Eco-Friendly Shaving Tips

After eco-friendly shaving tips, including advice on the best eco-friendly razors?  All right here!

I realise that by virtue of being a woman and being the sole writer of Moral Fibres, that the focus here is very much female-orientated.  Indeed, reports say that women are more likely than men to be green.

Whilst the majority of Moral Fibres readers are women, I’m fully aware from comments on the blog and emails that I get that there are some gents that frequent this here space.  So today, chaps, I’m going to turn the focus to you in order to be as inclusive as possible.  Green living isn’t just for women after all.

Today I thought we could chat about shaving.  Specifically eco-friendly shaving.  Here are some eco-friendly shaving tips that I have researched for you, and have turned to my rather hirsute partner for input on too!

Top Eco-Friendly Shaving Tips

Lather Up

Conventional shaving foam comes in aerosol containers.  These aren’t the most eco-conscious of choices as the number of shaves a consumer can actually expect out of one can is fairly small.  

Instead, there are a few different options for eco-friendly shaving gel or soap.

Dr Bronner’s, famous for its castile soap, has formulated this organic shave gel with shikakai.  Harvested from the seed pods of the Acacia tree, indigenous to South Asia, it has been traditionally used for centuries in India as a gentle conditioning skin cleanser.   My partner has been using a tube that he bought for the last five or six months now.  Yes, the same tube.  The stuff lasts and lasts for AGES, and there are still heaps left in it.  

My partner says he really likes this stuff because it smells good, and you don’t need to use a lot of it to work.  What’s more, he hasn’t found that he has cut himself more, compared to conventional shaving gel/foam.  He says it doesn’t overly lather, but what he’s found is that you don’t need a lot of lather with it as it’s “nice and slidey” (his words, verbatim!) so the razor glides over your face.

If plastic packaging isn’t your thing then try a shaving soap, such as this a solid shaving soap bar for a traditional shave experience with less waste.

You may want to use a shaving brush.  A lot of shaving brushes seem to be made from badger hair, horsehair, or hair from an undisclosed origin.  I’ve found an eco-friendly vegan shaving brush from &Keep that does the trick.

Pick Your Eco-Friendly Shaving Tools

Rather than disposable single-use razors, or disposable heads, would you consider the use of a safety razor?  My partner isn’t at this stage yet, and as I’m no expert on safety razors either, for now, I’ll direct you to this Independent article on the 8 best safety razors.  

General consensus – you get what you pay for, so don’t go too cheap.  While the outlay might seem expensive, consider what you’d spend in 6 months or a year on disposable razors or heads.  It definitely adds up.  If my partner makes the switch I’ll ask him if he will write about his experience.

The other eco-friendly shaving option is a straight razor.  However, after reading this account I’m not sure it’s the best idea.  If you’re feeling brave and want to give a straight razor a try then I’d suggest watching a few YouTube video tutorials to get a feel for it.

Soothe

My partner swears by Green People’s organic moisturiser post-shave.  This particular cream is vegan-friendly, scent-free, and moisturises for 24 hours.  My partner says it stops his skin from feeling rough or itchy after shaving.  He’s tried a lot of moisturisers over the years and this is by far his favourite.  It also has gender-neutral packaging, which is also always appreciated.  I don’t know about you but I personally hate packaging that’s either overly girly or manly.

Have I missed anything?  Gents, please do wade in with your thoughts/experiences of eco-friendly shaving!

ps: some eco-friendly health and beauty products (for all genders).