I am one of those who shave everyday and I have been doing this since the age of 18. When I look back at the expenses I have incurred on the shaving kits over the years, I feel it surely runs into thousands. I, also with experience over a period of time have realized, the importance of choosing wisely the products that you trust your facial skin with. I with my monetary limitations stuck with the lower brands for several years before the better known brands came in my grasping distance.
My earliest shaving kit consisted of a shaving cream, a brush and a twin razor. This was a departure from the manner in which my father shaved, who used a shaving soap and an ordinary razor. If I push my memory even further back, I can recollect my grandfather kit consisted of a brass razor and ordinary soap, about 27 years back. He’d use alum as an aftershave.
So times have indeed changed and what was luxury once, is well the norm today. Over the years, I graduated from the disposable twin razor to non disposable one with replaceable blade. I initially kept it low-key with cheaper brands such as Super Max and 7 O’clock and then moved on to Gillette. Gillette today is the world leader in razors and has a range of products from the ordinary twin blades to latest Gillette Fusion with 5 blades and a trimmer.
While the ordinary Gillette razor comes for about Rs 40, the Sensor excel with better control used to cost about Rs 200. Mach 3, another introduction from Gillette, that promised the comfort of three blades cost slightly more. Over the years, I made these upward transitions and the expense on shaving increased many fold albeit with an improved shave and skin comfort.
We have been watching the electric shaver in the English movies from childhood but have seldom seen Indians use it. With Indians becoming affluent, the western culture and products began to permeate the Indian market and soon I began to notice these electric shavers in the super markets. Initially they caught my attention but it was only out of curiosity. The high initial costs, which was in a few thousands was enough to deter an average buyer.
But that changed about 6 months ago, when I in a mixture of impetuous buying and economic reason bought my Philips twin rotating blade electric shaver (900 series). It cost me Rs 1800/- with 2 years guarantee for the blades. In hindsight, I did the math and calculated that, it’s been 6 months since I bought this reliable device and I have already recovered Rs 700/- in form of money saved on Shaving foam and the expensive Gillette Mach 3 blades that I use. Add to this the comfort of shaving on the go, or while surfing the web, or carrying just the shaving razor with charger on tours. The electric razor has surely given a new freedom to me. When other guys watch me use it, they immediately in their reserved minds, place me a notch above as far as style quotient is concerned. The fact being that I spend less on shaving than they do.
It’s time you switched to electric shavers as well and Philips is the best known brand.
