If you hear the word “aftershave” and picture Kevin McCallister’s iconic cheek slap in Home Alone, you might hesitate to use one. That’s understandable. When the movie came out more than 30 years ago, many aftershaves were simply fragrant solutions designed to disinfect minor shaving nicks and cuts with antiseptic ingredients like alcohol — their harsh sting was a necessary evil.But our understanding of skin and shaving’s impact on it has evolved since then, and so have aftershaves. Today, many of these products still have antiseptic properties, but they’re milder formulations that also soothe skin and replenish moisture lost from the friction of shaving with a manual razor.To find the best of these slick lotions, gels, and balms, we evaluated more than a dozen products and sent the top six contenders to a diverse five-person panel of face-shavers. After weeks of shaving, splashing, and slathering, we discovered a refreshing drugstore gel-cream, a calming old-school lotion, and a simple astringent that helps prevent ingrown hairs. Thankfully, none of them left us screaming.