Update 1: A Rant on Shaving and the Power of Advertising

The next two posts have been inspired by entries on the Life Less Plastic blog. Today's, by the comments on shaving, and tomorrow's in response to her post on composting.

So here we go. Back in August, I posted Plastic-free Shaving, Part 1, about my solution for plastic-free hair removal: a metal safety razor from a second-hand store and stainless steel blades. I had intended to write Part 2 after I had tested the various plastic-free shave soaps out there and decided which one worked best for me.

Well, I've now tried Simmons, Williams, and Lush Emperor of Ice Cream soap and found them all equally effective. I think any rich soap with a good lather and enough moisturizing oils will work fine. The point is to help the blade travel over the skin smoothly.

So this isn't Part 2 of Plastic-free shaving. Instead, it's a comment on my experience shaving this way so far and a rant about the ways advertisers manipulate us into believing we need to buy or do something different to be happy.

The photo above is an ad from the May 1915 issue of Harper's Bazaar, reported to be the first time that women were encouraged to shave their pits. According to The Straight Dope, within three months of the ad appearing, "the once-shocking term 'underarm' was being used. A few ads mentioned hygiene as a motive for getting rid of hair but most appealed strictly to the ancient yearning to be hip. 'The Woman of Fashion says the underarm must be as smooth as the face,' read a typical pitch."

Before reading this article, it really didn't occur to me that before 1915, women simply didn't think about shaving. They were hairy. Nude scenes from films set before 1915 are totally anachronistic if the women's bodies are clean-shaven, aren't they? But what mainstream film-goer wants to see Kate Winslet with hairy pits?

So yeah, I was born 50 years later, after American women had become thoroughly conditioned to shave their body hair, and I do shave my own underarms and legs. Sometimes. Back in the late 70's, when I first started shaving, I used my dad's metal safety razor. Used it, that is, until I saw the commercials for Schick's new "Personal Touch" razor, the first cartridge system made for and marketed to women. It was pretty. Feminine. Curved. And of course, plastic. I was a teenager, impressionable, desperately afraid I wasn't girlie enough, and needed approval. We were a match made in marketing heaven.

Life Less Plastic wrote in a comment that using a safety razor seemed "a bit crazy." I'm not ragging on her at all. She's too young to remember metal safety razors, just as I'm too young to remember the time before women felt they had to shave in the first place. And we're all probably too young to remember the time prior to 1909 when men shaved with straight razors and there were no such things as disposable blades.

According to this Wikipedia article, Gilette invented disposable blades as a way to continually sell his product. He could sell the razor handle at little to no profit and then jack up the prices of the blades. The problem was that other manufacturers jumped in and created their own blades for these razors. Thus, in 1971, Gilette introduced the Trac II razor, and the plastic cartridge was born, returning the company's control over the blades used with its razors.

Companies that make plastic cartridges claim they are safer and work better. From experience I can tell you that they may be a little safer when you're changing the blade. My advice: just be careful. But aside from changing the blade, using the safety razor is not scary at all. In fact, I think I cut myself LESS with my safety razor than I did with my plastic Personal Touch or Venus razors because I don't have to push as hard.

The blades that I bought from txukman on eBay come 100 to a box and last a very, very long time. Since I bought them back in August, I've only changed the blade about 3 times. Granted, I don't shave every day, so your mileage may vary. But they do stay sharp longer than my Venus cartridges used to. And I'm happy that they are not made from plastic.

So yes, if I weren't influenced by advertising and our culture, I probably wouldn't shave at all. But I think it's important to at least be aware of why we make the choices that we do, and to question advertising of all kinds before buying in to it. (Including the advertising on Fake Plastic Fish!) Especially scare tactics meant to drive us away from perfectly good tools that never gave us a lick of trouble until the marketers came along to convince us otherwise.
 

 

Plastic-Free Shaving, Part 1

Do I look like an antique to you? I must have been twelve or thirteen years old the first time I shaved my legs. I used my dad's safety razor, just like the one in the picture. But times have changed, and you can't buy these at the drugstore anymore. I got this one for ten dollars at a local antique store, a great way to find out how they did things in the good old pre-plastic days.

I've been using this razor for nearly one month. In fact, I've been using the same blade the whole time too. At this rate, the box of 100 that I bought from a guy on eBay could last me 8 years! Of course, I don't shave every day, so your mileage may vary. But just think of all the plastic cartridges and packaging that I am not throwing away.

I waited a month before reporting on this razor because I wanted to make sure I could really use it without hurting myself. It does take a bit of getting used to if you've been shaving with light-weight plastic razors. It's kinda heavy. But now that I've been using it for a while, I actually prefer the way it works to my Venus razor. I think it's not the number of blades that are important but the closeness, and this baby shaves close and smooth. I'm talking legs, armpits, the works.

Well, maybe not exactly the works. I am female, after all, and don't have facial hair to worry about. (Well, not much!) If you happen to be of the male pursuasion and would like to know how these razors work for men, point your browser to http://plasticless.com/2007/06/28/my-new-old-razor/, a blog written by a guy dealing with similar plastic issues as Fake Plastic Fish. He might be able to give you more relevant information.

