For most of us, shaving is a necessity. Sure, there’s waxing and plucking and tweezing and bleaching, too. But who has time for all that? And even if these are our preferred methods, who among us doesn’t pick up a razor when they’re in a pinch?

Shaving routines have been historically detrimental to both humans and the environment. We suffer nicks, bumps, burns, ingrown hairs, and other skin irritations. And our landfills and waterways suffer the consequences after the short life of plastic disposables.

What if we told you that there was a better way to shave? A way that not only reduces your environmental impact but also minimizes your discomfort by reducing skin irritations? Safety razors have been around since 1880.

Somewhere along the way, we started taking shortcuts in the name of convenience. Plastic products became everyday items that flooded our households. We lost sight of how much better traditional methods sometimes can be.

But with the rise of the eco-friendly movement in the last decade or so, safety razors are staging a comeback. And we’re glad to be a part of it. Shaving with a safety razor is a great way to make your routine more eco-friendly.

What is a Safety Razor?

Safety razors differ from others in a few different ways. Unlike traditional plastic disposables and cartridge-based razors, safety razors contain no plastic. Not in the cartridge, the handle, or in our case, even the packaging.

Second, they contain a protective device between the edge of the blade and the skin. This bump acts as a buffer between the sharp blade and your sensitive skin, giving you a close but comfortable shave. It also makes the razor easier to clean when you’re finished with it.

How Bad are Disposable Razors for the Environment?

This is a common question, and the answer is simple. Over 2,000,000,000 single-use plastic razors are thrown away each year. That’s right, two billion, in the U.S. alone. But you, our eco-friendly shopper, can help change this ugly number and shave guilt-free.

The average disposable razor or disposable cartridge can only be used a handful of times before it gets thrown away. After less than ten uses, most disposable razors will be on their way to the landfill. In the United States, municipal recycling programs won’t accept razors because they are sharp objects made of mixed materials.

When a disposable razor sits in a landfill, the razor blades rust away to nothing, but the plastic handles and casings remain. These plastic components, depending on their composition, the location, and other unique factors, can continue to live there for dozens or even hundreds of years. Or clog up our waterways and harm our marine life for dozens to hundreds of years.

This means that, during our lifetime, we can easily do enough damage to last a second lifetime. And who can say that they’d prefer to leave this planet worse off than the way that they found it? Not us. And if you’re here, we know we can count on you to say no, too!

Why Should You Make the Switch to Safety Razors?

At EcoRoots, we consider every aspect of our products before we put them out there. Is this product better for the planet? Better for the people? Easy to adjust to when you first start using them? Shippable in recyclable or compostable packaging?

When it comes to our safety razors, the answer to each of these questions is an easy yes. Safety razors are better for the planet, for your skin, plastic-free from production to shipping, easy to use, and long-lasting.

On top of each of these incredible benefits, safety razors end up being the more economical choice, too. This might surprise you considering how cheap disposable razors can be. But when you factor in how long they last, you’ll find that our long-term solution is better.

Safety razors are built to last. Ours is made with durable zinc alloy and stainless steel. Its high-polished finish protects it from corrosion, so you only have to worry about occasionally swapping out the blade. But each of our safety razors comes with five free stainless-steel blades, so you won’t have to worry about that for a while, either!

Our safety razor will save you money over time, won’t damage the environment, and will give you the closest and smoothest shave of your life, all while cutting down on common and annoying skin irritations.

How Do You Shave with a Safety Razor?

Shaving with a safety razor is simple. And it is effective and safe for both normal and sensitive skin types.

Here are the steps to follow for a safe, clean, comfortable shave:

• Soften your skin and stubble with warm water.
• Apply your preferred eco-friendly shaving soap or cream.
• Hold the razor at a 30-degree angle for optimal effectiveness.
• Use short, slow strokes.
• Shave with the grain instead of against it; it may feel strange at first, but shaving with the direction of hair growth minimizes irritation.
• Only apply gentle pressure, don’t push down too hard; the weight of the razor will do most of the work for you.
• When you’re done, dry off and nourish your skin with our vegan body cream.

