The best shaving cream for women

Meant The Do-All Conditioner minimizes the number of products you have to stuff in your carry on by acting as a conditioner, hair mask, and shaving cream all in one.

Someone explain to me why in 2019 we still have to deal with packing toiletries when we travel?

Wake me up when Amazon invents the technology necessary to ensure that I never have to stuff a week's worth of toiletries into a quart-sized plastic bag again. Until that day, I'll be bringing The Do-All Conditioner by the multitasking skin-care brand Meant.

As Refinery29 points out, all the products in the brand do double-duty. The Do-All Conditioner, in particular, acts as a conditioner (or "moisturizing everyday hair mask") and a shaving cream for both face and body. Shaving with conditioner is a common beauty hack, so this product makes sense.

In fact, the old-shaving-with-conditioner trick inspired Meant founder Lindsay Knaak-Stuart to create this product in the first place. She told Women's Health, "I had heard of people using conditioner in a pinch when they ran out of shaving cream. If you consider both are hair, then it seemed really logical to me."

I'm happy to report that the concept works like a charm. I got a nice, clean shave with this and my skin felt calm and soft after I dried off, though the formula did clog up my razor more often than usual.

Although you can shave with whatever hair product you currently have in your shower, I like using The Do-All Conditioner because it was formulated with ingredients like aloe leaf juice, babassu oil, and apricot kernel oil specifically to moisturize and soothe the skin.

Pros: All-in-one conditioner and shaving cream, lovely gel consistency, great for travel

Cons: Clogged up my razor more than other formulas I tried

Buy Meant The Do-All Conditioner at Neiman Marcus for $28 (originally $33)

Aveeno Positively Smooth Moisturizing Shave Gel With Aloe helps minimize the appearance of hair over time, and it's gentle enough to use on even the most sensitive skin types.

You shouldn't judge a beauty product by its fragrance, but the fact that Aveeno Positively Smooth Moisturizing Shave Gel With Aloe smells like a hot cup of chai tea to me makes it one of my favorite things to put on my body. It also helps that it's a great shaving cream even if it didn't come with a glorious scent.

Made with natural ingredients like moisturizing soy extract and soothing aloe leaf juice, Aveeno Positively Smooth Moisturizing Shave Gel With Aloe is gentle yet effective. It was the first shaving cream I ever really got excited about, and I've been using it on and off ever since I discovered a bottle in my parent's bathroom.

This comes out of the can as gel and works up to a foamier consistency as you rub it into your skin, so it's great for fans who like to lather. Despite the texture, it doesn't dehydrate skin the way so many shave gels do. I never nick myself while using this stuff unless, of course, I press down too hard on the razor.

Not only is Aveeno Positively Smooth Moisturizing Shave Gel With Aloe one of my personal favorites, it's popular elsewhere too. Best Products named it one of nine best shaving creams for smoother legs and it has a 4.5 out of 5-star rating with more than 1,200 Influenster reviews.

I can't personally speak to the claim that this shave gel prevents hair from growing back quickly (though I can definitely say that I notice fewer ingrown hairs when I use this gel), but online reviewers say it's one of the reasons they love it so much. "I really do believe it keeps my legs smoother longer. I've noticed that I can longer in between shaving when using this compared to other brands," says one Influenster user.

Pros: Prevents cuts, lathers up nicely, soothes sensitive skin, could prevent noticeable hair growth according to some reviews, personally prevented ingrown hairs though that is based on unique skin and hair texture

Cons: Strong scent could be a drawback if you are sensitive fragrance, slower hair growth might not apply to everyone

Buy Aveeno Positively Smooth Moisturizing Shave Gel With Aloe at Walgreens for $5.49 (originally $4.99)

If you gravitate toward menthol shaving creams but hate when they dry the heck out of your skin, try Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Shaving Cream.

I live for products that have that instant cooling effect when applied to the skin. But as with so many tragic love stories, the ingredients that cause it — like menthol — tend to dry out skin. When it comes to shaving cream, this can exacerbate the adverse effects of the razor and result in redness, bumps, and overall irritation.

That's why I was stoked to get my hands on Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Shaving Cream. The innovative formula balances cooling menthol with calming ingredients like squalene, vitamin E, cocoa butter, glycerin, and chamomile, so you get that fun tingle without needing to bathe in a tub of oatmeal afterward.

I also love the creamy texture and chic minimalist packaging — there's nothing like a shaving cream that makes your bathroom ten times more Instagrammable.

