Cheap green tip: use oil + liquid soap to shave

Caveat: I am writing as a woman who shaves her underarms and legs. I have no clue if this applies to men, especially black men whose faces can be really sensitive to razor bumps.

I blogged a while ago about switching to Preserve razors, because they're recycled, and they accept certain items for recycling that my local municipality doesn't (#5 plastics and Brita filters). I've also made other changes to my shaving routine to make it more green: soaking the razor in a small cup of water after use to clean all the hair out (and make the razor blade last longer), and no longer using shaving cream, just liquid soap.

I've heard some people tout using olive oil in place of shaving cream, and decided to try it. Actually, I used grapeseed oil instead, because I already use olive oil for so many other beauty uses, and my grapeseed oil is used solely for removing makeup (which I wear only on special occasions!).

I tried it, and it didn't work at first. Then I applied a little liquid soap on top of the grapeseed oil on my underarm, and it worked like a charm! I couldn't believe how smoothly and easily I was able to shave. Even better, all I had to do was dip the razor in a little water, and the hairs in the razor just fell out, leaving the razor wonderfully clean.

So a very cheap green tip: use a little oil plus a little liquid soap in place of shaving cream. You'll not only save on the cost of buying shaving cream, your razor will last longer.