Swapping out Razors
By Karina | February 23, 2009
I hate to say it, but I’ve reached the end of life of my razor. I have a Gillette Sensor lady’s razor and I dare say I’ve had it since the early 1990s - it’s been with me through high school and college, for sure, and ever since then. It’s served me well, and more so because it isn’t a disposable (the USEPA estimates that 2 billion disposable razors end up in landfills every year). Recently, though, when I try to shave the blade shoots off of the handle which, while not really dangerous, is a serious pain in the keyster. I had to come to terms with the fact that my nearly 20 year old razor was on it’s way out. (And then I had to come to terms with the fact that I’ve been shaving for nearly 20 years. Holy Cow.) We’ve talked greening shaving, but we hadn’t gotten into specifics, so I had to do some research on what to do.
I consulted with my friend Michelle, because she’d reached this impasse recently when she learned that her trusty Schick Personal Touch razor was no longer supported by its manufacturer. She did some serious research before finding that she could go to drugstore.com to get replacement blades for her handle. However, I had the opposite problem - my handle was broken!
After all her research Michelle recommended the Preserve razor (which comes in both double or triple blade options), which has replaceable heads and recyclable handles made from post-consumer waste plastic, and as an added benefit, are cruelty free. This is perfect for me in two ways: 1. I’ve already well documented my love of Preserve toothbrushes. And 2. I got a Preserve razor in a holiday gift several years ago, and I still had the handle kicking around under my bathroom sink! As an added bonus Allie recommends them too.
(By the way, I would like to seriously shout out to Beth at Fake Plastic Fish. She is shaving with a safety razor that she got at a thrift store! That is a great solution! I’d add too that most of the results I got when searching for “green razor” were generally advising men to start using a straight razor - which, knowing myself as well as I do, would be a very very bad idea for me to attempt in the shower on my legs. Beth does point out that the big problem with the Preserve razor is that you are throwing the heads away anyway. It’s true - but at least here I’m using up what I’ve got.)
Also, I must confess: I wasn’t as upset that I’d be getting a new razor as I was that I have about eight razor heads in my medicine cabinet and I didn’t want to give up on them! I had even decided that I would put them up for grabs on TinyChoices, and send them to one of our dear commenters. But then I was researching further the Preserve razor and check this amazingness out!
Handle also works with Personna® Acti-Flexx® and Gillette® Sensor® blades.
Do you see that? in the thicket of registered names? I can use my blade with the handle of the razor that I had decided on - totally totally cool. No new items required for purchase! Problem solved, Tiny Choosers, with just a little bit of reading and thinking.
What about you? Do you shave or avoid it in the name of environmentalism? What is your preferred product?
[[Photo of poor kitty with shaved leg by flickr user tomeppy via creative commons license.]]
Related posts:
- Back to Shaving Basics
- Easy Peasy Tip: Green Your Shaving!
- Replaceable-Head Toothbrush
- Considering Food
- Ten Ways To Green Your Bathroom
- Free Water Conservation Kits!
- Green Glossary
Topics: Health |
How about choosing not to shave at all, girls!! That worked for many of us during the 60s. Millions of European women never shave. This is about fashion. And fashion can change.
If readers of this blog aren’t the ones who will change this wasteful fashion. Then who will?
I’m pretty casual about shaving, actually. my pits get more attention because if they get too hairy my natural deodorant has a tendency to fail, but you know? sometimes I just like having shaved legs.
I use Preserve razors as well, but I hate that I have to just throw the heads away. Has anyone ever tried one of those “as seen on TV” razor sharpeners? Supposedly they can sharpen ordinary disposable razorblades so you don’t have to ditch them when they get dull. But I’m afraid to go buy one and end up with a cheap appliance that doesn’t work.
I got a Preserve razor not too long ago. Sometimes it feels cheap, but pfft, I shaved with worse. I just try not to shave that much, easy when it’s winter time; )
A tip I learned to prolong the life of your razor, dry the blade after you use it, so no water builds up and rusts and deteriorates it.
I rarely shave, but I just found out abut Preserve and want to give them a try. In the meantime, however, I’m wondering if waxing is a “greener” alternative? There are no disposable metal or plastic components, and there are even all-natural, green options like Moom.
I don’t shave under my arms and I use a braun epil-silk on my legs. The first few times you use it, there is an “ouch” factor, but it goes away pretty quickly. The best part is that you only have to use it about once a week.
I have an ex-coworker who swears by her epilady! I alternate between being totally fascinated, and absolutely scared stiff by the concept.
THANK YOU, Margaret, i am so glad i am not the only 60’s era hippie who still does not shave. i have had to put up with some nasty comments, the worst being female work partner in a male dominated field grabbing my ankle and holding up my lovely leg for all the guys to see…i can even were shorts now. but jsut so you know, i am very blond-haired. what made me stop completely was over hearing a darked-haired girl talking about shaving her arms, also….and i love being “ms au naturale”
so sorry to Karina and Jenn, i think Margaret and i have found the best environmental option!!!
Martha, I just checked out that crazy device… I’m not sure what to think! I’ve never even heard of epilating hairs. If it wasn’t so much, I’d consider trying it, but I’m not sure I want to spend $50+ on something that sounds painful.
As for me, I’m still shaving with my same razor that I’ve had for years, and just replacing heads as needed. I don’t shave much in winter (and in Michigan, winter is LONG).
