While I tend to shave infrequently, when I do it has always been with the viciously harsh chemicals found in commercial shaving creams. Such lovely items as: stearic acid, triethanolamine, isobutene, diazolindinyl urea, and sodium lauryl sulfate, amongst others. Yes, the time honored tradition of shaving passed down from father-to-son (in my case) carries with it a legacy of toxicity.

In the process of greening my life, I have been especially reluctant to let go of my conventional bath + beauty products. I have a job that gets me especially dirty quite frequently, and so I like to feel especially clean. I guess I’ve always felt that harsh chemical cleansers got me clean. My partner Sam has been attempting to dissuade me of these habits.

Natural Shaving Soap

Recently, as a St. Patrick’s Day gift, she gave me a natural shaving soap kit from A Wild Soap Bar. It consists of a sassafras shaving soap bar, an old-timey bristle brush for lathering up my face, and a hardwood bowl. And best of all, the ingredients are so natural, I could conceivably make it myself: olive, palm & castor oils; aloe; clay; sassafras root and cinnamon bark; oats and sea salt.

And so on a recent business trip, I traded in my Barbasol in for all-natural shaving soap. I was a little confused as to the application process at first—without any pressurized goo spewing out of a nozzle, I didn’t know what to do. But after a little water and some swishing with the brush, a nice (and nice-smelling) foam began to appear.

I have to say that overall, the natural shaving soap didn’t provide quite as smooth a shave as the conventional stuff. But I’m OK with it. As I said earlier, it’s been tough for me to give up the trappings of the non-green world when it comes to bath products, and so taking a step forward with shaving soap is a big move for me. A little less comfort or smoothness on my face is worth it to know I’m making a statement with my dollars not to support the chemical-industrial world.

A Greener Razor

As another way to green my shave, Preserve Recycled Razors are a big step forward as well. Made from 100% recycled plastics (in the handle), the razors act just like regular ones, but are a way of making a statement with the dollars I spend. They are also reusable, as you can interchange the heads while keeping the same handle over and over. The EPA estimates that over 2 billion disposable razors end up in landfills every year in the US. Preserve Recycled Razors are a step in the right direction.

And so I’m excited looking forward: one day when I’m passing down the tradition of shaving to my (potential) son, I’ll be able to pass it down with a legacy of sustainability—a greener way to shave is a step in the right direction.