My honest opinion of Make My Shave.
As I gradually reduce single use plastic from my lifestyle starting with cleaning products and body care products, I have been looking for an alternative to disposable razors. I know there are some all-metal razors that are very popular but they are also quite expensive and I wasn’t ready to take the plunge.
Enter Make My Shave. It is a women’s razor subscription that focuses on sustainability.
But are they really sustainable? And are the razors any good?
In this review, I explore if Make My Shave really is a sustainable business and give my honest opinion of my experience with their razors.
I’ll cover:
Everything you need to know about Make My Shave
Who are Make My Shave?
Make My Shave was launched in 2021 by Australian wife and husband duo, Lindsay and Mike. Fed up with sending disposable plastic razors to landfill and paying more for women’s razors than men’s razors, the couple saw an opportunity to create a good quality, sustainable women’s subscription service.
Where are Make My Shave razors made?
The razor and heads are manufactured in Asia and hand-packed in Australia.
The cardboard packaging insert is made in Melbourne.
Is Make My Shave ethically manufactured?
Statement by Make My Shave:
“To reduce the layers in the supply change we work directly with a leading manufacturer whose production headquarters meet regulatory guidelines.
At this stage, we have general assurance from our manufacturers that our products are produced ethically. We are actively working towards gaining internationally recognised certification to verify these standards and our business plans are to invest in a third-party audit as part of our growth strategy.
We’re currently in the process of our B Corp Application to support our positive business practices.”
Can Make My Shave razors be recycled?
Yes. Make My Shave have solved the inconvenience of having to locate and travel to a razor collection point with a Terracycle box by providing a postage paid mailer for you to return razor heads to them and they will organise delivery to Terracycle.
Is Make My Shave a sustainable business?
Short answer – yes.
I am satisfied that Make My Shave is a sustainable business and I am happy to purchase from them. I consider Make My Shave to be sustainable for the following reasons:
- Single use plastic can be avoided by switching to their razors
- For every starter kit and refill kit sold, a tree is planted in partnership with One Tree Planted
- Carbon offsetting of delivery
- Intention to have independent auditors verify ethical manufacturing practices (I look forward to seeing this carried out but understand that at the time of writing this review, Make My Shave have only been in operation for 12 months)
How does the subscription work?
Upon subscribing you will receive a starter kit which contains the reusable handle (as well as two razor heads). You choose how often you would like to receive a refill kit of four razor heads every 1, 2 or 3 months.
You can pause, change or cancel your subscription at any time.
Make My Shave Review: My Experience
Initial impression
Before I even used a Make My Shave Razor, I was impressed when I opened the starter kit with how it felt and clipped together.
I have used disposable razors that have interchangeable heads but they always feel a bit loose and come apart easily when dropped in the shower.
Make My Shave razor heads on the other hand, attach very securely to the reusable handle and a button has to be pressed firmly to remove it.
The other thing I really liked just holding the razor the first time was that the zinc alloy handle feels heavy (in a good way). It feels solid and great quality. The rubber grip on it also made me feel like I would have good control and there would be no chance of slipping.
I was also pleased to see five blades on the razor heads – the more, the better.
There was a little more plastic in the overall design than I was expecting but it was encouraging to see that the razor blades are clipped into the razor head and it’s easy to see how the metal and plastic components would be separated for recycling.
All the packaging was paper and cardboard and the mailer to return used razor heads is compostable.
Performance
The first shave of my legs with Make My Shave razors was great. It provided a close shave with no nicks or cuts. The same with my underarms.
I would expect this the first time using any razor, but it was the same each time I shaved. I was actually amazed that I never had any red spots or itchiness after shaving either, not even on my bikini line.
I was waiting for the blades to dull but it took a long time. It was months but that’s not an accurate representation because it was cold weather for a while so my shaving was infrequent as I took advantage of warm clothes and let my body hair run free. It still seemed like many shaving sessions before I needed to change razor heads though.
The razor heads have a moisturising cushion around the blades to lubricate the skin so that in theory no body wash or other lather is required. Out of habit, I still use body wash to lather up before shaving but I made a point of using the Make My Shave razor just on wet skin. It does provide some lubrication however I still prefer to be fully lathered for a smooth glide when shaving.
The razor heads were easy to clean. The razor head is open at the back so it was easy to simply run the razor under the shower to wash. I’m used to banging my razor on the shower wall to dislodge any hair stuck inside but with Make My Shave razors the running water has been enough.
Verdict – I recommend Make My Shave.
Have you tried Make My Shave or any other sustainable razors? Let me know your thoughts on them in the comments.