When I was in school I read an article in a business journal about the pricing strategy of razor blade brands. They realized that women paid a lot more on grooming accessories than men. They also realized that they could raise the per unit price of razors and men would still pay only a couple of hundred dollars a year on shaving. They developed the theory that they could push men to pay more and it would still be acceptable because the yearly expense would be small enough to fade into the rest of the man's budget and was still less than women were used to pay for similar products. Over the years I've read a few more case studies discussing this as an ongoing strategy. The purpose of the new razor models and advertising is to push the limits of what men are willing to spend for razors.
I also have sensitive skin and have looked around a lot for the best comfort/price match. I've concluded that what works for one person doesn't necessarily transfer to someone else. What works seems almost random. What I have discovered is that it is best to keep doing one thing every day and that your skin adjusts to it. My wife once bought me a Remington electric razor. I had never liked electrics before but the instructions to this razor advised using it daily for at least three weeks for my face to adjust. I did, and after a few weeks my face really did adapt and I got smooth shaves until that razor wore out. I ended up going back to wet shaves because I like them but I still have a Norelco for when my face is too irritated to shave with a blade.
The absolute cheapest and closest shave is the old fashioned double sided safety razor where you buy blades in packs of 10 to 100. They are pennies a piece and nothing is closer. BUT, you really have to take your time because nothing is easier to slice your face open with. It's also easy to shave too closely and end up with irritation a few days later. I have a Merkur long handle like some others here and have used Feather blades which seem to have the best reputation but found them too sharp for me. I'd get a close shave but I'd slice myself every time. If you use a double blade you need to take your time and be careful.
Disposable razors are much more forgiving. I can use them in the shower without using a mirror. I've gravitated back to them because they're so quick and convenient. The prices charged in grocery stores and even Costco are obscene. The best prices are on Amazon but even there you have to search.
My absolute favorite blades are now the Gillette Fusion Proglide and Schick Hydro. The usual price is between three and four dollars per blade but you can get below $2 with some searching. Here's a decent price on the Schick. https://www.amazon.com/Schick-Hydro-Razor-Refills-Trimmer/dp/B0073RQMXC/ref=sr_1_37_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487600441&sr=8-37&keywords=gillette%2Bfusion%2Bproglide%2Bblades& th=1 The Hydro 3 is as good as the Hydro 5 and is usually cheaper. It seems to give a slightly smoother shave than the Fusion Proglide, but the Proglide seems a little closer to me. But it's probably all in my imagination and they're probably the same.
Here's a decent link to the Hydro 3 which is my preferred blade. https://www.amazon.com/Schick-Hydro-Razor-Blade-Refills/dp/B003BVINSG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487600873&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=schick%2Bhydro%2Brefill&th=1
The Hydro has a unique lubrication design that does make a difference. |
