At Jungle Culture, our motto is that shaving with a reusable razordoesn’t need to be wasteful and it doesn’t need to be boring either! We want to inspire everyone to switch to a more luxurious, invigorating and totally sustainable way of blitzing any unwanted hair.
Our eco-shop is brimming with safety razors for women and zero waste shaving soaps. But, we know that getting to grips with how to use shaving soap can be just as confusing as learning how to use a safety razor can be daunting.
So now, we’re going to run over all the basics of sustainable shaving and answer the questions that our team hears the most.
In our guide, we will cover:
- What is shaving soap?
- What's the difference between shaving soap and shaving foam?
- Is shaving soap better than cream?
- How to use shaving soap
- How to use a safety razor
- How long does shaving soap last?
- Which shaving soap is best?
- Benefits of zero waste shaving
Let’s find you the best shaving soap barand incite you to try a plastic-free razor today!
What is shaving soap?
Traditionally marketed at men, shaving soap is a hard soap that forms a lather when applied to the skin with water. Back in the day, shaving soap was mixed in a dish to create a lather and applied using a shaving brush. Shaving soap is formulated differently from a natural body soap to help provide a smooth shaving experience.
Nowadays, top-quality handmade shaving soaps (like our Jungle Culture Shaving Soap Bar) are designed to be used without a brush. You can rub our zero waste shaving soap directly to your skin and the foam will appear!
Shaving soap preps and nourishes your skin before wet shaving with your double-edged razor - forming a protective barrier between the skin and blade.
Are there shaving soap bars for women?
Shaving soap isn’t just for men! These organic products are suitable for the entire body and are much better for your skin than harsh chemical-laden products.
You can find shaving soap bars for women as well as men. The only difference in the composition is the oils used for the scent - some brands may market typically feminine and masculine fragrances differently. At Jungle Culture we offer two artisan shaving soaps which, as with our safety razors, are strictly unisex. But we’ll let you make up your own mind which one you prefer!
What's the difference between shaving soap and shaving foam?
Another way to prepare your skin for wet shaving these days is by using shaving foam.
(Wet Shaving = Shaving with water, usually in the shower, bath or with water from the tap. Here is a guide explaining what is the best time to shave.)
Shaving foams contain more water than soaps which means that they lather up more quickly. That’s because they are usually supplied in aerosol cans and have a large amount of air which speeds it up. Unlike shaving creams such as foams and gels, shaving soap requires that water is added in order to lather.
But this convenient option is neither environmentally-friendly nor is it kind to your skin.
They are loaded withglycols, mineral oils and otherchemicals that can irritate the skin. As they are unable to fully dissolve they travel through water and pollute aquatic ecosystems. And that’s not forgetting that they release carcinogens into the atmosphere.
You could compare the difference between shaving soap and shaving foam to a fast food chain versus your local, sustainably managed cafe.
How to use shaving soap
So now you know what your zero waste shaving soap can do for you, let’s talk about how to lather shaving soap!
Shaving soap doesn’t lather up as quickly as regular soap and it takes a little bit of practice to nail the technique. But, follow our steps on how to use shaving soap and after a bit of practice, you’ll find yourself in a wonderland of suds.
- Soak your soap in hot water either in your washbasin, shower, or bathtub.
- Apply warm water to the area you intend to shave. Ladies, you may want to exfoliate at this point to ensure the smoothest shave.
- Rub the soap directly onto your skin in a circular motion until it forms a lather. You may find it easier to rub the shaving bar onto a washcloth to get an ample amount of foam.
- For more lather, you can repeat the method above.
- Pick up your unisex safety razor and glide it over your fragrant shaving soap!
Alternatively, some people prefer using a shaving brush and bowl, although our soaps are designed to eliminate the need for this. Here is a video tutorial showing how to lather a shaving soap using the brush & bowl technique. Video tutorial
How to use a safety razor
If we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves let’s talk about safety razors. A unisex safety razor is another great way to reduce waste in your bathroom. Once you invest in a plastic-free razor you have no more reason to purchase disposables, billions of which are tossed into landfill every year.
