Razor Price Breakdowns

Whether you're trying to go zero waste, trying to reduce your waste impact, or just a thrifty shopper: it's important to budget what you're spending on going green.

When I started looking into using safety razors, I made this spreadsheet (taking after my Grandpy a bit) to try and figure out if it was actually less expensive per year, as many bloggers were claiming. I was shocked, and stoked, by the discrepancy!  I found that safety razors are much less expensive than anything else on the market per year.  They require a larger initial investment (mid-ranged safety razors are about $20), but in the long term they're definitely worth it!

To clarify, the following table and graph are not set in stone. I used industry examples to get these prices and run a very simple analysis.  Also, the price per year will vary depending on how often you shave, how many times you use your razor, etc. I tried to be relatively conservative and consistent with each type of razor.

Yearly Shaving Cost if You Shave 5x per Week

As you can see, the expensive disposable razor is by far the most expensive, and both the expensive and mid-ranged safety razor are the most cost effective. This graph is based on the chart below.

So part of the reason for the large price gap is I calculated the safety razor handles as lasting 10 years, although they could potentially last up to 50! I had the reusable cartridge handles lasting 2 years. 

Inexpensive cartridges like the Dorco Pace 6 or Dollar Shave club are the best cartridges on the market, as far as price for quality goes, but still can't beat a mid-range safety razor, which I used as the "cheap" option. 

While these inexpensive cartridge razors are comparable to safety razors in price, they don't hold a candle to them in waste production, since essentially all cartridge razors are non-recyclable. I could not fine a single one on the market that was (let me know if you know of any!).

The graph was based on this cost analysis.

Say No to Q-tips®

Single Use Is the Enemy

 When it comes to going zero waste, single use anything is the enemy, and Q-Tips are a prime example of a product that's wasteful by nature! 

You can use multiple in one sitting, and you really can't use them again because that's not at all sanitary.

If you haven't seen the reality check of a photo that's been all over the internet recently here it is. Wildlife photographer Justin Hofman (@Justinhofman) posted it to Instagram this September:

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It's a photo that I wish didn't exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it. What started as an opportunity to photograph a cute little sea horse turned into one of frustration and sadness as the incoming tide brought with it countless pieces of trash and sewage. This sea horse drifts long with the trash day in and day out as it rides the currents that flow along the Indonesian archipelago. This photo serves as an allegory for the current and future state of our oceans. What sort of future are we creating? How can your actions shape our planet? . thanks to @eyosexpeditions for getting me there and to @nhm_wpy and @sea_legacy for getting this photo in front of as many eyes as possible. Go to @sea_legacy to see how you can make a difference. . #plastic #seahorse #wpy53 #wildlifephotography #conservation @nhm_wpy @noaadebris #switchthestick

27.6k Likes, 1,659 Comments - Justin Hofman (@justinhofman) on Instagram: "It's a photo that I wish didn't exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it. What started..."

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So you shouldn't use Q-tips because they are generally terrible.

But even if you're not motivated by conscience, why else should you move away from these little buggers?

Q-Tips are actually terrible at removing wax

Yup. Q-Tips over time push wax further into your ear, eventually blocking your hearing. This can lead to needing treatments where you actually need to get the wax vacumed out of your ear! Ya, that doesn't sound to pleasant to me either...

They can cause infection

The American Hearing Research Foundation recommends against using cotton tipped applicators (such as Q-tips), not only do you run the risk of breaking your ear drum and jamming wax deeper inside your ear, but they also also increase the risk of bacterial infection of the external canal, commonly called swimmer’s ear (Nussinovitch et al 2004).

Alternatives

NOTE: If you have something weird going on with your ears, like ear pain, abnormal discharge, tubes, or a potentially ruptured ear drum, stop reading blogs and talk yo your doctor, you may need medical attention.

1. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

For a deeper clean, you really need to soften the wax in the canal and let it pour out itself.

Lie down on your side and squeeze a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into your sky-facing ear. Don’t let the fizzing and popping noises freak you out—that means it’s working. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then tilt your head into the sink or a bowl to drain the remaining solution and the wax it dislodged out of your ear.

2. OLIVE OIL.

 The American Hearing Research Foundation recommends adding two to three drops of olive oil into your ear, then letting it drain out, on a regular basis. They suggest doing this once per week in each ear to help soften ear wax so that it can work its way out. 

