By Nina Nelson
Once upon a time, shaving my legs involved a plethora of products. First, I needed that special shaving cream for sensitive skin (because my skin reacted to everything). Next, I’d need a good disposable razor, with at least three blades. After shaving, I would immediately apply a special lotion for sensitive skin to ward off the inevitable razor burn.
If I skipped any of those items, the skin on my legs would be miserable.
It was a costly habit, not only for my budget, but for the environment as well – there was so much unnecessary waste.
Thankfully, shaving nowadays is much different (on those rare occasions when it happens), not only for myself, but my husband as well.
We’ve figured out some ways to save money on shaving products (here are other ways we’ve saved money) to use what we already had to make our own. The benefit? Less waste, less toxins (found not just in the plastics of the commercial items, but in the products themselves), smoother skin and a much better shave.
So if you still want to/have to shave and want to make your routine much more eco-friendly, here are some DIY tips you can try out at home.
Bar Soap
I know that I can just use water to shave if I wanted to, but I’m not that brave yet. Too many cases of razor burn in my past. Instead, I now use the herbal bar soap I make. Not only does it work up a great lather, but it’s infused with skin-soothing herbs.
To use it, I just work the soap into a nice lather, apply to my legs and shave. The hard part? Figuring how to shave in our bus shower without the water washing off all my soap first.
Brush
My husband uses a boar bristle brush to work up a good lather on his shaving soap. He keeps his shaving soap in a ceramic dish he made in college so he can hold onto it while he whips up the lather.
He uses the brush to apply the soap to his face and shaves as normal.
Tip: Soft hair is easier to shave, so if you shave in the shower, wait until the end when hairs are softened. If you shave your face at the sink, try putting a hot, wet washcloth over your face for a minute to soften things up.
Safety Razor
Have you ever gotten a present for your spouse that you really wanted for yourself? Yeah, me either. 😉 Actually, that’s what happened this Christmas.
My husband had wanted a safety razor for quite some time and I decided it would be a great gift (we believe in simple gifts that will get lots of use). And while I knew he would be delighted to get it, I was secretly looking forward to trying it out myself so I could stop buying disposable razors.
The razor itself is metal and can be reused forever. You buy packages of razor blades you dispose of when they get dull (they come in minimal packaging and have a place to put the old blades so you don’t cut yourself). There’s no “soothing gel” strip and it doesn’t have 16 blades, but it does give a nice, smooth shave that you just can’t beat with a disposable razor.
And, with a little practice, you can shave difficult spots like knees and chins with no nicks.
Aftershave butter
Some kind of moisturizing aftershave oil or lotion was a necessity in the past, but now it’s not. The soap we use is pretty moisturizing and I only apply my aftershave butter if I’ll be wearing a skirt and my legs look super dry.
In the event of cuts, my aftershave butter is infused with herbs that stop bleeding and soothe the skin. It works great and doesn’t come with the sting of commercial products. You can find the recipe here.
How have you “greened” your shaving routine?
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photo credit to Igor Putina
Yeah, my formerly “trendy” and much-loved plastic razor is about to use its last refill and it’s pretty much ancient itself, so eventually it will have to be replaced with a safety razor. I hope I can find a second-hand one somewhere so I only have to buy blades.
Coconut oil makes great shaving cream…..
Oh ya, In your bus home, can you just shut the water off while you do your legs and then turn it back on?
I can. It’s mostly just the shape of our tub. It works a lot better if I’m taking a bath. I can handle taking more baths. 🙂
LOL, 16 blades!!! My hubby and I have had the conversation as to just how many blades a razor needs to be effective! I’d forgotten all about safety razors! I used to watch my father shave when I was a little girl, fascinated by it. He used an “Old Spice” ceramic cup where the round soaps fit in and a boar bristle brush too.
I’m going to get a safety razor for sure. Not only do the disposables cause problems for the environment, they’re expensive! Thanks for the reminder!
I have been using a safety razor for a year or two, how do I convince my wife that it is safe? Nice article and thanks for your advice, Erik.
Maybe ask if she’d try it? I figured if my husband could shave his chin without cutting it, I could do my legs. So far, so good.
I just shave with oil (sweet almond, sesame seed, whatever I have on hand). It works well and moisturizes at the same time. Thanks for sharing the safety razor info. I need to get one of those.