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Switching to a Safety Razor – Zero Waste Lifestyle

Shaving with a safety razor

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I know I’ve said it before but zero waste is a journey. Once you decide that you want to live a more sustainable life it takes time to make the necessary changes to achieve that. Personally, I have found the best way to to do it is in stages. I focus on one area of our home and start making little switches.

My main focus this year had been on our bathroom waste. At the beginning of the year, I did a waste audit. Which essentially means recording everything that ends up in your bin and then researching more sustainable alternatives.

Read: My Zero Waste Beauty Routine

I’m really happy with the progress that I’ve made so far. Last week I even managed to get rid of all of our bathroom bins as we no longer need them! This made me feel great and that all of my trials and tests had been worth it.

Zero waste beauty routine

The latest bathroom switch I’ve made is to a safety razor. I no longer have to buy those nasty plastic disposable razor.

Safety Razor 

The razor I chose was the *Merkur long handled 23C. I opted for this one as it was the one that Katy from Skip the Bag recommended. It is a long handled razor which means it’s easier to grip whilst shaving.

merkur safety razor zero waste shaving

Safety razors aren’t cheap but if you look after it properly you won’t have to buy another one again. It was definitely a good investment. A decent safety razor will cost between £25-£45. It’s also worth doing a bit of research first before you buy to find out which type would suit you best.

The blades aren’t included so you will need to buy those separately. I found mine in Boots and they only cost a couple of pounds. If you look after your razor and dry it properly after every shave your blades will last for ages. Personally, I take mine apart after every shave, clean it off and let it dry.

How To Shave with a Safety Razor 

switching to a safety razor Using a safety razor takes time and practise. The razor needs to be held at the correct angle to get a close shave. You need to maintain a 30-degree angle to your leg. The best way to get the right angle is to glide the razor over your leg and listen for the ‘shaving sound’.

Never push down with your razor! Safety razors are quite heavy so just use the weight of the razor itself. I found my first shave quite scary. I was paranoid that I was going to cut myself. It took me ages just to do one leg! However, now I have got used to it I’m much quicker.

Make sure you use some form of lubricant. Personally, I use my *Living Naturally soapnut bars. They work really well for shaving. I originally bought them for my hair but couldn’t get them to work for my hair type. Rather than waste them I now use them for shaving.

Shaving with a safety razor

I know a lot of zero wasters either use soap or coconut oil. I have tried using coconut oil myself and it works really well. In the book, Zero Waste Home Bea suggests using soap. I find short strokes with the razor work best.

Why Switch to a Safety Razor 

  • Reduces your bathroom waste.
  • You get a really close shave. Much better than when you use a plastic disposable one.
  • They look great in your bathroom. Much more stylish than those tacky looking, brightly coloured plastic ones.
  • Apparently, the single blade causes less irritation compared to the dual blade plastic ones.
  • It’s cheaper than constantly buying disposables.

I can confidently say that this has been the easiest and most successful zero waste switch I’ve made so far. Would you consider switching to a safety razor?

Gina Caro

A Green and Rosie Life

10 thoughts on “Switching to a Safety Razor – Zero Waste Lifestyle”

  1. I have the same razor and I love it – mine came with lots of blades included but good to know I can get some more in Boots if I ever run out! I just use soap with mine and find it just as easy as using a disposable – without the waste of course.

  2. Stumbled across this blog looking for some research and it’s great to see that these products can fit a lot of needs for different people.

    I would say that picking the Merkur with a larger and chunkier handle for beginners makes shaving a LOT easier.

  3. How easy is it to change the blade? I’m really worried I will cut myself and I’m not good with blood! How do you dispose of the used blade?

    1. Hi,

      It’s really easy to change the bald and only takes a minute. I did a very quick video of it on my Instagram stories if you’d like to see it? Here’s the link – https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18079630363006796/
      I’ve never cut myself changing the blade you’ve just got to hold it on the ends where it’s not sharp.

      The used blades can be recycled you need to see if your local council offer this service. You can normally find out that sort of information on their website. If not then it might be worth emailing them to see if they can advise you.

      I hope that helps? Any other questions just let me know. It really is such an easy sustainable swap to make and I’m so glad that I did. 🙂

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