I am hoping my razor has another 10 years in it..but this is good to know then. And I totally understand about the razor heads. They are SO expensive.
it’s not entirely about fashion! i agree with kristine that not shaving IS the most environmentally friendly option, but personally i like the feel of smooth legs and smooth underarms. i also prefer the feel of my husband’s clean shaven face, even though most people think he looks better with a beard. it is definitely aesthetic, but it’s not about fashion. i don’t think my husband would even really bat an eye if i didn’t shave… i only shave once or twice a week as it is, and sometimes laziness prompts me to go even longer. i wear mostly long pants and short-sleeved shirts, so the rest of the world has no idea what’s going on under there. but i like the feel of it myself, and so i continue to shave. i’ve been using the same razor handle for the last 5+ years too, but when my handle does finally die i’m happy to hear about ways to do it while having less impact!
totally true! I am happy that my partner is willing to shave his beardy face for me because my skin is, apparently, super delicate. I appreciate the aesthetic of the shaved legs as well, and when I don’t feel like doing it, well, I just don’t.
I use about one razor a year - I don’t shave during winter at all, and I only shave my legs two or three times all summer. I too like the feeling of freshly shaved legs, but even though my hair is dark, no one has ever noticed my leg hair - so I just don’t bother. My pits, though, get shaved in summer more frequently because I wear short sleeves to work (I am a library director) and my hair gets so long that it does poke out! I’d like to say that I don’t care if people crack on me, but I am already the “other,” (brown, tattooed, nose pierced girl in an all-white and UPTIGHT library environment), so I don’t feel like pushing it.
When I started dating my husband last year, I “warned” him about the pit hair long enough to braid, and he, wearing a tie-dyed shirt, said, “Cool! A Hippie Chick!”
your husbands response is so great!
and also your comment of being seen as the “other” is so appreciated, btw. so many decisions - especially environmental ones - are made from a place of privilege, and the privilege to be the wacky environmentalist treehugger without worry of any repercussion is one that many of us definately enjoy. it’s not everyone who gets to let that flag fly - I know I tone it down around work myself.
Greeen Sheeep had an article about green Safety Razors for women a few months ago: http://greeensheeep.blogspot.com/2008/10/thrifty-green-thursday.html . I ended up getting the RetroRazor and Brush kit for my husband for Christmas, and he loves it. I might try it this summer when I start shaving again (winter is the pits, so to speak!)
Elizabeth
When I switched to a metal safety razor, I still had a whole bunch of plastic Venus cartridges to use up. Instead of continuing to use them, I gave them away to someone on Freecycle who would have bought new ones anyway.
Also, I just want to urge readers to check thrift stores and antique shops before buying a brand new safety razor. There are still plenty around that are in perfect condition. Remember, it’s not the razor that wears out, but the blade.
I found very inexpensive blades that last a very long time and don’t rust from a guy on eBay. I bought a box of 100, with no plastic packaging. Details are included in the blog posts that Karina linked to.
And finally, I rarely shave anymore either. I do my armpits maybe once a week, and I’m really falling behind on the legs. I think I haven’t shaved them for a month. Winter is like that. And I totally agree with the commenters who said not shaving is way better for the environment. Still, sometimes I just want to shave, and I feel pretty good about having zero plastic to toss out.
I don’t shave very often, but do hack through the weeds once in a while– for those of us with dark hair (and lots of it), it can be a bigger commitment to go shaveless than for our lighter-haired sisters.
I’ve been thinking of getting one of these blade sharpeners but wonder how well it really works…
After pondering this same thing a few months ago a friend recommended trying a safety razor. I tried to find one in stores, then remembered my dad used to have an old one lying around. I checked and he still had it! So I bought it home and WOW! It is SHARP! There is a definite learning curve to using it, I have to remember no to flick upwards at the end of a stroke or else I’ll cut myself. The shave is super close, though, and I’m glad not to be supporting Gillette anymore.
Thanks for the link! I love that Preserve razors work with other cartridges. I dry my blade too, and can get a lot of use out of one cartridge.
I’ve been pondering the shaving thing recently, too, as I gear up for my plastic-reduction project. I use a Venus handle and have for the last however many years, and of course I use the disposable blades. I use a blade for a month or longer, as long as I can without compromising my shave. It usually takes a while to use up a blade because I can be a haphazard showerer. My husband wouldn’t care if I gave up shaving altogether, but I love the feel of smooth legs, so not shaving at all isn’t an option for me. I tried my mom’s Epi-Lady back when they were new and all the rage, and that felt worse than childbirth did for me! I’m nervous about straight razors, because I’m clumsy, and since I have five kids, I’m using hauling a$$ in the shower and need a safer shaving option. I suppose an electric razor would be more friendly. I may investigate that when my Venus blades are done. I’ve used electric shavers in the past and liked their convenience. Anyway, thanks for addressing this. It’s been on my mind a lot lately. Razor blades and garbage bags - those are my big question marks in our de-plasticking.
[…] Karina muses on razors, a subject we all have an opinion […]
so glad you guys posted about using safety razors - i had never thought of that! i’ve got my bid in on a couple vintage ones on ebay right now… i’ll still keep my venus for travel, since i don’t think i’d be allowed to carry on a safety razor, but i’ll be really happy if the safety razors work out for both me and my husband. it’s a bigger investment up front, but so much cheaper in the long run! (not to mention the environmental benefits.)
Hello Ladies. About 10 years ago I bought one of those sharpeners designed to extend the life of your disposable razor… sorry to report it didn’t work well at all. Since then, I have switched to an old-school safety razor, which I alternate with not shaving at all.
[…] had this draft saved for over six months, but it took seeing Tiny Choices post on swapping razors to finish this […]