How To Use A Safety Razor On Legs

Safety razors have skyrocketed to popularity lately and thousands around the world are discovering and rediscovering their awesome benefits.

These shaving tools have actually been around for a while, but they’ve resurged lately to convert people away from disposable or electric razors.

Truth be told, safety razors were always the best choice for super-close, skin-friendly shaving. 

Safety razors are flexible and can be used to shave both facial and body hair.

Learn how to use a safety razor on legs for exquisitely super-smooth skin!

Why Safety Razors Are The Best Razors

For those who don’t know, a safety razor uses one single standard ultra-sharp blade.

They hold the blade in a handle that looks something like this:

The blade itself is the biggest and most obvious difference between safety razors and commercial disposable razors that have multiple blades.

But why is one blade better than many?! Seems counter-intuitive, right?

Think of how thick a hair is – just 0.08mm. That’s about the same thickness as a standard piece of A4 printer paper.

One razor blade will clearly make light work of something that thin!

Those extra blades in commercial disposable razors just rub against your skin, causing rashes and irritation. It’s pretty much a marketing ploy. Shaving companies needed something to compete with each other and blades became the standard differentiating feature between brands. For a complete guide on why the shaving industry turned to disposable razors, check out our blog post on plastic-free shaving.

Not convinced? Here’s what Dr. Jeremy Fenton, a dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology Group, told the Huffington Post:

“If you have sensitive skin, fewer blades will be more gentle on your skin. More blades just means that there are more razors scraping across the skin, more risk of irritation and more stripping of oils.”

In reality, one blade does at least as a good a job as 4 or 5, but without additional skin irritation and rubbing.

Safety razors keep things nice and simple, which is all your skin needs.

Safety Razors are Eco-Friendly Too!

Safety razors are eco-friendly and sustainable compared to disposable or cartridge razors.

One safety razor handle – the actual razor itself – will last you years, maybe even for life.

Safety razors then take standard razor blades which are extremely cheap and recyclable – this is the only thing you need to replace. You can read our safety razor blade recycling guide here.

Contrastingly, disposable and cartridge razors are a massive contributor to global landfill and oceanic pollution. According to Statista research, over 158 million people in the US alone used disposable razors in 2020. Each person may use several a month, at least several a year.

There’s no doubt that billions of disposable razors are thrown out each year across the world and given that they’re almost totally non-biodegradable, the vast majority end up in landfill or floating about the oceans.

Safety Razors are Pretty Easy to Use

Safety razors aren’t cut-throat razors.

They might seem a little intimidating still, but only because they’re different to standard razors.

It’s possible to nick yourself on any razor. If you use a safety razor properly then the chance is barely greater than with a standard razor!

With a little practice and determination, you’ll be more skilled with a safety razor than Zoro!

Can you Shave Legs with a Safety Razor?

Yes, of course you can!

Safety razors are not solely for shaving the face.

But aren’t Safety Razors for Men?

Anyone might want to shave their legs, but are safety razors for men only?!

Safety razors aren’t inherently masculine or male – that’s just how they’ve been marketed over the years.

Clear Confidence’s safety razor is sleek and aesthetically beautiful, made from sustainable bamboo and metal. There is no plastic involved in its construction.

In short, it’s suitable for all genders!

Safety razors are unisex shaving tools that can be used to shave facial and body hair on men and women.

How To Use A Safety Razor On Legs

Safety razors are excellent for shaving legs. Since you can make flat, smooth strokes across the legs, the odds of nicking yourself are minuscule.

It’s all about smoothness and control.

The smoother you are, the smoother you’ll be!

But don’t worry, there’s certainly no talent involved and it’s really not that hard to get your safety razor technique dialled in.

1) Preparation

With all and all shaving, prep is really important. When we’re rushing or don’t have the right facilities, we might skip prep, which is ok from time-to-time, but for a proper, long-lasting and ultra-close shave, it’s really important to nail your prep routine (plus it’s all part of it!).

Wash and Moisturise

A good scrub in the tub prior to shaving helps moisturise and exfoliate your skin which can really enhance your shave. Warm soapy water is the best and will loosen your skin whilst opening hair follicles and encouraging hairs to stand up.

Drying is essential too. It’s very important to make sure there’s no leftover excess soap residue on the skin as this can contribute to ingrown hairs. Wash your legs under plain warm running water to rinse them thoroughly of soap.

Pat dry instead of scrub – this will help keep hairs standing upwards.

Exfoliate

You can exfoliate separately after washing. Pumice stones are a superb choice here. Clear Confidence’s pumice stones are awesome natural exfoliators that will lift dead skin and dirt from your pores – perfect for pre-shave prep.

Apply Shaving Cream or Soap

Safety razors are best paired with high-quality shaving cream or soap. Our Eco Warrior soap is ideally suited for wet shaving using a safety razor.

It’s full of natural oils but free from animal fats or non-vegan synthetic additives. It lubricates your skin the natural way and will soothe and moisturise as you shave!