Another of our important safety razor tips is to remember to swap out the blades. If you notice any dragging as you shave, it’s probably time to swap out the blade for a fresh one. The convenient EcoRoots refill pack contains ten high-quality stainless-steel blades.

Benefits for Your Skin

For most people, shaving with a safety razor is much more effective and smoother than shaving with disposables. With traditional razors, rashes, bumps, ingrown hairs, and other skin irritations are common. Nobody wants to deal with skin irritations each time they shave.

Traditional razors with multiple blades will cut your hair below the surface of your skin, which causes ingrown hairs and razor burn or bumps. It also causes redness, rashes, cuts, and other pesky skin concerns.

But shaving with a safety razor is different. It only uses one blade, and that one blade is often better quality, too. The single blade cuts the hair level with your skin instead of under it. The structure of a safety razor reduces the risk of developing rashes, bumps, ingrown hairs, "strawberry legs" or other common skin irritations. And your skin will love you for it!

See, we weren’t kidding when we said that safety razors are better for both the environment and for you! And when a product is better for the planet and better for the individual, it becomes even easier to make the switch.

Our safety razor also comes with a sturdy and ergonomically designed handle that fits comfortably into your hand. No more slippery, flimsy, hard-to-hold-onto plastic handles. Those are a thing of the past. Our handle makes it easier to get a clean and super close shave.

Choose the rose gold safety razor to add a bit of flair to your bathroom. Or choose the solid black safety razor for a simpler look. Whichever option you choose, it’ll be made with brilliant double-edged blades that will leave your skin silky and smooth.

Safety Razor Tips for Preventing Razor Burn and Ingrown Hairs

Of all the safety razor tips out there, the most important is simply to follow the instructions. Safety razors are designed to minimize skin irritations like razor burn, "strawberry legs" and ingrown hairs. Follow our guidelines in the section above for the best results.

If you effectively soften the hair before shaving, use a high-quality soap or cream, stick to short shaving strokes, and avoid applying too much pressure, you’ll achieve the silkiest shave imaginable.

Exfoliating about twice per week and keeping your skin moisturized will also help. Our cactus flower exfoliant is perfect for removing dry, dead skin. And the lotion bar will leave your skin hydrated, soft, smooth, and supply.

Healthy skin is happy skin. And what’s happier and healthier than eco-friendly skincare?

Safety Razor Tips for Used Blades

Your new safety razor holds just one blade at a time, so you might be wondering how to safely store the rest. We eliminate the need for safety razor tips for safe and easy storage with our thoughtful packaging.

Each of the ten replacement blades is individually wrapped before being placed in the box. The box itself takes up very little room and will keep your replacement blades safe, clean, and dry until you’re ready to use them.

If you’re concerned about small hands getting into the box, simply leave them wrapped and place the whole box up on a high shelf. As always, our blades are made of stainless steel and sent to you in plastic-free and recyclable packaging.

Safety Razor Tips for Easy Storage

Now, we’ve covered why and how to use safety razors, the benefits, and the potential environmental impact. But what about safety razor tips for used blades? Well, thankfully, that’s pretty simple, too!

Once you break open your new zero waste razor, be sure to follow these rules to keep it clean and effective for as long as possible:

• Use warm water to clean your zero-waste razor after each use.
• Don’t leave it in the shower or tub to air dry.
• Dry off your razor (carefully) with a towel and wipe.
• Store your safety razor in a dry place or in a room with less moisture than the bathroom.

What are the Best Products to Use with Safety Razors?

Using the right products in your shaving routine may be the most important of all our safety razor tips. Safety razors are a tried and true zero-waste tool. While they boast an incredibly long list of benefits on their own, you can boost these benefits by choosing the right products to go along with your new razor.

We mentioned them earlier, but they’re worth repeating and diving into a bit deeper. Plus, it always makes it easier to have the full lineup all in one place! Here’s our full recommended list:

• Safety razor
• 10-pack of replacement blades
• Organic shaving soap
• Lotion Bar
• Vegan body cream
• Cactus flower exfoliant

Our Zero-Waste Shaving Routine

We’ve gone through the benefits and instructions for the safety razor itself and the replacement blades. Now, let’s dig into the other products that we recommended. First up, we have our organic shaving soap.

