I hate shaving, but as I don’t want a beard, I don’t have much of a choice but to shave. Therefore, when I need to shave, I want it to be as quick and as smooth as possible, especially as shaving too much isn’t kind to my skin. For me that rules out cheap disposable razors. A decent razor and blades can be quite expensive these days – probably even more since male grooming and manscaping become very big business. Disposable razors and replacement cartridges on re-usable razors are wasteful, non-recyclable and expensive – a replacement cartridge can cost £2 or more.
Shaving can be cheaper, replacing razor blades cartridges can be a lot cheaper (and I do mean a lot cheaper), reducing the cost per shave substantially whilst still getting a good close and smooth finish. All whilst using environmentally friendly and recyclable components, reducing single-use plastics going to landfill.
Clear Confidence pride themselves on offering 100% vegan-friendly, cruelty free, plastic-free and eco-friendly sustainable personal care products and sent me their plastic-free double edge safety razor to try out. Not only does it give a close shave at a fraction of the cost, but it reduces plastic waste as it has NO plastic in it and is vegan friendly, making it an ethical and sustainable shave that is good for the environment and your pocket.
The plastic-free double edge safety razor is a re-usable razor with and ethically sourced highly sustainable bamboo. It doesn’t use razorblade cartridges but a single double-edged razor blade which are made of metal and therefore can be recycled. The bamboo is extremely hardwearing, and it is very aesthetically pleasing and looks regal and elegant.
Overall, this is a great razor for a wet shave once you get used to using it. After having a few shaves with this razor, I think the finish of the shave is very good, close and smooth and has less irritation that my normal razor. And so much cheaper with a replacement blade costing about 5% of my usual razorblade cartridge. And there is no plastic waste going to landfill or ending up in our oceans when the blade is no good – you can save up the used blades and take the to your local tip for recycling in the metal recycling bins (you might want to invest in a blade bank for safe storage of used blades as you can’t just dump them in the bin).
The razor has quite a nice weight and feel to it, a bit heavier that my usual razor but is comfortable to hold and use – the domed metal blade cover feels quite nice against the skin. Changing the blade is simple by just unscrewing the top and inserting a new blade.
I did find that it takes a few shaves to get used to shaving with it. Even though it only has 1 blade rather than the 5 on my usual razor, I did find that initially I got a few more nicks to begin with until I learned to adjust the angle and shave slightly differently than with my other razor. But it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it.
I have been very impressed with the razor. It feels comfortable and very good quality. I didn’t think that the one blade would be as good as my five-bladed cartridge razor, but it did just as good as a job and my face didn’t feel as irritated after use and certainly didn’t look as red – and I get the same number of shaves from it as it is a double-edged blade, and you can use both sides.
At approx. £25 for the razor, it might seem more expensive at first glance but the blades are a fraction of the cost of razorblade cartridges so it will easily pay for itself quite quickly. And it has a better quality feel to it. Plus there is the added bonus of being very eco-friendly with no plastic used, sustainable materials used in its construction and the used blades can easily be recycled (although do check your local councils website to make sure they do metal recycling).
The razor is not sold with any blades (this enables easier shipping worldwide), but these can easily be purchased from places such as Boots or Wilko or online from Amazon or eBay and lots of other retailers. Blades cost as little as 10p per blade depending on brand and pack size.
If you like to do your bit for the environment without reducing quality or upping the cost I can highly recommend the Clear Confidence Plastic-Free Double Edge Safety Razor. I haven’t been disappointed.
A very good quality razor that delivers a nice and smooth shave at a fraction of the cost and without any plastic waste going to landfill.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £24.97
For more information or to buy, visit www.clearconfidence.co.