Safest Razors Without PFAS "Forever Chemical" Coatings

Next time you are in the bathroom, you may want to think about getting a new razor to avoid per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS “forever chemicals.” Mamavation reached out to the most popular razor companies to inquire about their materials and chemicals used to ensure high quality. What we found was a bit surprising–most razor companies coats their razors with a type of PFAS “forever chemical” similar to what you would find on cookware. Before you purchase your next razor, make sure you check out our latest study. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you investigations like (1) safest cooking oils tested for toxic phthalates, (2) safest shaving creams for shaving, (3) safest salts tested for heavy metals & microplastics, & (4) safest air fryers without toxic PFAS “forever chemicals,” now join us for our latest consumer study on razors for shaving.

Disclosure: Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!

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The Razor Industry Needs to Dump the PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Mamavation contacted the most popular razor brands, inquiring about the materials and chemicals used to manufacture their razors. What we found was surprising. It took some time, but we unearthed something concerning the razor blade industry. Most of the razor brands that were responsive to us about their materials confessed to us that they were using a type of PFAS “forever chemical” coating called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), better known as Teflon.

Teflon is used in the final coating of razor blades to reduce friction on the skin. Blades are coated with this type of PFAS “forever chemical” just like cookware is coated with Teflon to make it non-stick. The rules behind different categories of products are different in terms of disclosure. If these razors were cookware, they would need to disclose this coating if they were to sell in the State of California or Colorado, but since they are razors, they don’t have to disclose on the packaging or website.

Many brands told us that Teflon razor coatings are the industry standard. And it seems the razor blade industry has used PTFE as a coating for some time. We are unsure how long.

Some brands even went a step further to tell us that they tested their razors for “safety” and ensured they were free from PFOA and PFOS, two types of PFAS commonly found in drinking water. However, there are over 15,000 of these PFAS chemicals. Testing for two chemicals doesn’t safeguard you from the rest of them, especially the one disclosed as a coating– Teflon, a.k.a. polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). But PFOA isn’t used in the manufacturing of PTFE anymore. They are now using different types of PFAS that are just as concerning, such as Gen X and other 6-carbon chain groups. The game has changed within the last decade. How are these other manufacturing chemicals faring? Not good. And they are also showing up in our drinking water.

Why would razor companies, especially the ones that are touting themselves to be more eco-friendly or green, use a type of PFAS on their product? According to them, this “dry film lubricant” reduces friction and irritation when you shave. However, you’ll find many companies using marketing messages that make you think they are cleaner or more sustainable (dare I say healthier?) for the environment. AND STILL using a PFAS coating on their razors that may have residue of other PFAS manufacturing aid chemicals. According to numerous sources, this is a standard practice in the industry. But how sustainable or “green” is PFAS? It’s not.

This also contributes to the global use of PFAS in a category where it’s not needed. Having PFAS coating on your razors is more about convenience than an “essential use” of these chemicals. So, does it make sense to continue using them when you know they’re contributing to the global use of PFAS? You be the judge.

This practice is SO prevalent that our first two categories (Not Our favorite & Better) are full of brands that are using these coatings. It’s the “Best” category that contains brands that are declaring their razors have no Teflon coatings.

Problematic Chemicals & Materials Found in Razors

PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. In fact, many of these PFAS chemicals can last for years or decades in our bodies. The health effects from exposure to PFAS on the armpit areas right next to breast tissue are unknown. It’s also unknown what happens when it is absorbed into our tissues and travels around in our bodies. We are unaware of any studies that have been done on whether PFAS coatings on razors made of PTFE can end up in the bloodstream. This becomes a bit complicated because the type of PFAS they are disclosing (PTFE), there are no blood tests for. It would be impossible to identify in the body. Therefore, there would be no way to find out if this chemical was getting into the body from that type of exposure. Likewise with PFAS coatings on cookware. But just because we don’t have testing for something doesn’t mean it’s not inside your body doing harm.

However, we do know that these areas can be vulnerable to toxic chemicals like PFAS “forever chemicals” because of the proximity to breast tissue and the lymphatic system. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water, and consumer products like deodorants & razors. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when you are shopping for razors.

