SAFETY RAZORS OR PLASTIC DISPOSABLE RAZORS?
Benefits of safety razors over disposable razors
Safety razors are the new hype, but are they really that new? Well, the answer is no. Ask your grandpa or dad if they used safety razors the answer will probably be yes. Although when you were young you were probably thinking what is that weird-looking magic wand that gets rid of grandpa's hair? Right. Well, it was his good old safety razor. So what is a safety razor? A safety razor is a shaving tool that acts as a protective instrument placed between the edge of a blade and the skin. The primary purpose of these protective devices was to reduce the level of skill needed for injury-free shaving (Hence the name safety razor), thereby reducing the dependence on experienced barbers.There are multiple advantages of using a safety razor over disposable razors for instance not only do safety razors decrease skin irritation they are also inexpensive, environmentally friendly and better quality.
Skin Irritation
Safety razors reduce skin irritation as there is only one blade on your skin at all times. When you use a 5 blade cartridge razor and go over a certain area of your skin 3 or more times, you have then exposed this region of the skin to 15 passes of the blade. When using a safety razor, you are only revealing the skin to one blade each pass. Reducing skin irritation and achieving a smoother shave.
Cheaper
When shaving with a safety razor a pack of 100 double edge blades cost approximately $20 to $50 (depending on the brand). On average this would last most users at least a year, if not longer. Adding the once-off payment of a decent safety razor, between $40-$50, in the first year of shaving you could spend between $60 to $100. In comparison, the average pack of 5 disposable razors is between $10-$25. If you are using one disposable razor a week you are spending between $100-$250 per year. Over a 10 year period, we estimate by using a safety razor it would cost between $260-$550. Over the same 10 years period using disposable razors would cost approximately $1000-$2500. As such by making the switch to shaving with a safety razor we estimate a savings of between $700-$2000 and possibly a lot more if your using expensive cartridge razors.
Environmentally Friendly
Disposable razors are the new plastic straws. They are made of various different single-use plastic materials, which can not be recycled: There is the handle, which frequently includes both plastic and some type of rubber for grip, and the head, which contains the metal blades implanted in a plastic frame. As the metal blades are implanted in the plastic frame, no part of a disposable razor can be recycled. If you do use a disposable razor it is recommended by the manufactures to dispose of them after 1-3 weeks of use. This means you will be using about 17+ razors per year at the least. In the US along more than 2 billion disposable razors are thrown away each year. Adding to our planets plastic waste in land fill and oceans. It is unclear how long plastic can take to degrade but leading scientists estimate a range of 450 years to never.
Reusable safety razors are one of the most environmentally friendly ways to shaving, enabling users to reduce their waste, while achieving a close, yet comfortable shave. Treating your safety razor right is key to its longevity. With care and correct maintenance a safety razor could last you a life time. Safety razor blades are made from stainless steel which is recyclable. Simply collect your used blades in a blade bank or tin can, and once filled take the blades to a metal recycler. Its that easy! We recommend buying a Parker Safety Razor and Shark or Tiger brand double edge blades as the packaging is compostable, truly making your shave everyday zero waste.
Aesthetic
These photo is all you really need to show to see safety razors are definitely aesthetically pleasing. The safety razor gives a vintage look into your bathroom whereas a disposable razor would ruin the whole aesthetic of your bathroom. The look that this gives your bathroom should make your bathroom feel inviting and look nicer.
Types of safety razors
We know your are probably confused about all the different types of safety razors. We’ve got your butterfly, three-piece, one-piece, open comb, closed comb, and many more but what is the difference between all of them? Well, let us explain, the one-piece structures has mechanics inside them to allow the head of the razor to open from two hinges in order to replace the blade. There are multiple names for this type of safety razor. Common names are twisted to open or butterfly open razors. There is normally a knob at the bottom of the handle that is used for opening the head. Sometimes the entire handles rotate in order to open this head. Butterfly safety razors became popular because of the ease of blade replacement. A Common razor that displays this design is the Parker 99r Safety Razor.
Three-piece razors are made to have the head unscrew from the rest of the razor in order to insert the blade. The head of the razor has a long bar with a screw at the end that is put into the handle. The handle is then spun to fasten the head on. Three-piece razors have less moving parts and in most cases their average life span is better than butterfly razors. However, butterfly razors are easier to use and are the first choice of most buyers.
Open-comb and closed-comb razors are both a three-piece razor but the comb refers to the style of razor head. Open-comb heads, put simply, look like a comb. The comb allows more blade exposure to the skin and normally gives a more aggressive shave. Where a closed-comb razor is the most popular design, the head has small diverts along the bar but is straight. In most cases preference in razor head comes down to the individual user.
So, Why should You switch?
If you use a cartridge razor, you have to apply pressure to the skin and with so many blades at once this may cause irritation, but how? Cartridge razors are sharp at first but get dull fast. This results in the user over-doing areas of the skin where the hair is being skipped, which could result in discomfort and irritation. 75% of men using cartridge razors end up suffering from razor burn after shaving. In this case, safety razors are much better for all skin types.
Why should you switch to safety razors? Pros: better shaves, easier on your skin, enjoying shaving, developing a skill, saving money, environmentally friendly, quality razors, aesthetically pleasing, long life and ’retro’. If everyone were to be using a safety razor we would be losing a lot of unnecessary plastic in the landfill and oceans. Think about it, if you switch today and buy yourself a safety razor we would be one person closer to a better world with a cleaner environment. The usage of disposable razors will increase over the years but if we promote buying safety razors we can help people understand the consequences of using disposable razors and cartridge razors.