Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel

The following review is by J.B. Bryant.

Likes:

• Superb lubrication for a shaving gel;
• excellent protection against bumps and burn;
• Heals minor nicks and small cuts.
• My favorite product for the last two years.

Dislikes:

• At little pricey (about $3.50 USD per 7 oz.);
• Seems to lose quality near the end of the can

Available at:

• Nearly everywhere (I’ve bought or seen it at Kroger, Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, Meijer’s, K-Mart, CVS, and maybe other places).
• Also available online at Health and Beauty shops or at Amazon.

Review:

I use a separate razor and separate gel for my face and my head. I buy cheap stuff for my face because it’s much easier to shave. My scalp deserves (and requires) the good stuff.

I recently ran out of Aveeno Positively Smooth, which I’ve been using at least 2 years, and used some of the Gillette gel I had for my face. Boy was I reminded of the difference!

Aveeno Positively Smooth is a soy-based, white creamy gel that develops a medium lather when applied. It claims on the can that it helps protect against razor burn, razor bumps, and cuts. It really does!

This gel provides superior lubrication. But in the event that you do nick yourself, try my little trick: Take some of the foam out of the water where you have rinsed your razor lightly apply it directly to your cut. Let it sit there until you’re done shaving. My cuts normally tend to bleed a lot, but when I do this they don’t. The cut seems to heal more quickly, too.

Now, Aveeno Positively Smooth Shaving Gel (like its sister product, Positively Smooth Moisturizing Lotion), claims that it helps you shave less often over extended use. I have not noticed that effect at all (except for the fact that I get a closer shave to begin with). Even with this product and my Gillette Mach 3 razor I have stubble by mid-evening. But no matter — this is the best shaving gel you can buy… and I’ve tried many cheap and expensive brands.

The price is quite a bit more than Gillette or Edge… it costs approximately $3.50 USD for 7 oz. I’d never pay that for my face, and I hate paying it for my head, but this product is too good to pass up. Every head shaver I’ve recommended it to has thanked me later.

One last note: There is another product called Aveeno Therapeutic Shaving Gel. DO NOT GET IT! I once got it because the store was out of the Positively Smooth, thinking it would be as good. It doesn’t even come close. The Therapeutic Shaving Gel is oatmeal-based rather than soy-based, and it clogs razors very badly. The two cans look very similar; look for the Aveeno gel with a light-blue cap rather than a dark-blue cap.