Safety razors are a great alternative to your disposable or your cartridge razors. Not only do they give a great shave but they are better for the environment and can save you some money. All this is great but it got me thinking, do razor blades have a shelf life?
Do razor blades have a shelf life?
Yes, they do. On average, it should last about a week. Only if you’re shaving consistently every day. The razor will need to be changed after you’ve finished 5-6 shaves and also you have to take into account if you’re using the 3-pass technique. Which is shaving with the grain, across, and against the grain.) but most will change their blades after they’ve completed about 1-7 shaves.
But this isn’t a law. Since so many other factors come into play that will impact the real length of time your safety razor blade lasts. And taking caring of means how you store it after you’ve finished shaving. Where you store, do you dry it off, do you keep it off water. All these questions you can ask yourself to prolong the blades shelf life.
Why do your blades need changing?
They need to be changed regularly because they lose their natural sharpness over time. With frequent usage they become dull. Dullness equals a less effective shave and you won’t get the proper clean and close shave you may be looking for. The razor itself will last but the blade is a different story.
Dull blades give you nicks and ticks and will not glide across the skin so smoothly. Then you need to pressure down on the blade thinking that adding pressure can solve the problem of the dullness. Dull blades tug on your skin before they get to cutting. This can lead to skin irritation.
There are the factors that will influence how your long blades will last
Your hair type is a factor
The thickness of your hair type or the coarseness plays a factor. It can impact the speed at which your blade can become dull. When blades are doing a lot of the work, guess what, it loses its sharpness. Now if you have thick and coarse hair, you can expect to be replacing that blade often. Now if you have fine hair, you may get away with changing it more often. This applies to your facial hair as well as any other hair you have on your legs, chest, pubic region.
The speed at which your hair grows.
This can impact the frequency at which you have to shave. Imagining have to shave every 2 days because you hair grows so often. This will vary from person to person because men or women will develop stubble and others will be able to leave it for a couple days.
Your personal choices can also affect your blades shelf life. If you don’t mind some stubble growing back or if your workplace allows it, then I guarantee you’re going to leave your facial hair or any other hair on your body along for few couple of days in between shaves.
The area that you shave
Some people can grow hair more coarse and thicker on their chest than on their neck. For instance, the hair on your legs or pubic region can be more thick and coarser than on your face. If this is the case, I like to keep 2 razors. One for the upper body, typically the face, and one for the lower body.
The blade itself (how good is it)
Majority of blades or should I say all blades are made from stainless steel. Some are made from stainless steel alloy. But knowing this doesn’t make them all equal. Every blade manufacturer doesn’t create their blades the same. From the material they use to make the blade, to the grinding they process they employ, and the thickness and coating of the blade. All this can impact the blade’s performance and its lifespan. I would try a few brands of a variety of safety razor blades to see which ones are my favorite, how long the last or how sharp they are, right out the box.
Your shaving technique
You can go with the grain, across it or against it. Those are your 3 options. The grain is the direction your hair grows. For most people it’s a downward growth. It’s not uniforms across the face and neither is it a 90-degree angle. The three-pass technique is your best option to get a close shave. It’s effective for getting a close shave but the more passes you use with your blade the duller it can get.
How do you store your razor blades?
Drying the blade is one of the best ways you can make sure the blade stays sharp. It’s important to keep your razor blade in a dry place. And do not expose it to moisture. I would recommend you removing it completely from the bathroom. The steam and humidity in the air can speed up the corrosion. You can store the blade in oil also. The oil prevents the blade from getting in contact with moisture and oxygen. Those are two reasons why the blade can get dull.
Stainless steel can get corroded. Your razor blades are made of stainless steel, so that means they can get corroded also. The corrosion happens because of the moisture and other chemicals it comes across over time. It gets its moisture from the water and from you not properly drying the blade. The chemicals from your shaving cream or gel can also affect it. The process is called oxidation can lead to blade dullness.
Another tip is to use some blue jeans that you may have lying around. I like to run the blade across either a new pair of blue jeans that is going to be washed or an old pair. Preferably an old pair of blue jeans. I do this after every shave. One it helps to dry it faster. And you may find this foolish but I think it provides a little bit of sharpness to it also.
In order to learn more about blade storage you can read my article here
How Much Will You Regularly Spend On Razor blades If They Have a Low Shelf Life?
New blades can cost you anywhere from 15-20 dollars. But this depends on your location, the location from where your buying and also the brand of the blades. Let’s say for instance you change the blade once every week for a whole year. And a new pack will cost you 20 dollars, the best of the best. That will run you almost $1,040.
How will I know if my razor blades need to be changed?
Look on your skin, see any skin irritation? When you shave you can feel the blade pull your hair a little bit or when you shave, is it less effective? Then you’ll know it’s time to switch your blades. You might also notice that your stubble is around a lot faster or when you shave it’s not as close as before. Or that you’re getting more nicks and ticks than you usually do.
The bottom line is safety razor blades have a variety of reasons why its lifespan can be shortened. But that shouldn’t steer you away from using them. With proper shaving technique and storage, they should last you quite some time.
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Alright so you know now that razor blades do have shelf life, but the least you can do is learn how to Shave Your Face or Shave Chest before they go dull, right.