I have one word for you: blood.

Blood is included one of the five routes of disease transmission. It is one of the most egregious ways in which diseases are and can be transmitted from one human to another. And, when it comes to wet shaving: you are certainly going to bleed, at least at the outset. Even experienced wet shavers experience the occasional wet shaving weepers. In short, not only is there no avoiding drawing at least some blood on occasion, that blood can be problematic if you let others use your wet shaving equipment.

Here are the problems allowing yourself to get sucked into idea of borrowing someone else’s safety razor, shaving brush or even their shaving soap.

• The Safety Razor. When you shave with a safety razor, there is frequently blood involved as you scrape up to three passes worth of whiskers, shaving cream and skin. The small capillaries on the surface of the skin can burst and bleed. Your safety razor of choice can get all of those items clogged in the razor head. And, where blood is, bacteria and disease can be transferred.
• The Blades. Sharing a razor blade is perhaps the worst possible scenario of all. The razor blade is not only what does the cutting, but it is also where small bits of hair, leftover shaving cream/soap and yes, blood can adhere. Avoid using the same blade when and where possible.
• The Shaving Brush. While it may seem like a fairly unassuming and benign tool for spreading a creamy, thick later on your face, the shaving brush can be a culprit for transferring blood and its associated disease from one person’s face to another. This typically occurs between shave passes wherein a wet shaver may have a couple of bloody weepers and simply use the brush to lather up and the blood spots are spread around by the brush. Having a second person use this brush is irresponsible and unsanitary at best.
• Shave Soap. Similar to your issue with the brush, your brush can transfer blood from an initial pass or two back to your shave puck, soap or cream. When that blood gets in the soap it can be transferred to the next user.

Using someone else’s shaving gear may seem harmless, but germs and disease can do more than create some nasty pimples and razor burn on your face, they can be the source of more harmful disease requiring antibiotics and the like. You certainly do not want to end up like Constable Albert Alexander, the first patient treated with penicillin.

The simple solution is to get your own gear OR simply buy your friends their own wet shaving gear. You can do so inexpensively by going through our website. We are big advocates of paying it forward when it comes to getting people into wet shaving.

If you must share, use barbicide, a commonly used antiseptic used to clean shaving gear.