Can I bring a safety razor in my hand luggage on a plane?

Switching to a reusable razor is a big moment in any eco conscious citizen’s journey to zero waste! If, like most of us, you've been using disposable razors for most of your life, making the switch to a safety razor can feel revolutionary, and once you’re in the safety razor club, you almost definitely won’t be switching back to expensive, wasteful razors any time soon!

But if you travel a lot, you’ve probably got a few questions that need answering. How can you travel with a safety razor? Are safety razors actually allowed on planes or do you have to switch back to plastic for your holiday?

Don’t worry! Help is at hand and Jungle Culture is here to answer all of your travel-related eco shaving queries!

What counts as a safety razor?

Safety razors come in all shapes and sizes, from plastic disposable safety razors to metal safety razors that last a lifetime. Let’s take a look at the main types of safety razors to see whether they can be brought on a plane or not.

Plastic disposable razors

Plastic disposable razors like the one in the picture below have razor blades that are integrated into the head of the razor. Generally speaking, because the blades are non-detachable, they can be brought onto a plane in your hand luggage.

Additionally, there are types of plastic disposable razors that use razor cartridges. As the razor blade itself is not detachable from the cartridge, this type of razor can also be brought onto a plane.

For more information about plastic disposable razors and whether they can be taken on a plane, check out TSA’s website!

Metal safety razors

Metal reusable razors like the ones pictured below are generally designed with a detachable head that allows the user to equip and un-equip a double-edged safety razor blade.

Because the blade itself is easily detachable, this type of razor can only be brought on a plane in your hand luggage if the blade is removed.

All safety razors, including open comb, closed comb or butterfly razors can be taken on a plane, but most airlines specifically forbid bringing a loose blade in your hand luggage. Jungle Culture recommends removing your razor blade and disposing of it before you fly + keeping a pack of blades in your checked baggage.

If you aren’t taking checked luggage on this particular trip, our safety razors are completely universal and fit any blade, made anywhere in the world. You can buy safety razor blades from almost any barbershop, large pharmacy or supermarket in any country globally!

Can I take shaving soap bars on a plane?

Shaving soap like the ones sold by Jungle Culture are solid objects and not considered a liquid. According to this popular travel blog, TSA and other global airline authorities do not restrict solid natural soap bars or any other type of solid soaps from being brought onto a plane in your hand luggage or outside of your hand luggage for that matter!

Shaving soaps only produce a foam or suds when combined with water. They have a very low water content, which is one of the reasons why they last so much longer than traditional shaving foam or gel. This makes them the perfect travel companion and perfectly suitable for your hand luggage! You can shave without shaving soap, but it increases the likelihood of cutting yourself! However, just in case you've forgotten your shaving soap we've written this guide explaining how to shave without shaving cream!

How to safely store my safety razor whilst abroad

Although safety razors are made using extremely durable metal and shouldn’t be easily damaged whilst travelling, accidents do happen and leaving your safety razor loose in your luggage may result in it being damaged or scratched.

To avoid damaging your safety razor whilst enjoying your holiday, use the free natural jute travel bag that Jungle Culture provides with all of our razors as a storage vessel and keep your razor upright in a safety razor stand so that it isn’t left sitting in a pool of water attracting rust!

Alternatively, a simple toiletries bag will make all of the difference in protecting your razor whilst travelling!

How to store shaving soap whilst travelling

Your shaving soap certainly won’t get damaged if left loose in your backpack or suitcase when you venture abroad, but it may rub up against your clothes and other personal items, creating a bit of a mess and leaving sticky residue around the inside of your luggage!

Luckily, the solution is simple (and cheap). Our shaving soap bars are designed to be the exact same size as a standard soap bar, meaning that they’ll fit nice and snuggly into any soap tin or soap carry case that you can find online!

Is there an eco-friendly alternative to safety razors whilst travelling?

It depends on the situation.

If you’re a young man, travelling abroad for the weekend and you only need to shave once, why not get a hot towel shave at a local barbershop? Yes, it’s true, you will probably pay a lot more than you would if you shaved in your hotel room, but you’re on holiday, live a little!

If you’re female, then you may have a bit more trouble finding an accommodating barber, but you could always pop into the local beauty salon for a wax (or just not shave for a few days?).

It’s really up to each individual traveller, but there are options available for everybody if you don’t want to bring your safety razor for women or men’s safety razor.

Other shaving tips to consider whilst travelling 

We know that grooming routines are important and any interruption in your shaving routine… can be traumatic (to say the least).

That’s why we’ve also included a short list of alternatives to common shaving items that you might want to take in your hand luggage, but due to regulations, sadly cannot.

Here are some eco-friendly shaving alternatives recommended by us that can be taken on a plane!

Beard balm
After shave balm
Solid lotion bar 
Lush solid perfume 

Conclusion

If you’re travelling abroad and you want to keep your shaving rituals intact, don’t worry, you can bring your favourite safety razor (just make sure to remove the blades).

Safety razor blades are available to purchase almost everywhere and they are extremely cheap as well, so you won’t be breaking the bank!

Make sure to pack a solid shaving bar and avoid other liquid shaving products and you should have no problem packing your shaving essentials in your hand luggage!

Happy travelling and congratulations on staying plastic-free whilst abroad!