The name throws people off, so let us clear it up before anything else. After Shave Moisturizing Cream is not a shaving product and it is not for your face. It is a Davines hair softening cream, and despite the confusing label it has quietly become one of the most reached-for bottles on our shelf at Sølvi Salon. We wanted to put together a full guide on it because the questions keep coming up behind the chair, and the honest answer takes more than a quick aside while we rinse out color.
This is our complete rundown on what it is, who it serves, how we use it in the studio, and the one situation where we tell people to skip it. No fluff, just what we have learned from working it through hundreds of heads of hair in our downtown studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd.
What it actually is
At its core this is a weightless softener built around Roucou oil. That oil is the workhorse here. It smooths and softens the hair without weighing it down, and it leaves behind an antioxidant finish that tames flyaways and frizz. It carries a light, signature scent that hangs around through the day without shouting. It works across any hair type, from the finest baby-soft strands to thick, coarse, stubborn texture. At $34 a bottle it sits in the middle of the Davines lineup, and a little goes a long way, which is part of why we like it.
Why Boise hair needs something like this
If you have lived through an Idaho winter or a high-desert summer, you already know what our dry air does to hair. Boise sits in a climate that pulls moisture out of everything, and hair is no exception. We see the same story all year: static that will not quit, frizz that fluffs up by mid-afternoon, ends that feel like straw. A weightless softener with an antioxidant finish is genuinely well suited to that. It calms the surface of the hair so the dry air has less to grab onto, and because it does not sit heavy, it will not flatten fine hair the way a richer cream might in a more humid place.
How we use it at Sølvi
The application is simple, and getting it right is most of the battle. Start with clean, damp hair, not soaking wet and not dry. Take a small amount, smaller than you think, and warm it between your palms. Work it through the mid-lengths and ends first, where dryness lives, then bring whatever is left up toward the roots if your hair tends to frizz there. Comb it through so it spreads evenly, then style as usual.
Our stylists often reach for it right before a blow-dry to cut down on frizz, and we send it home with clients who want that smooth, soft finish to last between visits. If you are not sure how it fits your hair, ask whoever is working on you at your next appointment. It is one of the products we genuinely use day to day, so we have opinions.
Who it is not for
Here is the honest part. This is a softening and finishing cream, not a styling product. It gives you smoothness and shine, but it gives you zero hold and zero volume. If you are looking for something to build structure, lock in a shape, or add grip and texture, this is the wrong bottle and we will tell you so. Pair it with a proper styler in that case, or pick a different product entirely. We would rather you spend the $34 on something that actually does what you want than walk out disappointed.
The bottom line from behind the chair
For anyone fighting Boise's dry air who wants softer, shinier, calmer hair without the weight, this earns its spot. It is forgiving, it works on every texture we have tried it on, and the scent is a quiet bonus. Just know going in that it smooths rather than styles, and use it sparingly.
You can read the full product details and grab a bottle on the After Shave Moisturizing Cream page. If you want a stylist to show you how it works on your hair, take a look at our salon services and book an appointment at our downtown Boise studio. Every product on our shelves is one we actually use, and this one has earned its keep.