Never heard of a weighted safety razor? You’re not the only one. Most of us are more familiar with expensive cartridge razors made of plastic (not very environmentally friendly). You know, the ones in feminized purples and pinks advertised with a woman whose every hair has been Photoshopped away?
FYI: I gave up women’s plastic razors a while ago. For the last few years, I’ve been using men’s razors, as they were slightly more affordable and had more blades which meant a better shave. Despite the packaging’s promises, I still wasn’t happy with the stubble left on my calves or red bumps from in-grown hairs.
So, I decided to do some research. I thought about the fancy barber shops (the ones decorated with decals of stylized beards and swirly mustaches that belong on Saturday morning cartoon villains) that I’d seen about town promising men an luxuriously close shave. I thought I might be onto something and turns out the magic is in the razor – the weighted safety razor.
Even though I do not possess a villain’s mustache, I tried it just to see what the fuss was about. And so….behold!
Ok, I realize it looks a bit intimidating. The metal handle holds a single razor with the edges exposed on both sides (ahh!). But hear me out: it’s very safe and one blade is all it takes to get you smooth. Why? The blades are very sharp and made from stainless steel to give you a close, irritation-free shave. You might not think that’s going to cut it (see what I did there), but the affordability and sharpness of the blades is really what sets this baby apart from its cartridge competitors.
The blades are more affordable because you do the work of setting them into the razor (which means you can switch them out as often as you like). This means less bacteria and a sharper blade without breaking your budget. Most cuts during shaving happen when the blade is dull or even rusted (ack!) from being left in the shower’s moisture. Typically, weighted safety razors will come with a pack of ten to twenty disposable blades. You can order more online for much less than a pack of disposable plastic razors that can cost as much as a decent bottomless brunch. A 100 pack of double-edged blades costs around
$12-20 depending on the brand. That’s enough for an entire year if you changed your blade twice a week! And unlike cartridge razors, these double-sided blades are universal. No more hunting through the aisles of Target trying to find the right pack to match the handle’s brand.
My favorite blades and razors are the Merkur Classics from Amazon, because they give me the best shave. Plus, isn’t the gold handle fancy?
So just a few tips: When using the safety razor, there’s no need to press down to get rid of stubborn stubble. The weighted head does most of the work for you! Simply hold the razor at a 45-degree angle, apply your preferred shaving cream (I recommend Aveeno Oat Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin), and shave as normal.
If you’ve let yourself get a little fuzzy over quarantine (because face it, no one’s going to brunch lately), then these razors will make your legs baby soft.
Tips: Shave in the direction of your hair growth to prevent ingrown hairs. Switch out the blade every one to two weeks (if you shave often). If you really want to see some results, be sure to first exfoliate a bit with some body scrub or a soft washcloth.
Follow up with a gentle, non-irritating moisturizer like this one from Cerave and you are good to go!
Let us know if these worked for you in the comments! Cheers to smooth legs, even in quarantine, Donnas!
Donna + Donna 