The advice I've gotten is that gel is better than cream. Past that, brand hasn't been a dominant consideration for me. More important than the shaving gel was changing my shaving style - I was putting on far too much cream before. You're supposed to use a thin layer, or else the blade can skip and cut you. Since changing this behavior, I haven't been getting cut and I haven't had razor bumps. I recommend this guide, which is the source of my opinions. What I REALLY recommend, however, is this stuff. A good part of shaving correctly is making sure your pores get closed up and not getting too dried out - both will cause irritation and pave the way for acne outbreaks. With that lotion, my face feels like God, but better, because it exists.