Tired of wasting your money on shaving products that don’t deliver? Don’t waste your money on these 6 gimmicks.
Multi-blade razors
Many people swear by multi-blade razors, saying they get the best shave they’ve ever had. While that might be true, it just means they’re getting a better shave from inferior razors.
People who believe they get a superior shave from a multi-blade razor have never used a safety razor. Safety razors utilize a single, sharp blade that isn’t wrapped in wire. A safety razor gives a clean, close shave with minimal effort, you don’t even need to use pressure.
Heated razors
Heated razors sound like a miracle product. Everyone knows heat makes shaving better. Back in the old days, men would wrap their necks and faces with hot, steamy towels to prepare for a shave. A heated razor sounds like a shortcut, right? Well, not exactly.
A heated razor doesn’t come close to a traditional shave with hot towels. In fact, an avid razor-tester from Wirecutter tried Gillette’s $200 heated razor and concluded it would be better to use hotter water or heated lather.
The problem is that there is no substitute for pre-heating the area you want to shave either with a hot shower or steamy towels. The purpose of wrapping yourself in hot towels before you shave is to soften your skin and hair so the hair shaves off effortlessly. You can only do this with moist heat. A heated razor doesn’t provide moist heat, only superficial warmth.
You can’t press something warm against your face a split second before shaving and expect the heat to make a difference. The heat might feel good against your skin, but it won’t soften your whiskers.
Razors designed for men vs. women
A blade is a blade, but for people who respond to gender-based marketing, that’s not true. For example, many women prefer to buy pink disposable razors because they perceive men’s razors as rougher on the skin. However, there’s nothing gentle about dragging 5 blades across your skin, a pink handle doesn’t change this fact.
Razor companies capitalize on the fact that women prefer to buy razors that are thinner and come in colors like pink, purple, and light blue. Companies like Gillette, for example, charge a 20% markup for shaving products marketed toward women.
Blades designed for sensitive skin
Razor manufacturers always find a way to cash in on sensitive skin. If a razor company says they’ve developed blades for sensitive skin, it’s not true. In reality, the entire disposable razor industry creates blades that directly cause razor bumps and burn.
Razors designed for sensitive skin do get results for most people. However, the claim is misleading. All they’ve done is separate the razor’s multiple blades to prevent the pulling and tugging that causes razor burn and ingrown hairs.
Calling these blades “designed for sensitive skin” is misleading because you don’t need a fancy multi-blade razor with spaced out blades to avoid razor burn. Even when spaced out, multiple blades are unnecessary.
Technically speaking, the only razors truly built for sensitive skin are straight razors and double-edged safety razors. However, it’s not that these razors are designed for sensitive skin, but rather, their design is simply effective.
Rolling razors
Rolling razors were one of the more interesting shaving gimmicks to hit the market. They have since disappeared and are no longer for sale by the manufacturer.
At first glance, it looks strange, but the commercials made the rolling razor sound reasonable. For example, controlling your razor close to the razor head does give you more control, but what’s with the dual head? Oh, that’s for quickly alternating shaving with and against the grain, just like Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel to paint a fence.
Independent blade suspension
The idea behind independent blade suspension is that fixed blades make it hard to shave concave areas (like armpits). Multiple blades with independent suspension, however, will bend into the contour for a perfect shave.
This sounds logical, but multi-blade razors are already a design flaw in the world of shaving. The mere existence of multiple blades makes it hard to shave concave areas. A single, sharp blade from a safety razor will produce a better shave than a multi-blade razor with independent blade suspension.
Besides, when was the last time you came at your armpit head-on in the middle with your razor?
Stick with basic shaving
Simple is always better. Whether you prefer disposable razors, cartridge razors, or you’re brave enough to use a straight razor, simple is best. As long as you can make a good lather and you’re happy with your razor, there’s no need to buy the next shaving gimmick.
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