How to Buy a Can of Shaving Cream

Not long ago I got an e-mail from a site that publishes short how-to articles, among other things. It's a fine site, full of useful information. But I wasn't especially persuaded by the article the message linked to, "How to Make Aloe Shaving Cream." It began, "Moisturizing aloe and peppermint shaving cream is a simple, natural alternative to the expensive store-bought shaving creams that are often loaded with unnecessary and potentially harmful additives and preservatives."

No kidding. I've been shaving my face more than 30 years now with expensive store-bought shaving creams and one of these days I'm going to wake up dead because of potentially harmful additives and preservatives. Cheerful news. So how do I concoct a simple, natural alternative, one probably used by the Indians of the Orinoco?

According to the article, use distilled water, borax powder, coconut oil, liquid lanolin, some grated beeswax, almond oil, peppermint essential oil, and finally aloe vera gel. Then there are five steps involving two different sauce pans and some mixing. That isn't my idea of simple. Or inexpensive, come to think of it, since obtaining all those ingredients is bound to cost a bit, and I suspect some of it would go to waste, once I got tired of the sauce pans and the mixing.

Call it the Real Simple syndrome. I only have a passing familiarity with that magazine/web site -- I'm way out of its demographic -- but it strikes me as devoted to ways to keep busy doing things that don't need to be done. Such as mixing up my own shaving cream.

I suppose there are shaving cream enthusiasts who enjoy the process of making their own, like beer hobbyists or the like, and I wish them well. As for me, I can't remember what I paid for my most recent can of shaving cream, but it wasn't much (or I'd remember it). The thing lasts for months. It smells pretty good. I don't have to think about it or do anything about it while it sits in the bathroom, waiting for me to shave.

That's my idea of real simple. As for the scary chemicals, I'll just have to live with the risk that my jaw will drop off someday.