What Are the Benefits to Wet Shaving?

West Coast Shaving’s Aviv and Jared break down the benefits of wet shaving in this Shaving 101 video. Here they offer 5 great reasons why you need to embrace the traditional practices of wet shaving.

While the origins of wet shaving are shrouded in the mists of time (some claim the ancient Sumerians were some of the first to whip up a lather and strap a sharpened stone on a stick), the advent of the safety razor around the turn of the last century really started men’s self grooming. So, why are men showing a renewed interest in this age old practice? Read on to hear West Coast Shaving’s top five reasons. 

5 Benefits of Wet Shaving

#1 It’s the best shave you can get! Period.

The mixture of hardware, process and honing in on what works for you gives you the closest, smoothest shave you can get. 

• Equipment - a single blade cutting surface minimizes irritation. You are not repeatedly dragging multiple blades across your face. Also, the soap/cream is especially good at creating a protective, lubricating lather that leaves you with healthier skin. 
• Technique - In multiple blade razors, the blades lift the skin and cut the hair below the skin and can create many problems, bumps and ingrown hairs. With an exceptional lather that protects and a plethora of aftershave splashes and balms, you can reduce or even eliminate these common skin complaints.

#2 It’s cost effective.

Although your initial costs might look higher than a cartridge or disposable shave, the costs of wet shaving are actually much less.  

• You can “shave” lots of money off your budget with wet shaving. Over three years, you would spend about $400 at a retail store for cartridge razor heads. You can save about $100 going with a Dollar Shave Club or other low cost online company which means $300 over 3 years. Switching to wet shaving would have you spending around $200 for three years.
• Up front costs have also dropped dramatically. You can get a get starter kit for just $50-60 that will last you decades.
• Buyer Beware: There is a deep dark hole of wet shaving. While there are substantial savings, many shavers fall in love with this process and begin acquiring more and more scents, soaps, and splashes. (We aren’t knockin’ it. Just bringing it to your attention.)

#3 It’s traditional.

A traditional shave seems like a return to your childhood, an homage to your elders, a return to simpler times.

• While it might have gotten its start in Ancient Sumaria, wet shaving became common place around the turn of the last century when King Gillette introduced the double edge safety razor. Soon, it was a staple of men’s grooming. . .  and it’s becoming so again with a resurgence of interest in this traditional method of shaving with a double edge safety razor or a straight razor.
• Maybe you remember watching your father or grandfather shave in this way and long to recapture those moments. Or maybe you long for a Rockwellian moment in your own life. This kind of shaving can bring us these moments.
• It is a routine that is rewarding and joins you with many generations that have come before and something you can pass to the next generation as well.

#4 It’s saving the planet.

Wet Shaving is a much more environmentally sustainable practice than cartridge/disposable razors.

• In the US alone two billion disposable razors—this includes cartridges—end up in landfills every year. This is an enormous amount of waste, and it does not take into account all the shaving foam and packaging that is thrown away, as well.
• Soaps and creams last for months and often come with reusable containers with refills. There is less to throw-away and much of what you throw away is biodegradable. Even the steel blades can be recycled. 
• Straight razor shaving is even less impactful as the razor is used for decades so it doesn’t contribute to landfill waste.  

#5 It’s time for yourself.

A traditional wet-shave can provide you with some well-deserved quiet time where you can block out the rest of the world and just focus on you. This time can be used to reflect, to be mindful, or just to enjoy the experience. Turn this boring chore into an enjoyable activity.

• This last point is a bit less quantifiable, but wet shaving is more enjoyable. It turns a chore into a joy. Aviv says, “This shave is taking something that most people consider a chore, and is turning it into something people consider their “me” time.”
• ME time. Meditative, quality, community. It becomes an experience that is more than the sum of its parts. It ignites the senses. And you get connected to the stories around the products - artisans, craftsmen, history. 

Wet Shaving is for everyone!

So those are our top benefits to wet shaving. Do you have any others? Drop them in the comments below and add to the conversation.