Eco-Friendly Shaving: My Shoreline Safety Razor Review

Overall Rating:

4.8/5

Ease Of Use = 4.5

Value For Money = 5.0

Performance = 5.0

For many shaving is essential, but it creates a lot of plastic waste. So I’m looking at an eco-friendly and plastic-free alternative to getting smooth skin. In my Shoreline safety razor review I share my experience with you.

I’m on a mission to reduce the impact my family has on our environment. One thing that really gets to me is the amount of plastic we use and throw away. Knowing how damaging plastic waste is, has led me to try and rid our home of as much plastic as possible.

One area that I have looked at is my shaver. The handle is made of plastic, which isn’t great. But the bigger problem is the blades. They are encased in plastic and rubber, which means they can’t be recycled and therefore end up in landfill.

So I did some research and found a plastic-free razor by Shoreline Shaving. No plastic means no plastic waste, which is exactly what I want.

Here I share my experience with this eco-friendly razor from Shoreline.

Who Are Shoreline Shaving?

Before I delve into my experience with the razor, I want to have a closer look at the company that makes it. Here at EcoHomeLife we choose the products we try and review very carefully, because we want to make sure that they are truly eco-friendly and will help us to live a more sustainable life.

This means we scrutinise the company as to their eco credentials before we buy. So who are Shoreline Shaving?

They are a family-run, UK-based business that was born from the desire to reduce the amount of plastic in our environment. The founders saw the impact of plastic in their hometown of Manchester as well as in various places around the world during their travels.

And they decided to do something about it. That’s how Shoreline Shaving was born. They created plastic-free and zero-waste shaving products.

The shavers are made of metal, which are meant to last a lifetime. Afterwards, they are recyclable, so there won’t be any waste. They even offer a lifetime guarantee for parts. So if one of the parts breaks, you can get a replacement for free; you only have to pay postage.

The blades used are made from stainless steel, which can be recycled, so again: no waste. And all other shaving accessories they sell are also eco-friendly. Like their shaving soap, which only contains natural ingredients, which are better for you and the environment.

Shoreline Shaving also supports environmental organisations that fight plastic waste, including The Ocean Cleanup and Surfers Against Sewage.

The environment is the main reason why Shoreline Shaving was created, so they put it at the heart of everything they do. And that’s why I love them and had to give their shaver a go.

Shoreline Saftey Razor Review Based On Almost A Year Of Using It

I have taken my time to write about my experience with this eco-friendly shaver, because I wanted to do it justice. There are three aspects that I want to discuss here, as I think these will help you to decide if this is the one for you:

• Ease of use – How easy to use is it?
• Results – How good a shave can you get from the Shoreline safety razor?
• Price – Do you have to spend more money for smooth skin?

We already know that switching to this razor will be better for our environment, because you get rid of plastic. So now let’s look at whether it also delivers on the other important areas.

Using The Shoreline Saftey Razor: Take Your Time

If, like me, you are used to using razors cartridges with three or more blades, switching to a safety razor will be quite a shock to the system. That’s because you have to shave differently, otherwise you risk a bloodbath. OK, that’s exaggerating, but you might get cuts that bleed.

Let me explain: the edges of a double-edge razor blade are very sharp, so if you put too much pressure on, it will tug on the hair, which can lead to cuts. In comparison to the blades of plastic razor heads with three or four blades, which are blunter. 

As a result, you have to put more pressure on these to get a good shave. And if you are used to shaving that way, it will take a while to adapt to the new way. It probably took me several months to learn how to use my Shoreline safety razor correctly.

Thankfully, Shoreline supported me with guides, tips and tricks by email to help me master the new shaving technique. This was really helpful, and I appreciated the information they sent.

So how do you shave correctly with a safety razor? Here is what I learned and what technique I use.

1. Use Saving Soap

Preparing your skin for shaving is key. I never used anything before, but now I use the Shoreline saving soap to make sure the blade can glide easily.

It’s made from 100% natural ingredients and is plastic-free, which is great for the planet. And because it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals, it doesn’t irritate the skin, even on my sensitive bikini zone.

2. Shave With The Grain Of Your Hair

With my old shaver I shaved against the grain of my hair. But with the safety razor I start off with shaving with the grain of my hair, i.e. shaving the way the hair grows.

Then I shave from one side to the other, so neither with nor against the grain. Finally, I shave against the grain to get a smooth finish.

When I shave against the grain, I do smaller strokes, as I found this helps to prevent cuts. This might sound a bit of a faff, but it works for me.

So I go over the same area 4 times in different directions. For me, this works best to achieve a smooth result. And it’s quite soothing, as it’s almost like meditating. You focus so much on the shaving that you forget everything else around you.

Little bonus relaxation time I really enjoy.

3. Don’t Put Pressure On

When I get to the final direction, against the grain, I don’t put any pressure on at all. I hold the shaver at the end of the handle with my thumb and forefinger. The weight of the shaver will ensure the right amount of pressure is applied.

It does feel a bit unsecure at first, because the shaver is surprisingly heavy compared to a plastic one. But I guess that’s to be expected, given it’s made of metal and is weighted.

I do also pull my skin in the opposite direction a bit, as I learned this will make it even smoother. 

And another trick I have learned is doing shorter strokes, which makes the shave even smoother without harming your skin.

