IS YOUR DAILY SHAVING ROUTINE
BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
IS YOUR DAILY SHAVING ROUTINE
BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
But does a simple thing like shaving really have an effect on our environment? There are two issues to consider here - one is the razors themselves and the other is the creams and lather (shaving products) that are used while shaving.
Are you using a straight blade or an electric razor? Obviously a large amount of waste is created by disposable razors. Over 2 billion of them are sold in the United States each year and then thrown into landfills. Electric razors, on the other hand, certainly create less waste, but they require the use of electricity or disposable batteries, and many of us have observed that they do not provide as close a shave in any case.
The best of both worlds - having a close shave without unnecessary waste - would be to have a razor blade that will last as long as an electric razor. Many products that extend the life of razor blades also require electricity or batteries, creating even more refuse and wasting our planet’s resources. There are other products, however, that repel rust and corrosion from the razor blade using technology that does not depend on electricity. These products can dramatically extend the life of a razor blade while consistently providing close, clean shaves, without the need for additional resources. In addition, extending the life of your razor blades has a rather large financial benefit to you, since some razors cost upwards of ten dollars these days.
The next issue is the type of shaving products that are used and their impact. Most traditional shaving products are full of chemicals that most people would think twice about dumping down the drain, let alone rubbing into their skin. For example, here is a list of ingredients as listed on the label of a well known brand of [shave gel? aftershave?]: Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Butane, Isobutane, Laureth-23, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Propane, Parfum, Sodium benzoate, Hydroxythylcellulose, Lauryl alcohol, Stearyl alcohol, Irish moss, Dimethicone PEG/PPG-20/23 benzoate, DMDM Hydantoin, Coceth-7, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol ether, PEG-40 Hydrogenated castor oil, BHT, Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate. It’s rather disturbing to realize that some of these unfamiliar chemicals are common to our daily routines and yet largely go unnoticed.
There are certainly natural alternatives to the traditional or popular shaving products on the market and there are many benefits to them as well. For one thing, natural shaving products tend to last longer, as they are not made with the alcohols that evaporate quickly and dry the skin. Also, many popular brands pump their products with air. This added air is used to provide a ready lather, but a great lather can be achieved simply by using a shaving brush and a concentrated shave lather or soap. The concentrated products require smaller bottles and less packaging, and in general save you money in the long run.
So you can see that extending the life of the products that you already use and love in addition to using shaving products with natural ingredients – and therefore using less of those products – are habits that can be better for you and the environment. These small shifts in your daily routine will have a big impact over time on both the environment and your finances, adding ‘green’ to your wallet and to your shaving regimen.
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