This high-quality shaving booster helps prevent itchiness and bumps each time you shave. It’s made with better-for-you ingredients, like shea and cocoa butters, organic coconut oil, and avocado oil.

Combined with the delicious mix of citrus and lavender notes, you’ll never want to go back to traditional shaving creams! And thankfully, this shaving soap is just as easy to use. All you have to do is lather up and apply before you shave.

Zero-Waste Moisturization

After you’ve finished shaving, moisturizing is an essential next step. We recommend our vegan body cream or the lotion bar because it is super rich and offers unbeatable hydration from head to toe. This one is made with calming ingredients to nourish and protect the skin.

Ingredients like shea butter, linseed, olive oil, and date seed extract are anti-inflammatory and highly beneficial to your skin. Reducing inflammation and redness will leave your skin feeling soft, smooth, and supple. See more of our zero waste skin care products here.

Sound familiar? The safety razor, organic shaving soap, and vegan body cream all work together to keep your skin as smooth, clear, happy, and healthy as possible. Plus, the body cream comes in an adorable and 100% plastic-free glass jar that you can either recycle or upcycle when you’re done.

Zero-Waste Exfoliation

Finally, we have our unisex cactus flower exfoliant. Like each of the products listed above, our exfoliant is gentle enough for daily use. But most people prefer to exfoliate about twice per week. Everyone’s skin is different.

If you have particularly oily skin, you may want to use it more often. But if you’re happy with the results of twice-per-week use, there’s no need to increase. The exfoliant also comes in a decorative glass jar and cardboard packaging.

Made with incredible ingredients, our exfoliant is good for all skin types and can be used on the whole body, including the face. Just be sure to keep it away from your eyes if you do use it on your face. All you have to do to achieve gentle and effective exfoliation is:

• Scoop some up with dry fingers.
• Massage onto damp skin for light exfoliation or massage onto dry skin for a deeper scrub; most people stick with light exfoliation in the warmer months and deeper scrubs in the winter, but it’s up to you to find the right balance for your unique skin type.

And there you have it – a full and eco-friendly shaving routine! Each time you’re ready to do away with that stubble, start with your safety razor and organic shaving soap. When you’re smooth and squeaky clean, follow up with a layer of our lotion bar or vegan body cream.

And when it comes to exfoliating, we recommend experimenting to find the balance that works best for you. Most experts recommend twice-per-week scrubbing. For most people, this provides the ideal balance.

Exfoliating helps us achieve fresh and radiant skin by removing dead skin cells and dry spots and cleaning out clogged pores. The gentle scrubbing helps wash away that unwanted outer layer, softening your skin and allowing a fresh layer to emerge.

But over-exfoliating can lead to redness and irritation. If you’re new to this process, start with once or twice per week and adjust from there based on your skin’s reaction. Everyone is different. Do what feels and looks best for you, not for someone else.

Creating an Eco-Friendly Beauty Routine with EcoRoots

Zero-waste shaving is only the beginning! Our eco-friendly bath and beauty lineup will help you reduce the amount of waste you produce while achieving amazing benefits for your skin, too. Plus, our eco-friendly home and kitchen lineup will help you shop smarter and live better.

From sustainable bamboo toothbrushes to plastic-free hair care products, organic cotton produce bags, natural loofah to soap saver bag, reusable bamboo cutlery, and so much more, we make it easy to switch to sustainable living.  

On top of building a better for you and better for the planet beauty routine, your EcoRoots purchase has a more direct impact, too. We donate a portion of each of our sales to Ocean Conservancy to protect and preserve our beautiful blue planet.

If you want to learn more about our eco-friendly products, visit our zero-waste blog. We update it regularly to keep our conscious customers informed and up to date. We’ll teach you how to make the switch to eco-friendly products, what to swap, how to use them, and why.

Because we don’t just suggest products and sit back. We care about this cause, and we know that you do, too. That’s why we do everything we can to provide products and education that can change the way we live.

This is reducing your carbon footprint made easy. This is EcoRoots. We’re glad you’re here with us!