Safety Razors: Not Just A Boys Club

[Editor’s note: this article originally appeared on the Oswald’s Pharmacy blog and is re-posted with permission.] My brother Alex brought safety razors into the store about a year ago and, although I thought they were cool, I didn’t think twice about them. It wasn’t until Alex suggested ordering a safety razor for me that I realized they weren’t limited to men (who woulda thought!?).  I love trying things, so when my brother said they had rose gold razors I was sold.

I’d like to walk through my experience as a woman using a safety razor and all the tidbits I’ve picked up along the way.  Trust me when I say that this isn’t your average Gilette razor, but learning to use a safety razor is well worth it!

Safety Razor Benefits

To my surprise, there is a laundry list of benefits you get from using a safety razor (besides just being cool).

For starters, there are direct benefits seen in the quality of your shave. Once you get past the initial learning curve (which I’ll cover in more detail in the next section), you’ll notice less skin irritation when you use a safety razor. This is generally because safety razors are heavier than your standard razors, so you apply less pressure when you use them.

Safety razors consist of one quality blade instead of a few lower quality blades, providing a closer shave. You won’t find any shave cream or hair buildup between blades (#onebladeadvantages), buildup which can reduce the quality of your shave.

Another reason that I’ve come to love safety razors, apart from their beauty and the quality of their shave, is that they’re environmentally friendly! The EPA estimates that 2 billion plastic razors are thrown out each year! Yeesh.

Save Money With Safety Razors

With safety razors, the actual razor itself lasts a lifetime! They’re of extremely high quality. The blades themselves are disposable but they’re such a small piece to dispose of. If proper precautions are taken, safety razor blades can even be composted!

Something that everyone can support concerning shaving with a safety razor is the affordability! Safety razor kits may set you back at the initial purchase (we have razors starting at $$$) but you’ll end up saving a ton in the long run. The blades themselves cost $1.50 for a pack of five. Don’t get me started on the cost of regular razor cartridge refills…

Lastly, a more abstract benefit is mindfulness. My first time shaving my legs with this razor, I definitely had a few nicks and scratches. After my initial experience (and some research), I realized that this was an experience and a lesson in mindfulness! The opportunity to have a really wonderful shave is there every time you use a safety razor—you just have to be thoughtful enough to embrace it!

My Experience With Safety Razors

The first thing I loved about my safety razor was completely superficial – its’ physical beauty! I feel extremely classy when I use my beautiful rose gold razor. This is especially true when I compare it to the plastic, gaudy, juvenile razors that I’ve used for most of my life.

As a woman who shaves and has for over half of my life, it’s definitely a menial task and not one I look forward to during my showers. With my Parker razor, however, I was genuinely excited and enthusiastic about shaving with a safety razor for the first time. I would guess this was because of the razor’s beauty or the allure of a new way to do something I’ve been doing for years.

Armpits

I started small (hey – it was still winter!) and just did my armpits for the first go around. I lathered up with the yummy Taconic lavender shaving soap and carefully swiped my armpits. The process was really smooth (so was the final product!) I chose Derby’s razor blades—I read that they were slightly less intense than some of the sharper blades that we sell.

Beyond getting used to shaving with a lovely piece of equipment and a relaxing new lavender scent, there wasn’t much else that was different with shaving my armpits! A few swipes and I was good to go.

Legs

The real test came when it was time to shave my legs. I will not try to play it cool – I definitely had some nicks and patches of hair that I missed after the first shave. I’m used to just mindlessly shaving my legs as quickly as possible but the safety razor is here to remind me to be mindful and take my time! My advice if you decide to try a safety razor: be careful your first time!

My second time around was better but still not quite up to my beauty standards. Recommended safety razor shave soap is a far less visible guide than your average Skintimate shave gel. So I came out of the shower with a handful of still hairy patches (no nicks though!).

As the saying goes, third time’s a charm! And that was true for me. I shaved my legs for the third time, really embracing some of the things I’ve learned along the way, and my legs were a dream! Not only were they insanely smooth, but the stubble took longer to grow back! With summer around the corner, I couldn’t be more ecstatic to find out my newest hair removal technique will keep me smooth longer than my previous razors did.

Try Shaving With A Safety Razor Today!

I have really loved the experience with my Parker Rose Gold Safety Razor (Amazon affiliate link). I am also happy to confirm that Safety Razors are not just a boys club! Women can use them too and I think they’ll find that they won’t miss their old way of shaving one bit!

By Allison Anderson – Allison has been working for Oswald’s since 2007. A 6th generation member of the Wickel-Oswald-Kester-Anderson family, Allison focuses on natural & organic products, social media, and online promotions. Allison graduated with a BA in Telecommunications from Indiana University Bloomington in 2013, minoring in Marketing. After graduating from IU, Allison worked at SAP Fieldglass as a Business Analyst. A graduate of Naperville North High School in 2009, Allison currently lives in Naperville and is attending classes at the University of Illinois at Chicago, studying Nutrition. View all posts by Allison Anderson