I like the idea of a solar shaver, available from Nigel’s Eco Store. It’s clearly designed for traveling with a nice picture of an airplane on it. Leave it out in the sun for a few hours (or days if you forget about it like me), and it’s fully powered for your, er, shaving needs.

I use a razor usually and found changing to a shaver a little difficult. For a start this one just didn’t get that close: it was an effort to get a clean shave. I could have shaved my whole face by the time I had done one cheek with this. I’m not sure whether it was this shaver or electric ones in general. It is pretty handy, though: it’s small enough not to be cumbersome, either when carrying around or using. The only problem was when it ran out of juice (it lasts surprisingly long), you then have to put it in the sun for a while to recharge it. With half a shaved face.

With an integrated cleaning brush in the cap, the solar shaver is available from Nigel’s Eco Store for £29.99 (about $60 US).

And don’t forget: Life Goggles’ “Great Green Giveaway” contest ends on Wednesday!

In the process of greening my life, I have been especially reluctant to let go of my conventional bath + beauty products. I have a job that gets me especially dirty quite frequently, and so I like to feel especially clean. I guess I’ve always felt that harsh chemical cleansers got me clean. My partner Sam has been attempting to dissuade me of these habits.

Natural Shaving Soap

Recently, as a St. Patrick’s Day gift, she gave me a natural shaving soap kit from A Wild Soap Bar. It consists of a sassafras shaving soap bar, an old-timey bristle brush for lathering up my face, and a hardwood bowl. And best of all, the ingredients are so natural, I could conceivably make it myself: olive, palm & castor oils; aloe; clay; sassafras root and cinnamon bark; oats and sea salt.

And so on a recent business trip, I traded in my Barbasol in for all-natural shaving soap. I was a little confused as to the application process at first—without any pressurized goo spewing out of a nozzle, I didn’t know what to do. But after a little water and some swishing with the brush, a nice (and nice-smelling) foam began to appear.

I have to say that overall, the natural shaving soap didn’t provide quite as smooth a shave as the conventional stuff. But I’m OK with it. As I said earlier, it’s been tough for me to give up the trappings of the non-green world when it comes to bath products, and so taking a step forward with shaving soap is a big move for me. A little less comfort or smoothness on my face is worth it to know I’m making a statement with my dollars not to support the chemical-industrial world.

A Greener Razor

As another way to green my shave, Preserve Recycled Razors are a big step forward as well. Made from 100% recycled plastics (in the handle), the razors act just like regular ones, but are a way of making a statement with the dollars I spend. They are also reusable, as you can interchange the heads while keeping the same handle over and over. The EPA estimates that over 2 billion disposable razors end up in landfills every year in the US. Preserve Recycled Razors are a step in the right direction.

And so I’m excited looking forward: one day when I’m passing down the tradition of shaving to my (potential) son, I’ll be able to pass it down with a legacy of sustainability—a greener way to shave is a step in the right direction.