Make sure creams and soaps are applied nice and consistently across the legs. You can always add more so don’t layer it too thick, but make sure coverage is even and no dry spots.

Do I Need a Shaving Brush?

Though traditionally associated with male wet shaving, shaving brushes are awesome for anyone that shaves. Shaving brushes help apply an even lather of soap or shaving cream whilst also massaging, exfoliating and moisturising the skin.

At the end of the day, it’s a brush – it’s suitable for all genders.

So yes, using a shaving brush will elevate your shave to yet another level (it doesn’t get much better than a wet shave with a shaving brush).

Clear Confidence’s shaving brushes are 100% animal hair-free. We also have non-plastic options.

2) Shaving

Time for the main event!

Your legs are super clean, exfoliated and pre-moisturised – they’re ready for shaving!

Check Load The Blade

If you haven’t already then check and load the safety razor with a standard double-edged razor.

You can disinfect the blade by running it under piping hot water, or can wash it in antibacterial or alcohol hand gel. Just make sure you rinse it thoroughly (and very carefully!)

Shaving Angle

It’s definitely best to start your safety razor journey by shaving at nice and shallow angles. This means that your razor’s handle should be pretty close to your leg and not up pointing towards your face or ceiling!

There’s a sweet spot around the 45 to 30-degree mark. You’ll be able to feel the razor move smoothly across your skin without feeling too ‘aggressive’.

Shaving Technique

Make smooth strokes of around 10 to 15cm or so maximum per stroke. Any longer and you’ll struggle to keep the razor straight. You don’t need to apply pressure like you might with a standard razor – just pull it against the skin and let the blade do the work.

Shorter strokes help you keep the entire stroke smooth and consistent. It’s kind of like a paintbrush or pencil – you’ll be able to draw short, consistently straight lines easily, but try and draw a straight line over an entire sheet of paper and it’ll get worse and worse as you go! The same principle applies here.

The trick is to think about what you’re doing and take your time. In the end, it can be a pretty enjoyable and therapeutic process – but you’ll need to keep your concentration up too!

When the razor gets a bit too gunked up with soap, rinse it off but make sure you have sufficient soap left on your skin.

With the Grain or Against the Grain?

It’s always best to go with the grain of your hair first, but going against the grain will provide the smoothest shave possible.

On your first safety razor, you might as well keep things easygoing and stick to shallow strokes with the grain – the chance of nicking yourself this way is very low.

Once you’ve built some confidence then you can increase the angle of the razor and go against the grain for an ultra-smooth shave. Just make sure to concentrate and keep strokes relatively short – just 10 to 15cm at the very most.

Around the bikini zone, you can pull your skin taught and do very short strokes of just a few cm each time.

Again, work the angles and keep things nice and controlled!

3) Finishing Up

Once you’ve shaved, it’s time to finish up – congrats!

Wash your Legs

Wash your legs gently, initially with warm water to ensure you get the soap off but then you want to switch to cold to quickly seal the shave.

Let the water run as cold as it gets, to close your pores and follicles.

Some people choose to use ice cubes to seal their shave – it’s a good idea if you can and will vastly reduce any irritation – it could also make your shave last longer.

Moisturise

Moisturising is super important. You didn’t go to all that effort shaving to let your shaved skin go all flakey and dry!

Dry skin gets itchy too – scratching a freshly shaved leg then it’s a surefire way to invite irritation and redness onto your skin!

Use a good quality moisturizer – rub it in well and leave your legs bare for a while to let it soak in properly.

Wash and Store the Razor

Razors need to be washed after every use. The blade itself will last several shaves.

Wash the razor under fast-running piping hot water.

If you want to, you can disinfect it by dipping it in isopropyl rubbing alcohol or washing in an antibacterial hand gel mix. This isn’t totally necessary if you clean it properly under very hot water.

Once washed, store your razor in a breezy part of your bathroom or room. You ideally need it to dry quickly – sunlight is great. Don’t stick your razor straight into a dark drawer or cupboard whilst it’s wet as it won’t dry properly.

Done!

That’s it. Learning how to use a safety razor on legs is easy and there’s nothing weird or difficult about using a safety razor.

Once you’ve got your technique down then you’re all good!

Safety razors provide a super-close leg shave with minimal irritation, and they’re eco-friendly too. It’s a winning combination.

FAQ

Are Safety Razors Good?

For sure. Safety razors are probably the best performing razor next to the cut-throat razor. They provide more control and irritate the skin much less than commercial razors. Commercial razors with 3, 4 or even 5 blades are pretty much a marketing ploy – there’s no need for that many blades.

Are Safety Razors Hard to Use?

Not really! Safety razors take some level of practise to master but the basic skills are not so different from normal shaving. You’ll just need to be smoother, more controlled and focussed. Once you’ve used one a few times it’ll become easy.

How Long do Safety Razors Last?

The handle of a safety razor can last a lifetime. These are designed to be kept – designed to last, not throw away! The only thing you’ll need to replace is the razor blades. These are very cheap and generally recyclable.