Home » A win for your skin
This article first appeared in our Ethical Shopping issue of My Green Pod Magazine, distributed with The Guardian on 30 October 2020. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox
If you’ve never used (or even heard of) a safety razor, you’re not alone.
For years large corporations have marketed plastic-containing cartridge razors as the way to shave; they’re cheaper to produce and have a shorter lifespan, meaning they need to be bought again and again.
In 2018 and 2019 over 5 million people in the UK used disposable razors, and 13 million used cartridge razors containing plastic. Some brands have tried to produce more sustainable alternatives, but they still rely on plastic for structure.
Safety razors have been around for a long time, but Daniel Jones and Emma Lynch noticed that no one was encouraging women to use them. ‘Not just because they’re eco-friendly’, Emma explains, ‘but because they are much nicer to use and less abrasive on the skin, with little to no risk of razor burn and rashes when used properly. They are also much more luxurious than plastic-containing razors and are better value for money.’
Together, Daniel and Emma launched a zero-waste shave experience as an alternative for people who want to avoid plastic and live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Aphrodite Razors is a clever subscription service that provides a stunning plastic-free weighted metal razor – in rose gold or silver – that comes with a lifetime guarantee. With every order a tree is planted with One Tree at a Time.
‘The war on plastic pollution has predominantly focused on culprits such as plastic straws, plastic bags and plastic cutlery… It has mostly put pressure on industry, rather than focusing on the consumer.’
EMMA LYNCH
Co-founder of Aphrodite Razors
Replacement razor blades are sent in the post (in recyclable packaging) every one, two, three or four months, according to how often you shave. You can change, pause or cancel the subscription at any time.
‘For the best shaving results, we advise changing the blade every three to five shaves’, Daniel tells us. ‘The blades get blunt and also build up bacteria with every use, ultimately meaning that the razor becomes less effective.’
The replaceable blades cost less than the cost of changeable cartridge razor heads, so the more you shave the more money (and plastic) you save.
While this is a women-oriented brand, partnered with Wellbeing of Women, the razors are unisex and Aphrodite Razors has male subscribers as well as female. The important thing for Daniel and Emma is for all individuals to be given a choice about the way they want to live.
For Daniel and Emma, the biggest impact will be made when individuals choose and demand options that are more sustainable. ‘We hope that with appealing, plastic-free products, we can educate others to make better choices for themselves and for the planet’, Daniel says.
Ground-breaking report reveals the hypocrisy and ‘dirty tricks’ used by the world’s biggest plastic polluters.
12 brands are responsible for over half of the UK’s plastic pollution.
New research reveals 8bn Coca-Cola bottles are burnt or dumped each year, driving the global climate crisis.
Sea Shepherd Global reveals the truth about plastics in our oceans.
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