There are tonnes of benefits of choosing a safety razor over a disposable plastic alternative, but having decided to make the switch, it’s time to turn your attention to how to use a safety razor. 

Many newbies to this sustainable alternative wonder if safety razors are hard to use. Our answer is no!  Here is the UpCircle guide on how to use a safety razor, plus some tips and tricks to keep in mind. 

Are safety razors easy to use?

Before we get down to the nitty gritty of how to use a safety razor, let’s address that first burning question: how hard is it? For most people who choose to shave, we’ve become adept at reaching for our safety-guarded disposable razors, clad in buffeting swathes of plastic. It can be a little daunting approaching your skin with a super-sharp piece of metal. 

But fret not, with the right advice and a little practice, you’ll soon discover that using a safety razor is both easy and straight-forward. It’s no harder than using a disposable razor, but it is a slightly different technique.

How to use a safety razor

1. Choose your safety razor carefully

It’s worth investing in a good quality and heavy safety razor. The heaviness is important. Unlike with a disposable razor where you apply the pressure, with a safety razor you want the razor to naturally apply the pressure from its weight.

Our safety razor is 100% chrome with a good solid handle, ensuring a safe close shave.

2. Put the blade in your razor

Start by safely putting the razor blade into your safety razor. We’ve got a short video that explains how to quickly and easily put a razor blade in your safety razor.

3. Prepare the skin

In the same way that you would for a shave with a disposable razor or cartridge shave, you should prepare your skin. Start by softening the skin and the hairs with warm water (a steamy shower before a shave serves a good purpose!). 

You can use a pre-shave oil, or cleanse the skin using a gentle cleanser. You can then use a shaving cream, gel or soap. It’s not necessary, but gents in particular may wish to use a shaving brush to lift the hairs ready for a close shave. But please take care to choose a sustainable and vegan brush!

4. Pull your skin taut

For the best results and minimising risk of nicks, you want to keep the skin quite taut as you shave. This ensures you won’t be dragging the razor over skin that ‘buckles’ or that you might feel tempted to apply pressure. Legs are generally easy to keep the skin taut, with a few careful twists when it comes to the ankle and knees.

With the face, angle your neck accordingly to get a close shave. With armpits, use your other hand to pull the skin taut, but do take care. We recommend getting the hang of using the safety razor elsewhere before turning your attention to your bikini line!

5. Angles and pressure

The most important thing to remember when it comes to a safety razor is that you do not need to apply pressure. Angle the razor towards the skin at 35-40 degrees and let the weight of the razor only do the work. This will give a clean even shave.

6. Shave with the growth

With a disposable razor or cartridge blade, you may be used to shaving against the growth in an effort to get a close shave. You won’t need to do this with a safety razor. Shave with the direction of hair growth and this will prevent any nicks or ingrown hairs. Use a steady movement, but keep the strokes quite small. This allows you to minimise going over an area already shaved and thus reduce any irritation.

7. Rinse your skin and moisturise

Finish with a cool rinse and then moisturise your skin with a body moisturiser or face moisturiser.

For more tips for using a safety razor, read our detailed UpCircle guide.

FAQs about safety razors

Now you’ve got the know-how and the best tips for using a safety razor, let’s address a few of the most common questions we are asked by new-to-safety-razor converts. 

Do all safety razors use the same blades?

Yes, all safety razors are designed to take the same double-edged blades. However, this doesn’t mean that all purchasing options are created equally. At UpCircle, you can take advantage of our Razor Blade Return Scheme. For every 5 blades you return, you’ll get £1 off a blade refill pack. We recycle them too.

Can you use a safety razor in the shower?

Yes, you can use your safety razor in the shower. The warm steamy environment is perfect for a close shave! You can continue with your speedy efficiency in the morning!