So if you’re new to both shaving soap and the reusable razor, then here is a quick guide on how to use a safety razor.
- Apply warm water and your moisturising shaving soap to your skin until it forms a lather.
- Rest your safety razor in hot water whilst you lather the shaving soap.
- Once your skin is ready, tilt your razor at a 45-degree angle and shave upwards or downwards depending on where you are shaving. Never shave diagonally - this makes it more likely that you could cut yourself.
Ladies, you might want to sit down in the shower when using your women’s safety razor. At least until you get the hang of it.
How long does shaving soap last?
A good quality shaving soap should last at least 6 months. However, our cold-pressed luxury shaving soap can last up to an entire year. Which is remarkably long-lasting and excellent value, when you consider how many cans of shaving foam you probably get through.
Exactly how long your artisan shaving soap lasts depends on the frequency of how often you shave.
Which shaving soap is best?
When seeking a shaving gel or foam replacement, you may feel overwhelmed by all the choices on the market.
In order to get yourself the best shaving soap bar you will need to check the list of ingredients. Seek an artisan shaving soap that is made from natural and sustainably sourced ingredients.
Look for evidence that the soap is truly chemical and paraben-free as well as palm oil-free. However,one ingredient that you cannot escape is sodium hydroxide - this a key ingredient of all soaps, including ours.
If you need somewhere to start, our moisturising shaving bars are enriched using high-quality essential oils. This gives each soap bar a full-bodied, rich aroma - and makes bathtime a truly invigorating and organic experience.
Benefits of zero-waste shaving
The benefits of these simple zero-waste swaps are plentiful! Here are our top 5 reasons why we want to inspire everyone to give plastic-free shaving a go.
Environmentally-friendly
At Jungle Culture, we use only sustainable ingredients and materials to create our natural shaving soaps and eco-friendly razors. That includes locally sourced coconut oils for the soaps and organic bamboo for our reusable razors. Each cold-pressed solid shaving soap bar is handmade by artisans in Vietnam, which keeps our carbon emissions low.
All our products are shipped directly to you in plastic-free eco-friendly packaging. Plus - you can recycle your used DE razor blades, something not possible with plastic razors!
Ethical, handmade production
Our sustainable products are hand-carved by skilled artisans in Vietnam which means we are providing employment in remote communities. We pay personal visits to our farm and workshop partners to ensure the fair treatment and payment of workers.
By choosing to purchase one of our artisan shaving soaps or eco-friendly safety razors, you are providing locals with a source of income.
Suitable for Sensitive Skin
The fact that our natural shaving soaps are chemical and paraben-free means that they are much better for your skin. They are free from the glycols, and mineral oils that cause dryness, irritation, razor burn, allergies and even hormone imbalances. So if you have sensitive skin, you can lather without fear of a break-out.
Furthermore, the double edged razor blades used in safety razors are much kinder to the skin. Disposable razors and cartridges feature multiple blades which can cause irritation as they drag across your skin and become clogged with dead skin and soap.
Vegan Friendly and Palm Oil-free
We will never test any of our products on animals nor do we use ingredients that exploit them or their natural environment, such as palm oil. Made with compassion, your soap is 100% cruelty-free.
Some brands use sustainable palm-oil, but we don’t have faith that any palm-oil is sustainable and thus we have decided not to use it, ever. Read up on why ‘sustainable’ palm oil is bad here at Greenpeace.
They will save you money
Once you’ve invested in an eco-friendly safety razor (from £17.99) it’s yours for life.Our recommended double edged razor blades work out at £3.99 for ten blades, which account to an average of 16 shaves. And finally, our artisan shaving soaps (£8.99) last between 6-12 months. We’ll let you work out how much you currently spend on shaving and how much a disposable alternative can save you. (Or you can read our cost analysis of different methods of shaving).
Takeaways on sustainable shaving
And now you know how to use a safety razor, how to use shaving soap and the benefits of doing so!
If you have further questions about our zero waste shaving soap or zero waste shaving in general please get in touch today.
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