured under carefully controlled conditions to ensure proper pH
PH

pH is a measure of the Acid or Base of a solution. It is defined as the cologarithm of the Activity of dissolved hydrogen ions . Hydrogen ion activity coefficients cannot be measured experimentally, so they are based on theoretical calculations....
 and consistency.

History

A rudimentary form of shaving cream was documented in Sumer
Sumer

Sumer was a civilization and a historical region located in Southern Iraq , known as the Cradle of civilization. It lasted from the first settlement of Eridu in the Ubaid period through the Uruk period and the Dynastic periods until the rise of Babylon in the early 2nd millennium BC....
 around 3000 BC. This substance combined wood alkali and animal fat and was applied to a beard as a shaving preparation.

The gas in shaving cream canisters originally contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Haloalkane

The haloalkanes are a group of chemical compounds, consisting of alkanes, such as methane or ethane, with one or more halogens linked, such as chlorine or fluorine, making them a type of organic halide....
 but this substance was increasingly believed to be detrimental to the Earth's ozone layer
Ozone layer

The ozone layer is a layer in Earth's atmosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone . This layer absorbs 93-99% of the sun's high frequency ultraviolet light, which is potentially damaging to life on earth....
. This led to restrictions or reductions in CFC use, such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an List of United States federal agencies of the federal government of the United States charged to Regulation of chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land....
 ban in the late 1970s. Gaseous hydrocarbon propellants such as mixtures of pentane
Pentane

Pentane is any or one of the organic compounds with the chemical formula C5H12. This alkane is a component of some fuels and is employed as a specialty solvent in the laboratory....
, propane
Propane

Propane is a three-carbon alkane, normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. It is derived from other petroleum products during oil or natural gas processing....
, butane
Butane

Butane, also called n-butane, is the unbranched alkane with four carbon atoms, CH3CH2CH2CH3....
 and isobutane
Isobutane

Isobutane, also known as methylpropane or 2-methylpropane, is an alkane, isomeric with butane. Recent concerns with depletion of the ozone layer by freon gases have led to increased use of isobutane as a gas for refrigeration systems, especially in domestic refrigerators and freezers, and as a propellant in aerosol sprays....
 could be used instead of the CFCs. Because of the large proportion of water in pressurized shaving cream, the risk from the normally flammable hydrocarbons was reduced.

In the late 1980s, shaving gel
Gel

A gel is a solid, gelatin material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute crosslinked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state....
 was developed which dispenses as a gel then rubbed on the face to produce a lather.

Usage

Shaving cream is not normally used when using an electric razor, however some newer models feature a wet shave.

A debunked myth is that two cans of frozen shaving cream, when thawed, will expand to sufficient volume to fill the interior of an automobile.

See also

  • Aftershave
    Aftershave

    Aftershave is a lotion, gel, Liniment, or liquid used mainly by men after they have finished shaving. It may contain an antiseptic agent such as alcohol to prevent infection from cuts as well as numb damaged skin, a perfume to enhance scent, and a moisturizer to soften the skin....
  • Burma shave
  • Barbasol
    Barbasol

    Barbasol is a brand of shaving cream, body wash, and aftershave, founded in 1921 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is currently owned by Perio, Inc....
  • Shaving
    Shaving

    Shaving is the removal of hair, by using razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg, and underarm hair....