CaliWoods · Journal

Safety razor vs cartridge razor, what each shave costs in NZ

Seven dollars and seventy-five cents. That's what one five-blade razor refill costs at a big New Zealand supermarket this week, if you buy the eight-pack at $61.99. It's one small plastic head that clips onto a handle made to take that brand's refills and nothing else.

If you shave most days, that adds up fast, and the extra blades may not be doing your skin any favours either. Once you've seen the per-shave maths, you'll know what each razor costs you, and why the closest shave isn't always the kindest.

The maths

Is a safety razor cheaper than a cartridge razor?

Yes, per shave. A five-blade cartridge at $7.75, lasting up to 20 shaves, costs about 39 cents a shave at best. A 60 cent safety razor blade changed every 5 to 10 shaves costs 6 to 12 cents a shave. That makes a cartridge shave three to six times dearer.

Here's the working. The refill maker says one cartridge lasts up to 20 shaves, so $7.75 divided by 20 is about 39 cents. CaliWoods safety blades come 20 to a pack for $12, which is 60 cents each. CaliWoods suggests a fresh blade every 5 shaves for coarse hair like a beard, and every 10 for fine hair. That's 12 cents a shave for coarse hair, or 6 cents for fine.

Per blade, the gap looks like nearly 13 times. Per shave is the fair comparison, and even then the cartridge loses, using the refill maker's own best case.

What most people want from a razor is pretty simple

• A shave that costs a few cents each time
• Skin under the jaw that's still smooth and calm the next day
• Blades you can buy from whoever has them cheapest
• Less plastic going in the bin every month

Why it happens

Why are cartridge refills so expensive?

Because the handle is cheap on purpose. Business strategists call this the razor and blades model: sell the main product at a low price, then make the money on the refills people keep buying.

Once a handle is in your bathroom, you're a repeat customer for years, because only that brand's cartridges fit it. For that to keep working, every new cartridge needs a reason to exist, and the easiest reason to sell is more blades and a closer shave. The pack we priced above lists "5-blade closeness" as its selling point.

If you've been buying into that, you did what the packaging told you to. Nobody on the pack mentions the downside of closer.

The retraction trap

Can a closer shave cause razor bumps?

It can. When hair is cut too short, the cut end can slip back under the skin and grow into the follicle wall, which is how razor bumps usually start, according to the British Association of Dermatologists.

Each hair grows out of a small tube in your skin called a follicle. When a razor cuts the hair below the level of the skin, the cut end can pull back down inside that tube.

It's a bit like a tape measure snapping back into its case once you let go.

Then the hair keeps growing. Some find their way out. Others push sideways into the wall of the follicle, and the skin reacts with a red, sore bump. We call this the retraction trap.

The dermatologists' leaflet says it's more likely with curly or coarse hair, and on the neck and jaw where hairs grow in different directions. Among its tips for people who wet shave: use single blades, and aim for about 1 mm of stubble rather than the closest shave possible.

Save this one

The swap

A kit built around one blade

That's the thinking behind the CaliWoods Luxe Bathroom Kit. The centre of it is a copper safety razor that holds one standard double-edge blade, the setup the dermatologists' leaflet points to. The blades are a standard shape, so you can buy refills from CaliWoods at 60 cents each or from any other brand that sells standard safety blades. When they're blunt, the CaliWoods blade take-back programme takes them back once you've saved 40 or more, because most councils won't take single blades in household recycling.

The rest of the kit covers the jobs around the shave. It comes with handmade shaving soap to lather up with, a razor stand, a travel bag and extra blades. Then there's a bamboo hairbrush, organic facial rounds and a tongue cleaner, for the rest of the bathroom shelf.

What the Luxe Bathroom Kit gives you

• A copper safety razor that takes one standard blade
• Extra blades to start, plus a stand and a travel bag
• Handmade shaving soap
• A bamboo hairbrush, organic facial rounds and a tongue cleaner
• Access to CaliWoods' blade take-back programme

The payback

When does a safety razor pay for itself?

For someone with coarse hair who shaves five days a week, in about two years on blade savings alone.

That's 260 shaves a year. On cartridges at the maker's best case, you'd go through 13 refills, about $101. On safety blades changed every 5 shaves, you'd use 52 blades, about $31. That's roughly $70 a year saved. With the code, the kit is $132, so it pays back in about two years, sooner if your cartridges don't last the full 20 shaves. If you only shave twice a week, it takes longer, and the kit's other pieces carry more of the value.

A safety razor also takes a week or two to learn. Go slowly, let the weight of the razor do the work, and expect a nick or two at the start. And the dermatologists are clear that no single technique works for everyone. If bumps keep coming after you've changed your routine, see your GP.

Quick answers

Safety razor FAQs

Are safety razors cheaper than cartridge razors?

Per shave, yes. A $7.75 cartridge lasting up to 20 shaves works out to about 39 cents a shave. A 60 cent safety blade changed every 5 to 10 shaves works out to 6 to 12 cents. The handle costs more upfront, so the savings build over time rather than on day one.

Do safety razors help with razor bumps?

They can help some people. The British Association of Dermatologists lists single blades among its tips for razor bumps, along with shaving with the grain and leaving a little stubble. It also says no one method works for everyone. DermNet suggests trying an electric shaver as another option.

How often should you change a safety razor blade?

CaliWoods suggests every 5 shaves for coarse hair, such as a beard, and about every 10 for fine hair. You can shave with both edges of a double-edge blade, so keep track of which side you're on. Change it sooner if it starts to tug or drag.

Can you recycle razor blades in NZ?

Most councils won't take single razor blades in household recycling, because they're small and sharp. CaliWoods runs a blade take-back programme: collect 40 or more used blades, seal them in the envelope that comes with each refill pack, wrap that in a second envelope, and post them back.

The takeaway

A cartridge shave costs three to six times more than a safety razor shave, and the closeness it's sold on is what dermatologists tell people with razor bumps to ease off. One sharp blade, used with the grain, costs less, and it's the setup those same dermatologists suggest.

How many shaves do you get out of a cartridge before it starts to drag?

Supermarket price checked the week of writing and will change. Shaves per blade vary with hair type and technique. This is general information, not medical advice.