We have a few core guiding principles at Leaf Shave. We care about what we put out into the world. We care about our impact not just on our users but the world around us, and we care about the quality of those things we choose to invest our time in.
Our goal is to increase accessibility to plastic-free shaving by making available options that simply work better. Too often in the world of sustainable goods, users are asked to sacrifice efficacy in exchange for a lower footprint.
But we don’t want you to just take our word for it. Even the best personal reviews in the world from our users are simply that - a singular personal experience.
So we’re actively investing in a science-driven approach to understanding how unique designs and innovations impact how well you can expect our tools to work in your hands. We look to generalize results in such a way that you can feel confident in the type of experience you are likely to have.
No single thing is ever going to be perfect for everyone. We understand that. But we also know that it is possible to make something that can be a perfect fit for many people.
One of the limitations of our study recruitment was that participants were likely to be interested in an alternative solution to their plastic-cartridge razor. In other words, they were primed to enjoy something different.
That’s why we didn’t just put a Leaf Razor in their hands. We split the study group into three cohorts and put a traditional double-edge razor in one-third of the participant’s hands for the duration of the trial. Another third of the participants were tasked with being our control group, and continued shaving with their current razor. And the final third did receive a Leaf Razor.
While this selection limitation warrants review in the next study design, it IS likely to be meaningful if you’re reading this post here. If you’re here researching Leaf Shave and our razors, you’re likely to fit into those criteria of actively searching for an alternative. Or perhaps you simply don’t LOVE the current razor you’re using. The participants’ experiences in The Razor Study are likely to map strongly to what you would experience if you made a switch.
What did they experience?
A key finding was safer shaves. When we’re talking about shaving, there is never a zero-chance risk of nicks or cuts as it’s a blade being actively drawn against one’s skin. We knew that one of the biggest complaints against traditional plastic-free safety razors was the enhanced risk one takes on when shaving with them. This is inherent in their designs and something that Leaf Shave actively works to design-out of our modern safety razors.
We didn’t just find safer results from the Leaf Razor group compared to the Traditional Double Edge Safety Razor group. But we also saw reduced reporting of nicks and cuts when compared with plastic-cartridges. Why? We can ponder what might have caused this result to appear, though this intriguing result warrants its own follow-up study. My hypothesis is that the Leaf Razor’s adjustability played a factor in not forcing a one-size-fits-all solution, and this resulted in safer shaves overall.
We also investigated satisfaction with the closeness of a shave. Participants using the Leaf Razor reported that they achieved their desired level of closeness in 86% of their shaves opposed to 46% for the DE safety razor group and 56% from the control group.
A safer shave that delivers consistently on closeness means that participants were significantly more satisfied with the Leaf Razor.
So, why should this matter?
I want you to be able to see generalized, thorough data collection that suggests you will be more satisfied with the Leaf Razor than the alternative options available. We’d like to best understand how folks are approaching decisions and ultimately their shave. So we’re always learning, and with humility, we’re sharing what we learn.
I hope that you find the data in this study interesting and helpful as you figure out whether Leaf Shave is going to be a great fit for you or your family. We’re all ears — for feedback on this and anything else.
Cheers, Adam.