If you can't find a safety razor at a local store, antique or otherwise, you can still buy them online at Classicshaving.com. And while you can still find double-edged blades in drugstores, they generally come in plastic blister packs of 10. This eBay seller usually has boxes of 100 for sale, and they come individually wrapped in paper in a small cardboard box. I am in no way associated with this guy; I just happened to buy his blades and they are working out great for me.

So,l why am I not using the Preserve razor, since I think so highly of the Preserve toothbrush? Honestly, I think the Preserve razor is a bit misguided. Only the handle is made from recycled plastic and is recyclable. How often do you get rid of a razor handle? The plastic cartridges still have to be thrown away.

As for my old Venus razor, I'm keeping it and a few of the cartridges (I gave away most of the cartridges on Freecycle) for the little bit of traveling I do. I don't imagine I'd get very far trying to bring double-edged razor blades on a plane.

This has been Part 1 of Plastic-free Shaving. I'll post Part 2 when I figure out the best shave soap to use. I still have half a can of shave gel left. After that's gone, I'll be experimenting with various plastic-free options, and I'll let you know which works best for me.
 

 

Store/Product Report: Lush (Some more good news)

03/25/2008 UPDATE: Warning to those who would order Lush products through the mail. I have had several reports from readers who ordered what they thought would be naked chunks of shampoo or deodorant, only to have them arrive wrapped up in a ton of plastic. So either be very specific in your ordering instructions that you don't want any plastic packaging, or don't order from Lush. Reading the comments on my updated 03/24/08 blog post might be helpful to you.

When you walk into a Lush Cosmetics store, (there is one at 240 Powell Street in San Francisco, as well as locations throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world) you are greeted not by rows and rows of products packaged in plastic (as you are when you enter The Body Shop, for example), but by big unwrapped chunks of solid soap as well as shampoo, deodorant, bubble bath, and massage oil. That's right, big solid chunks of these things! They are sold by weight. You tell the staff how much you want, and they cut off a piece, weigh it, and wrap it in paper for you. I tried 4 products which have been working great for me for the past 2 weeks:

Lush Bohemian Soap smells like lemon, the fruit, not the furniture polish. I find it really refreshing in the morning. And if you don't like that smell, there are about 20 more kinds of soap to choose from.

Lush does sell some products in plastic containers, including shaving creams. While I was assured by the salesperson assisting me that they are recyclable, I was not about to add more plastic to the waste-stream, recyclable or not. (In fact, much of the plastic we think is reyclable does not actually get recycled. More on that later.) So I asked her what Lush product she would use if she had to shave her legs with something other than shaving cream. She recommended the Emporer of Icecream Buttercream cleanser, as it's the most moisturizing soap. And in fact, it works. It makes my legs and other areas slippery enough to shave without wounding myself. It also smells awesome, lightly scented with vanilla and orange blosson honey. Unfortunately, I can't find this one on the web site. Perhaps it's only sold in stores. Oh, and by the way, the plastic container in the photo did not come from Lush. I made it from pieces of that Chinese food container from 2 weeks ago.

The Re-Incarnate Shampoo bar seems to work just as well as liquid shampoo, once you get over the initial weirdness of rubbing a bar of soap on your head. It lathers up really well and rinses out well too. I'm not crazy about this particular scent which reminds me of Chinese 5 spice powder (although, looking at the list of ingredients, I can't tell what would cause that particular smell for me). But others may love it. And there are about 12 other shampoo bars to choose from.

And finally, the Aromarant deodorant bar is the wonder product for me. I was skeptical about whether it would really work, but after using it for 2 weeks with no odor and no irritation, I am sold. Lush warns that you should not keep these deodorant bars in the bathroom because of the steam. They work best if kept dry and used on dry underarms. I've been keeping it in my underwear drawer, where it does double-duty making my underthings smell nice. As with the other products, if you don't like this scent, there are others to choose from.

Unfortunately, if you don't like any scented products, you are kind of out of luck with Lush. Everything is made with essential oils and contains some scent, although some are stronger than others.

After my visit to Lush, I spoke with Jennifer Graybeal who handles press inquiries for Lush. I asked her about the products that are packaged in plastic containers. She said that Lush is currently looking into more biodegradable options and is very serious about being environmentally responsible. However, at the moment, there is no non-plastic alternative for some of the products.

I also asked her how the bars are packaged for mail-order shipping. I would hate to order a product that comes without plastic in the store only to find plastic packaging in the box. She told me the only packaging they use is old paper copies of the Lush Times, and that they are looking into even better alternatives, including possibly using actual popcorn to pad the products for shipping.

The main drawback I can see to these products is that they are pricey. I purchased 1/4 pound of each item, and the average price was about $8.00 per bar. The salesperson at the store told me that the Lush bars last longer than other brands. That remains to be seen. But to me, the price is worth it for products that will not contribute to the plastic problem.