when i was first introduced to the safety razor i was very confused. that thing does not seem safe, i thought. that looks like the opposite of safe – an exposed double-edged straight razor blade. so i did a little digging and found out the safety razor is not actually the new hipster and unisex way to shave that i first thought it was. the safety razor has been around for quite some time. the first one was actually created wayyyy back in 1880 so people could shave in their own homes instead of only entrusting a barber with a straight razor to keep their face hairless. so, compared to a bare straight razor, these things are a ton safer. if you’re absolutely terrified to try one, just bear with me. they’re worth trying.

my first question was WHY. why should i even care to stop using the very safe and quick razors i’ve always used? i could shave my legs in 60 seconds flat without ever cutting myself. i love me a pro and con situation though, so i sat down and wrote them out. i won’t bore you with the whole list, but basically the factors boiled down to cost, waste & skin health.

{ cost }

i had a pretty durable plastic handled razor that i could just switch out the cartridges, but each cartridge cost $7-10….a piece!! and everyone knows those things don’t last as long as you hope, ever.

on the other hand, a safety razor has a beautiful metal handle that will last you a lifetime, literally, and you just replace the double edged razor blades. i just got a pack of 50 blades for $14.95. that’s less than 30 cents each! i just can’t believe how much money i spent on crappy razor cartridges before switching.

{ waste }

this seems like a no-brainer. razor cartridges aren’t recyclable and are getting bulkier and bigger every year it seems. waste. ful. don’t even get me started on the full size disposable razors…

safety razor blades ARE recyclable, not to mention much smaller and more compact. however, it’s very dangerous to throw them straight in the recycling bin so i’ve seen people keep them in a little jar or container and then recycle them all at once.

{ skin health }

this point was my favorite to learn while researching. there seems to be a common myth that the more blades in your razor, the better shave you’ll get. this is absolute bunk. every time you glide a single blade across your skin, it causes a bit of irritation-our skin is a delicate thing. so let’s put 5 blades on that “super” razor and glide that across your skin 3 times so you get “the closest shave” possible. that’s 15 swipes of a low quality stainless steel razor blade and now your skin is screaming at you. hello razor bumps and skin irritation. all it takes to remove hair is 1 swipe from a good-quality, sharp blade. just ask science.

{ tips }

okay, i’m done ranting, i think. all that to say, you should definitely give a safety razor a try, after you’ve used up the disposable ones you already own. i highly recommend using a good shaving cream or oil to prevent any nicks or cuts. i posted a very simple recipe on the instagram yesterday, so pop over there to get it. i’ve gifted it to my dad before and he says it’s the best he’s ever used, which is saying a lot because he’s OLD.

ladies, be gentle around your ankles, knees and lady parts. guys, i haven’t tried it on my face yet, so please watch a you tube video if you need tips. there’s tons of tutorials, but you’ll really learn the best by just trying it on yourself. i actually didn’t cut myself-or my hair-the first few times because i was being TOO careful. so it’s safer then it looks. just take your time and you’ll be fine. also, it may just be in my head, but i feel like my hair has grown back slower since using the safety razor, so that’s a pretty cool bonus.