Why you should quit using cartridge razors - use a double-edge razor

Too much. That's how I sum up using cartridge razors. Too much money spent on them. Too much waste. Too much time spent on a shave. Too much ingrown hair and razor nicks. Too much blades. I just find safety razors a much better alternative. Glad I made the switch and never looked back.

Cost

I've covered it before. Cartridge blades are expensive. Spending $3.50 to $4 a cartridge is insane. Buying them in larger quantities helps, but they are still expensive. They are fairly simple devices, so why do they cost so much? Regardless, I can't imagine how much money I must have spent on cartridge razors before I ditched them. Every time I see an expensive package of them in the store, I am thankful that I'm not spending that kind of money on shaving. There are far better things to spend it on.

Waste

Cartridge razors and disposable razors are wasteful. Almost all cartridges are non-recyclable. The handles of them in most cases are almost completely non-recyclable as well. Combine that with the packaging that these things are sold in and there is a lot of waste. Compare that to a small package that double-edge razors are sold in, and there is a huge difference. If being green is your thing, a safety razor is a great choice for shaving.

Time

Often more time is spent shaving with a cartridge razor because the shave is not as close as a safety razor (in my experience). You may have to shave over the same area with multiple passes to achieve the desired closeness. I know that time is valuable in my morning routine, and my shaves are faster with a safety razor. Using a safety razor may require a tad bit more attention for things like maintenance and changing blades, but it is easy to develop routines, and the process will become much easier.

Ingrown hairs and nicks

My sensitive face doesn't feel the love from cartridges. The multiblade razors cut so close to the surface, or below the surface, that they often cause ingrown hairs. The blades can also inflict some razor nick damage too. Safety razors also can leave nicks, but they don't seem as numerous. In fact, you may find that you rarely get razor nicks when using a safety razor.

Many blades

Finally. Some popular cartridge razors now have as many as five blades in them. Five blades. Really? Is it necessary to have five? Were three, no, four blades, not enough? Do five blades actually cut better than four blades or is it simply a marketing ploy? I know in my case, these extreme multiblades do more damage than good. The multiple blades means more clogging and may play host to more bacteria. I doubt that that can be good for running over your skin repeatedly.

So, don't just take my word for it. If you aren't already using a safety razor, consider it and look into it. A good old-fashion safety razor may not make you cooler, but it may make you feel cooler.

Expand your horizons. You will learn that there is much more out there than the choices you commonly see in television commercials, magazine, ads, and supermarket shelves. There is a whole other world of shaving products that just may change the way you view shaving. Be different, do something different, give a double-edge razor a try.