4. Get The Angle Right

For the best results, you need to make sure that you hold the razor at the right angle for your skin. Shoreline recommends an angle of 30 – 40 degrees. 

I had to try a bit to find the angle that’s right for me. But once you have it, you know, because there is less resistance.

If the angle is wrong, you can feel the razor stutter a bit as it hits the hair, and it won’t shave it either. That’s when you also might get cuts. After some trial and error I found what works for me.

Using this technique I hardly ever get any cuts or irritated skin now. I should say that I only do it this way when I shave my bikini zone. Under my arms, I shaved against the grain from the start with no issues at all.

I think that’s because the hair under my arms are really thin, whereas the hair in my bikini zone are thicker and coarser. The skin down there is also much more sensitive.

I don’t shave my legs, as I use an epilator. However, I can’t see why it shouldn’t work just as well on your legs.

Shoreline Shaving does recommend to finish with a moisturising lotion or butter to calm down the skin. However, I found that a few more minutes under the warm shower is enough for my skin.

Smooth As A Baby’s Bottom

So now that you know how to use the razor, my Shoreline safety razor review will now look at the result. After all, you shave because you want smooth skin, right?

And once you have mastered the technique that works for you, that’s exactly what you will get. I now have smoother skin after shaving than I had with my old razor. 

The very sharp double-edge blade is definitely doing a better job than my old four-blade plastic razor head. I also noticed that since I switched, and I get the technique right, my skin is less irritated after shaving.

Especially in my bikini zone, where my skin is more sensitive. Before, my skin was red and sometimes sore for a few hours after I shaved. But now, after a few minutes, my skin is fine. There is definitely less skin irritation.

That’s quite a big change for me, and I’m really pleased. So when it comes to results, the Shoreline safety razor delivers the goods.

One thing that’s important to ensure you always get a smooth shave is changing your blades regularly. How often will depend on how often and how big an area you shave. Shoreline recommends changing your blade every 5 – 6 shaves.

Because I don’t shave big areas, only my underarms and bikini zone, the blades last a big longer for me. And after some time you learn to spot when it’s time to change to a new blade.

When the shave isn’t as comfortable any more, that’s when I get a new one out. The razor won’t glide as smoothly any more, as it can’t manage to cut the hair in the first stroke. It’s the most obvious when I shave against the grain.

I’m more likely to notice that on my bikini zone though, because the hair under my arms are much thinner. It’s something you will learn after some time.

Let’s Talk Money

One thing I always disliked about my old shaving heads was that they were so expensive. And because the blades aren’t as sharp as they could be, they needed changing quite quickly. 

So how does the Shoreline safety razor and blades compare?

I bought the shaving kit, which included:

• Shoreline safety razor (I choose the colour teal, but others are available)
• 2 packets of blades (10 blades in total)
• Natural shaving soap
• Hessian travel bag

I took advantage of an offer they were running at the time, but even without it, it wouldn’t have been particularly expensive. Especially given that you get a whopping 10 blades.

When you look at the blades alone, they are so much cheaper. For the price of 100 double-edge blades, you don’t even get 10 of the three to five bladed heads of the well-known brands.

And you don’t have to buy the blades with Shoreline: you can get them everywhere. They even say so themselves. They made sure any standard double-edge blade would fit.

I have used my Shoreline safety razor now for almost a year, and I’m only just having to buy new blades. So the 10 blades that came with my shaving kit, lasted me a long time.

I’m not only saving the planet by switching, but also money. And that’s true value for money, if you ask me.

What Other Shoreline Customers Say

I’m a happy customer, but what about others? I have looked at Shoreline customer reviews to see if they agree with me.

On the reviews site reviews.co.uk, Shoreline Shaving has an average score of 4.9 out of 5 from over 800 reviews. This is a great score. 

91% of customers have rated Shoreline shaving products as excellent on the site and 99% would recommend them to friends and family. Their customer service is also rated quite highly, with 100% of customers stated they received what they ordered and that their delivery was undamaged.

98% of customers confirmed that their delivery was on time, no mean feat given that this is often in the control of the delivery company.

Most of their customers agree that they get a really close shave with their Shoreline safety razor that leaves their skin smooth and soft. Customers also often mention that they like the sustainability of the products, which for me is of course the main thing.

But what struck me when reading the reviews is how often customers said how much the company cares about their customers.

That’s what you want to read, isn’t it? You want to buy from a company that isn’t just out for profits but cares about providing excellent service and products to have happy customers.

The few negative reviews, and there are only a few, are mostly from people who don’t seem to get on with the safety razor. Most even say that it’s probably them and still praise the customer service.

This just shows that Shoreline Shaving is a brilliant company, making brilliant products that people love, including myself.

My Final Verdict

So, what’s the final verdict of my Shoreline safety razor review? I have to agree with so many of their customers: I love it! 

Yes, it took me several months to get the hang of it, but that says more about me than the razor, I think. Because there are plenty of people out there who figured it out almost immediately. And Shoreline is very supportive, sending out emails with tips, tricks and guides to help you get the best out of your razor.

Since I have mastered the technique I get a closer shave than I have ever managed with my old razor cartridges and no cuts or razor burns. 

And all this for less money. With the razor lasting a lifetime and the blades being really cheap, you will even save money. 

But the best of all is that there is no plastic and everything is recyclable, so there is no waste. So if you are looking for an eco-friendly way to shave, look no further: you just found it.