Here are some of the health effects of different PFAS “forever chemicals” that can be identified in the bloodstream:

Because over 99% of PFAS “forever chemicals” are not identifiable in blood, we have no idea what those additional chemicals are doing to us. They cannot be identified and therefore cannot be studied. We also have no idea where they are in our environment for similar reasons. Therefore, relying on a lack of studies to prove the safety of your razor product is unwise.

Polyethylene Glycol

These brands weren’t just providing you with shea butter and aloe vera in their lubrication strip, it’s also coming with a side of possible carcinogens. Many types of lubricant strips on the razors contained a variety of PEG compounds. Ethoxylated ingredients (like PEGs) on their own are of lower concern to humans, however, the process of ethoxylation can leave behind trace amounts of carcinogens: ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane.

Propylene Glycol

Watch out what you put into your cart when you need that blade refill because according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) “Propylene glycol breaks down in the body in about 48 hours. However, studies of people and animals show that if you have repeated eye, skin, nasal, or oral exposures to propylene glycol for a short time, you may develop some irritation.” This chemicals is considered “generally recognized as safe” or GRAS by the Food & Drug Administration, yet is not recommended as a precaution because of how irritating it can become and how often people are allergic to it.

Undisclosed Fragrance

This “cutting-edge technology” may come with a side of undisclosed fragrance. Undisclosed fragrance (can contain any of thousands of chemicals and ingredients that are not listed individually): “Fragrance” or scents are either made from petroleum (synthetic fragrances) or botanical raw materials (natural fragrance) or both. It can also contain ingredients like solvents, stabilizers, UV absorbers, preservatives, phthalates, and dyes. These types of chemicals vary in toxicity. But there is lots of mystery surrounding “fragrance” in personal care products. Companies that make perfume buy chemicals from other companies called “fragrance houses.” This means it is possible for a brand to not even know the fragrance chemicals inside their own product. However, as companies and states are moving toward fragrance ingredient disclosure, this is slowly starting to change. (You can make a difference here by only purchasing from brands that are doing 100% ingredient disclosure to help!) The biggest problem is the mystery because no one has any idea what is inside the word “fragrance.”

Phthalates

Where you have fragrance, you may also have phthalates hiding in the fragrance. Phthalates are linked to many health effects from several studies on both animals and humans. This is very problematic because phthalates are linked with hormone disruption of the endocrine system, which regulates the body’s hormones, even in trace amounts in low concentrations. Epidemiological studies have revealed that exposure to phthalates adversely affects the level of hormones within the body, which can impact several important health functions. Here are some health effects phthalate exposure is linked to.

Mamavation’s Investigation of Razors

Mamavation contacted most brands via email, customer service chat, or phone call to inquire about materials and chemicals used in the manufacturing of their products. Not all brands were responsive to us about the details, so we did the best we could, categorizing them into three categories based on their responses.

Not Our Favorite Razors

These razors may contain problematic ingredients in their lubrication strip and likely contain PFAS “forever chemicals” as a coating on their razor blade. Brands that were not responsive to us with details about their products also went here, especially if we believed they contained a lubrication strip.

Better Razors

This is the middle ground. These razors are a bit safer, but they either still use PFAS “forever chemical” coatings on their razors, OR were not responsive when we asked them about PFAS in general. Since this is an “industry standard,” we assumed they had something unless they told us specifically they did not. If they don’t use a lubrication strip, they also went here if they were non-responsive about other issues.

Albatross Zero Waste Butterfly XL Safety Razor
BamBaw Double Edge Razor With Stand
Bevel Safety Razor
Ecoroots Safety Razor
Leaf Shave Razor
Merkur – Razor FUTUR 701 Safety Razor
My Friendly Eco-Friendly 3-blade Disposable Crazor | 8 Pack
Rockwell 6S Matte Stainless Steel Adjustable Razor
Zero Waste Movement Single Blade Safety Razor for Men & Women

Best Razors

These razors do not contain problematic ingredients in their lubrication strip because most of them do not contain a lubrication strip. They also made us aware they do not coat their razor blades with PFAS “forever chemicals.”

Kitsch Perfect Glide Safety Razor
Public Goods Personal Care Razor Blades with Bamboo Handle (also nickel free!)
Viking Blade Safety Razor for Women
Zero Waste Store (ZWS) Safety Razor
Zomchi Safety Razor for Women

The Razor Industry Needs to Dump the PFAS “Forever Chemicals”