For most of my life I never questioned the gender-specific shaving aisles. That is just how it is.
Therefore, as a teen, and even into adulthood, I'd always shopped for my shaving needs in the women's shaving aisle. You know, that bright cheery sunshine-dappled aisle with daisy-delicious pinks, whites, and purples. Because, why would a woman (or someone who identifies as a woman) want to shop for their feminine razors in a men's razor aisle filled with bold and stormy blacks and grays. There must be a difference between men's skin and ours, right?
RIGHT?
Then there's the advice...
"Never shave with soap! If you run out of shave gel or shave cream, use hair conditioner."
It was a 'tried and true' piece of advice we've all heard and heeded. For years, on the heels of evergreen, "cosmo-magazine" wisdom I too forwarded this advice to everyone I knew.
THEN I REALIZED.
THERE’S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY!
Over time I grew increasingly agitated with the cost of shaving. Razors were so expensive. Shave cream and gels offered a range of price points, but you knew the cheaper the product the cheaper the quality (much like the razors).
When I could afford it, I would splurge on the nice shaving creams. You know, the ones with the “more natural” ingredients. Or the products with the labels that Greenwash. That was another lesson to learn.
Don’t know what that is? Check out my blog on this here.
Maybe it was an article I came across online (more than likely that's what it was) that prompted me to look into alternatives.
First, I discovered the safety razor. A one time razor purchase that isn't plastic but stainless steel? Not sure why it's called a safety razor...by the way, nothing all that safe about it.
And for the razor replacements? For $10 I got a 100 blades. That's 10 cents a blade! I was paying about $20 for 4 replacement heads. What a scam!
P.S. I still have so many blades! Clearly I need to change them out more often.
It took me several year before I found an alternative to the standard shaving cream. Only recently, seriously - 2023 recently, I finally found a shave cream replacement.
An alternative usually marketed only toward men.
Shave Soap!!
A moisturizing soap that lathers wonderfully between the palms and provides a surprising amount of moisturizing for the legs and other areas. Not only does it actually last longer - it's not filled with ingredients that contain who knows what!
It's amazing!
I offer one in my shop if you'd like to check it out. The Shaving Puck by Lovett Sundries. Suitable for men and women or anyone in-between.
As with any change, or switch to something different - or less conventional - it takes some getting used to.
Below I’ve detailed my experience as pros and cons. Overall, I've been using both the stainless steel razor and shave soap for awhile now and I'm very pleased with both and recommend making the switch.
PROS & CONS (Sustainable Razor / Soap)
• STAINLESS STEEL RAZORS •
[PROS]
- Price: While the initial upfront cost might be a bit more than the standard store-bought plastic razor (which isn't all that cheap anyway), depending on what you buy, these stainless steel razors are built to last. And don't get moldy.
- Razor Blades: Buying razor blades for safety razors/stainless steel razors is insanely cheap! And you can get a hundred at a time. No more shopping every couple weeks or so for expensive replacements.
- No questionable "Sensitive Skin" Strips: As a young adult (or even just....adult) I never really questioned those little strips on the razor heads.
For sensitive skin - cool. But as my journey in understanding what products we're being exposed to deepened I definitely started questioning what those little strips are made from or with.
- Sustainability: Of course the stainless steel razors are more sustainable! One and done. No more needing to replace
[CONS]
- Small Razor Head: The razor head is a bit smaller than the usual plastic ones. Also, the head doesn't swivel or move. There's definitely some adjustment to getting the shaving angle just right. But it's not a big deal...at least for me.
- Convenience: No replacement razors in the shower. Being able to keep those extra plastic razor heads in the shower was kinda nice. But convenience isn't always a deal breaker.
• SHAVE SOAP •
[PROS]
- Price: The soap (again depending where you purchase) might seem pricier, but it lasts so much longer! (If you store properly in shower and don't let it melt like a snowman in Los Angeles).
- Ingredients: This is a tricky one because it's dependent on where you purchase your shave soap. In my personal opinion, if purchasing the shave soap from a small business the ingredients are much cleaner.
- Longevity: The shave bar definitely lasts longer than the shave cream or shave gel.
And, it doesn't gunk up your razor.
- Sustainable: Definitely much less bulky plastic taking up room in both your shower and the landfill.
[CONS]
- Convenience: Shave soap isn't sold at the store. Running out of soap requires patience while waiting for your order to arrive in the mail, or even some forethought to purchase ahead.
Or, maybe it is sold at the store...in the men's aisle. As of typing this the idea suddenly occurred to me that I need to do some investigating.