3. Ear-picks

Consider these Q-tips of the past, and potentially the future.  They have been recorded in medieval and Roman periods, the Viking-age and at 9th century Anglo-saxon sites. 

Ear picks do the job that Q-tips fail at, removing the wax from the outer ear. So don't stick this sucker all the way into your ear, that's how you pop ear drums. Simply use the small hooked end to remove wax from the area just before your ear canal. 

I would use this as a supplemental method to the ones listed above.

I got my metal ear pick from the Zero Market in Denver. You can find wood ear picks on Etsy, and metal ones like mine on Amazon. Be sure to clean using hydrogen peroxide in between uses!

Note: Many sources recommend not putting anything small into your ear, including ear picks. However this is generally because if you place them too far into your ear (into the inner canal) you run the risk of rupturing your ear drum and jamming wax deeper inside your ear. So only use ear picks to clean the outer portions of your ear, no deeper! As a guideline:  try placing your pinky finger gently into your ear (no shoving!), do not use the ear pick any further than your pinky finger can go!

4. GO TO THE DOCTOR.

If you're reading this post because things are so backed up in your ear that you're having trouble hearing or experiencing pain of any kind, you need to go to the doctor. Call your General Practitioner, or get a referral for an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor (ENT) who can give you a safe, heavy duty cleaning.

5. GO natural

If you are a die-hard Q-tip user and just are not willing to give them up, then I recommend buying 100% organic cotton Q-Tips. These are compostable and are less chemically laden than traditional Q-tips.

Zero Waste Hair

If you want to take a very literal "top down" approach to going zero waste, then starting with the hair on your head seems like a great option! 

1. The Clean

How do you wash and condition you hair? There are way too many products you can purchase today for hair care, and many come packaged in plastic and contain harsh chemicals that act as carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, not to mention damaging to the water supply. 

So if you want to go the zero waste route as far as your hair washing routine goes, you have a few options.

No Poo

The "no poo" option is honestly the best, since you are pretty much using nothing, but this did not go so well for me. My hair became very greasy and I couldn't alleviate it after about a month of effort.   However, Paris To Go had a completely different experience, so if you are interested in this route, checkout her story on it here. I think if I lived by an ocean I could maybe pull it off, but alas.

Homemade

After "no poo" we have homemade shampoo. I did this with baking soda and vinegar with great success! I loved my hair on the homemade stuff. I only switched because I got some mermaid color added to my hair, and baking soda will strip this out.

So if you can't get the no poo going, try transitioning to the homemade stuff!

Shampoo Bars and Solid Conditioner

This is the closest to the norm you can get while still staying zero waste, you just need to find the naturally made stuff. Here in Colorado there's a few local soap companies that make shampoo bars like Summit Soap & Company and Tellicherry Trading Co. It's totally worth checking out local soap makers to see if their products work well for you. 

A more widely available brand for these products is Lush. They are an amazing company for almost any zero waste body product you could think of! And they absolutely have the widest variety of shampoo bars on the market.  So no matter whats going on with your hair: it's dry, it's greasy, it's brittle, it's thin, it's thick, it's colored, Lush will have something for you!

If you're really feeling ambitious, you can make your own shampoo bar! I haven't tried this yet but I'd recommend this recipe if you want to give it a go!

NonToxic with Eco-Friendly Packaging

Plaine Products are nontoxic, biodegradable, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and color-safe. Though their products are packaged, they have a unique program where the bottles are returnable, refillable and reusable.  So you can send in your used bottles and they sanitize, refill, and send them back to you.

I have not personally tried these, but they are recommended by Kathryn of Going Zero Waste, who's opinion I trust.

2. The UpDo

When it comes to doing my hair, I mostly keep it simple: down, ponytail, bun, or braided. However the thing you need for most of those is a hair tie. Freaking hair ties... 

Almost all hair ties are made of synthetic rubber and polyester, which we know will inevitably breakdown into dreaded microplastics. On top of it all, most them are manufactured in sweatshops, and therefore almost none are fair-trade. So, even if you keep your look simple, there are still some steps to take to keep it zero waste.

Plastic Free Hair ties

Kooshoo's lila hair ties were my zero waste life saver. They're the only plastic-free, biodegradable, ethically made hair ties on the market! You can read my full post on them here.

