Safety razor shaving - ladies edition

So you want to start shaving with a safety razor. You've heard about how much better it is for the environment, your sensitive skin, a closer shave and your money so what exactly do you need to get started.

Below I'm going to share with you my safety razor kit and what I've learnt you really need if you want to get started.

The first thing you are going to want to buy is a safety razor. But which one and does it matter how much you spend? You want a nice heavy blade made well as this baby is supposed to last you a lifetime. For anyone considering shaving with a safety razor, it is relatively important not to start too cheap as anything under 8 quid will probably not last too long before it starts rusting and falling apart. A really great brand for a good price is the Merkur razor. I would suggest getting something with a slightly longer handle and would suggest either the Merkur 33c or the Merkur 25c as these are probably my favourite styles of Merkur (33c is pictured in this post).

Now you have your razor what else do you need? Razor blades to go in it of course. Not all razor blade brands are created equal however and each one offers a different level of shave. I find the personna blades, although really sharp, a little too close for my skin and they tend to give me razor burn pretty easily. But brands such as Astra, Shark and Derby tend to offer me a close shave with very minor cutting and burning. Blades are usually purchased online and a quick search will show you many offers of trial blade packs which offer you a selection of single blades from different brands to try at a pretty decent price. I find a razor blade lasts me around two to three weeks depending on how often I shave.

A pre and post shave is the next thing on the list. You can get many fancy scented ones available to you but to be honest I prefer a product which is simple and can do both jobs. Almond oil with a little tea tree and lavender essential oil thrown in. The oil softens the hair nicely pre shave and posh shave the tea tree and lavender help to clean out any cuts I may have made on my skin which I can't see. For me sometimes the simplest are the best.

Oh and what if you do really cut yourself? Well there is a handy remedy to stop the bleeding and disinfect the wound almost immediately. Alum. Yes that stuff you can also use as a natural deodorant too! I love items that can do more than one job. It definitely cuts down on my spending no end and saves me a lot of space in my bathroom. The cool thing about this is that the industry has made tiny alum matchsticks which are such a handy little and very cool part of any kit. Simply snap of a stick use on the effected area and you're done. These however aren't what is call an 'essential' but they will probably come in handy more than a few times.

The last two things you really need are a shaving brush and some shaving soap. There are so many shaving brushes on the market some animal hair and some synthetic. I personally use an old unwanted brush of my fathers which is a good 20 years old and I do believe is some kind of animal hair.

If I were to buy new though (and I am in the market to) I would go for a much more animal friendly synthetic brush as you don't have to break them in, they're cheaper and the work similarly to animal hair brushes.

Now for the shaving soap. I personally use shaving soap from the brand Funkysoapshop.com as it's very natural and gives a great lather and moisturises my skin when I'm shaving and I also have a diy natural shaving cream recipe which I will post at a later date for you guys.

So that's everything that you need to get yourself started safety razor shaving! If you have any questions feel free to message me or comment below

Tina

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