One thing to note though is that the formula is a little bit runny, so make sure you open the tube with the cap facing upright to avoid spilling out too much product.

Pros: Cooling formula with calming ingredients safe for sensitive skin, subtle fragrance

Cons: On the pricey side, spills out of the tube too quickly if you aren't careful

Buy Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Shaving Cream on Amazon for $22

Barbasol Soothing Aloe is marketed as a men's item, but plenty of women — this writer included — swear by its ability to give a clean shave with minimal irritation.

I don't really believe in "men's" shaving cream and "women's" shaving cream.

Skin is skin, hair is hair. The needs of one person's skin and hair will be different from that of another, but the basic principle is the same. My point is — don't overlook Barbasol Soothing Aloe just because it's housed in the "Men's Shave" section of the drugstore.

Barbasol Soothing Aloe entered my life by way of total cliché. One day I ran out of the shaving cream I'd used since high school mid-shower. Luckily, a can of my boyfriend's Barbasol Soothing Aloe happened to be sitting nearby, so I lathered up with that and it turned out to be way better than the other stuff I'd been using.

I've since graduated to the even gentler formulas on this list but discovering Barbasol altered the course of my shaving life. Before this product, I really believed that all shaving creams were basically the same, but Barbasol Soothing Aloe changed my mind by drastically decreasing the amount of inflammation and ingrown hairs I experienced after shaving.

Barbasol Soothing Aloe has a 4.5-star rating from more than 380 reviews on the platform Influenster. "Even though this is a shaving cream more targeted for men I use this & really like it," says one reviewer. "I have the most sensitive skin when it comes to shaving & this definitely helps me to not be as irritated as I normally would get."

Barbasol also comes recommended by Into The Gloss (twice!) and The Huffington Post, so the experts are totally onboard with you using it to shave your legs.

Pros: Inexpensive, includes aloe to prevent irritation, thick foam texture

Cons: Isn't quite as soothing as the other formulas on this list

Buy Barbasol Soothing Aloe at Walmart for $1.47

The best makeup remover you can buy

It's good for your skin to remove makeup every night, but it can be a pain without the right makeup remover.

We've done our research and tested the best makeup removers on the market to come up our top recommendations. Whether you're a devout double cleanser or prefer removing makeup on the fly, there's something on this list for everyone.

Here are the best makeup removers you can buy:

• Best overall: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water
  
• Best cleansing oil: Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil
  
• Best cleansing oil solid: Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original
• Best foaming cleanser: Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
• Best cleansing wipes: Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water Cloths
• Best milk cleanser: Avène Eau Thermale Gentle Milk Cleanser

The best body scrubs you can buy

When it comes to body-care products, scrubs are oftentimes overlooked in favor of lotions and body wash. But the exfoliating treatments should be included in your skin-care routines if you want to silky smooth skin. While you can also scrub away dull, dry skin by using loofahs or dry brushes, nothing will leave your skin feeling squeaky-clean quite like a good body scrub.

Here are the best body scrubs you can buy:

• Best body scrub overall: Herbivore Coco Rose Body Polish
• Best coffee body scrub: Frank Body Original Coffee Scrub
  
• Best salt body scrub: Ole Henriksen Rub n' Buff Transforming Salt Scrub
  
• Best sugar body scrub: Tree Hut Coconut Lime Shea Sugar Scrub
  
• Best gel body scrub: Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub

The best body oils you can buy

If smooth, supple skin is what you're looking for, then the Fresh Life Body Oil is the bottle you want to reach for.

Here are the best body oils you can buy in 2019:

• Best body oil overall: Fresh Life Body Oil
• Best all-natural body oil: Jao Goe Oil
• Best body oil that's not oily: Herbivore Jasmine Glowing Hydrating Oil
• Best luxury body oil: Kypris Body Elixir Inflorescence
• Best budget body oil: Burt's Bees Body Oil

The best exfoliators you can buy for any skin type or budget

Whether you're new to the exfoliation game or a seasoned skin-care pro, Glossier's Solution is the exfoliator you should be reaching for. Its powerful mix of acids dissolves dead skin cells and improves your complexion, giving your face a gorgeous glow.

Here are the best makeup removers you can buy:

• Best overall: Glossier's Solution
• Best drugstore exfoliator: Simple Kind to Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub
• Best exfoliator for daily use: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
• Best exfoliator for sensitive skin: Juara Radiance Enzyme Scrub
• Best exfoliator for uneven skin tone: Ole Henriksen Transforming Walnut Scrub