Homemade (Facial) Shaving Cream Tutorial

I have been making this shaving cream for my better half for a while now. He seems to enjoy it, so during the holidays I decided to make several jars to gift to my friends' hubbies. This recipe is my own version of what I read online. I read extensively about how to make a shaving cream for men. Their face is much more sensitive than our legs (for ladies you can just use coconut oil, or even simple hair conditioner if you like). I read many recipes and, in the end, I chose ingredients from several...and came out with this mix. This recipe is for 1 jar. To make a larger batch I just multiplied the ingredients amounts for the number of jars I was making. Since I was making a several jars, I used both lavender and mint soap/oils for variety.

Ingredients for one jar:

2 TBSP Coconut oil
2 TBSP Shea butter
2 TBSP Dr. Bronner Castile soap
1 TBSP Raw honey
1 TBSP Bentonite clay
1 TBSP Castor oil
20 drops Vitamin E
20 drops Essential oil (I like to match soap fragrance to the same essential oil - mint with mint, lavender with lavender, etc - but you can also mix and match if you like)

I began by measuring out the ingredients and melting them in the microwave in 30 seconds increments. (This is enough coconut oil for my batch of 6 jars). 

YES, that's the perfect cup for me...and I love it! Kitties are always woven into my life = ^ .. ^ =

I poured the melted coconut oil into a mixing bowl

I measured and melted the Shea butter. 

(I melt solids in 30 seconds increments...so sometimes not everything is completely melted, but I mix well and eventually things do melt down. I don't want to nuke solids too long, because the longer you heat anything and the more you loose essential nutrients. So I truly nuke the bare-minimum necessary to obtain a fluid that will incorporate well with the rest of the ingredients).

The coconut and Shea butter combined...

...Honey and Castor oil added to the mixture...

...then Vitamin E, Castile soap and essential oils too (about to be thoroughly incorporated).

Then the clay is added...and roughly stirred before whipping.

To whip, I use a common hand mixer. I find that this gives me fluffiest consistency. I start on low and work my way up to high. I beat for about 2-3 minutes until the desired consistency is achieved.

I then scoop the shaving cream inside the containers (Hobby Lobby). I make sure the containers are clean and sterilized - dishwasher 'pots & pans' cycle works great - no preservatives in this recipe means that sterile jars are a must!

I then got some paper tags (on sale at Marshall's) and added a 'homemade with love' sticker to the front (from Hobby Lobby) and I wrote on the back of the tags "peppermint shaving cream" or "lavender shaving cream". 

I added a cute cotton ribbon, with mustache print, around the jars and added the tag. I let my friends know to always scoop the cream from the jar with dry, clean hands. You want to be a bit more careful with a natural product, without preservatives, to avoid molding or spoiling. You don't need to use much to do the job, my DH says that it takes about a teaspoon per shave, give or take.