Here are the details:

• Made of organic cotton (75% Organic Cotton, 25% Natural Rubber)
• Ethically dyed, cut and sewn by family businesses in California.
• Shipped in 100% Recycled and/or Biodegradable packaging

They are significantly more expensive than regular hair ties, but they are also supposed to last up to a year (if you can manage not to lose them) so the price could end up evening out. However, since its under $20, I'd say it's fair to stretch the wallet for this one, given the plastic-free payoff.

Headbands

I. Love. Headbands. They are awesome looking, protect you from the sun, wick your sweat away, keep your hair out of your face, keep your ears warm, the list goes on. They are probably my favorite hair accessory of all time. 

My current stock of headbands are from an assortment of companies: BUFF®, Smartwool®, Headsox®, etc. I actually haven't bought one since going zero waste. But even so I've always preferred natural fibers like wool and cotton. 

I'd say as long as you're buying natural fiber, you're in the clear here, and there are tons of natural fiber headbands available from places like prAna and Etsy! 

Hair pins, hairsticks, hair combs, ponytail barrette

Ok, cards on the table, I have never once used any of these things. They are way out of my league as far as doing hair goes. However, I have had friends who used some of these frequently and loved them! So if you are interested in trying out these more, um, advanced hair wrangling techniques I would recommend checking out Etsy for them - there are so many pretty options! While I haven't tried any of these some of my favorites just from browsing are: these recycled copper hair pins, these wood hair sticks, and this hair cuff.

Update: one of my cousins is a carpenter and he actually made me a hair pin for Christmas! Doesn't get more zero waste than that! 

Clips, Clasps and Slides

When you need just a little extra assistance holding your hair back you can reach for some blank barrettes made completely from metal, easily findable on Etsy. There are some fair trade clips and barrettes options, like these feather clips, but they tend to be few and far between.

3. The stylE

I've never used a ton of hair styling products. Partially because they're expensive, partially because I wouldn't know what I was doing, and partially because it's just not my style. But if you do, going zero waste shouldn't limit what you can do with your hair, just maybe how you do it. 

Hairspray

Ok, so I haven't developed a homemade hairspray simply because I don't have need for it. But if you use hairspray on a regular basis, I would recommend this recipe from Wellness Mama. It's one of the better ones because it's natural, nontoxic, and keeps indefinitely!

Sea Salt Spray

This is a product I make and use daily. I'm originally from California, after nearly 10 years of being a transplant in Colorado, I miss the soft, beachy waves I could get in the summertime! My sea salt spray adds that wave that I don't otherwise get here in dry CO, and it smells very refreshing!

Heat Protectant 

I also don't use a hairdryer, straightener, or curling iron. But one of the best defenses against heat is natural oils (you can read HSI Professional's post about it here).  You've probably seen tons of hair care products being advertised as containing argan oil, because it's amazing for your hair.  But what you want to use is the real deal: 100% Moroccan Aragon Oil. I'd recommend this brand, but just make sure you get it fair trade!

If you don't want to jump for aragon oil, it's not the only protective oil: avocado oil, grape seed oil, and almond oil are all great heat protectants! Just be sure to use an oil mister to evenly coat your hair. 

4. The Color

I got my hair professionally colored for the first time this year at a Paul Mitchell school.  It definitely produced more waste than I expected, and smelled rather chemically. While I loved having some mermaid hair, I don't think I'll get it done professionally again. 

Natural Colors

Henna Hair Dyes are what Lush offers as a natural, nontoxic hair dye. They are biodegradable, come non-packaged and I've seen some beautiful color come from them! However, you should know that stylists recommend not using any permanent hair dye after using henna. So, just be aware that you won't have as many options to change your hair afterword. 

Loud Colors

There's not a perfect solution for this.  Bold bright colors aren't found readily in nature in a form thats easily/cheaply transferable to your hair. Given that, there are definitely going to be chemicals involved, one way or another. When I mermaided up I went to a Paul Mitchell school, because I wasn't comfortable bleaching my hair, their dyes are at least cruelty free.

Another brand that I have not used, but am interested in trying is Lime Crime. They are recommended by Peta because they are a vegan and cruelty free company. They also use vegetable based dyes. This does not mean they are nontoxic, or chemical free, but they are definitely gentler than most bold colors available. And their packaging is a simple plastic bottle which can be recycled or reused.  

Summary

In the end, the biggest thing you can do is try to transition to a plastic free and nontoxic hair care regimen. 

Do what you can, as you can.

As with everything zero waste related, this is a transition, but also a great excuse to try some awesome new hair staying methods and/or DIY recipes!