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Shaving: from disposable to refillable razors

Disposable razors are one of the biggest plastic culprits in the bathroom. You use the blade a few times, then the whole thing goes in the bin, handle and all. Most are made of mixed plastic that can't be recycled, so every razor you've ever thrown away is still out there somewhere.

It helps to know the ladder of better options. A refillable system razor is the easy win: one handle you keep for years, and you swap only the blade. A safety razor goes a step further: one metal handle and a single recyclable blade, with almost no waste. It's the most sustainable shave there is. The catch is the learning curve. The technique is specific enough that plenty of people find it fiddly, and for all its name, it doesn't feel very safe in the first few weeks. For some people it clicks. For others, it just puts them off shaving sustainably altogether.

That gap is why we went into product development.

 are for everyone who wants the sustainability without the fuss: a bamboo handle you keep, a bio-based refill you swap, and a shave that feels familiar from the first stroke. Smooth Touch combines an FSC-certified bamboo handle with a 96% bio-based refill, made largely from recycled Swedish wood waste and vegetable oils. It was named Shaving Product of the Year 2025 at the Beauty Innovation Awards and won a European Product Design Award. A system like this lasts for years and stops new plastic from piling up with every shave.

Golden tip: let the blade dry after every shave. Water left on the edge dulls it, so drying makes both the blade and the handle last much longer.

Oral care: bamboo toothbrushes and brush heads

The average plastic toothbrush gets thrown away every two to three months, and it almost never gets recycled, because it's made of several types of plastic fused together. They turn up on beaches, and since plastic doesn't really break down, close to every toothbrush ever made still exists in some form somewhere on the planet. A bamboo handle is compostable, so each brush leaves far less behind.

Our bamboo toothbrushes use bio-based nylon bristles, made from castor oil. They're not biodegradable, and we'd rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise, but they let us keep the plastic on the brush to an absolute minimum.

 are mostly bamboo and use 88% less plastic than a standard head. And we're even prouder of our 

: bamboo apart from the bristles, and the first of their kind anywhere. They fit every Oral-B except the iO and the Pulsonic, so it's worth a quick check of your model. You can read the full rundown in 

Golden tip: stand your bamboo toothbrush upright in an open cup so it can dry fully between uses. Better for hygiene, and the bamboo lasts longer.

Hair care: plastic-free hairbrushes for every hair type

Plastic hides in hairbrushes too. If it isn't in the handle or the cushion, it's often in the bristles, and usually for no good reason. Ever had static, frizzy hair after brushing? A plastic brush is frequently the cause. Our bamboo hairbrushes are plastic-free and vegan, with FSC-certified bamboo bodies.

The trick is to match the brush to your hair rather than making do with a one-size brush:

Golden tip: clear the loose hairs after each use and keep the bamboo dry. Wet wood splits and warps over time, so a quick wipe is all it takes to make a brush last for years.

Plenty of plastic sneaks into the bathroom beyond the razor and the toothbrush, from shampoo and shower gel bottles to pump dispensers and shrink-wrapped soap. The easiest step is to move to products in paper or compostable packaging, or to a bar of soap instead of a pump bottle. From there, choose plastic-free accessories, like a bamboo tray or holder instead of a plastic one.

Golden tip: replace each product only when it runs out. You build a plastic-free bathroom one empty bottle at a time, not in a single shopping spree, and that's exactly what makes it stick.

You don't need to overhaul the whole room. Pick the one swap that's easiest to wrap into your routine, the razor, the toothbrush, or a single brush head, and start there. The rest follows on its own pace as things run out. If you want the reasoning behind bamboo in the first place, we lay it out honestly in Is bamboo really more sustainable?

Start with whatever is easiest to swap into your routine. A lot of people begin with a toothbrush or a set of brush heads, because it's a small change you barely notice, then move on to the razor.

Yes, as long as you keep them dry. Bamboo handles a lot of water, but sitting wet shortens its life, so a quick dry after use goes a long way for brushes, razors, and combs alike.

It depends on the item. Smaller, flatter items, like toothbrushes, brush heads, razors, and refills, fit through the letterbox, so you don't need to be home for them. Bulkier items, such as the hairbrushes, come as a regular parcel instead. When you reorder, it's a one-off unless you opt into the subscription, which saves 10% and has no lock-in.

Your bathroom is one of the easiest places to cut out plastic. From shaving products to toothbrushes, there's a more sustainable bamboo alternative for almost every plastic product.

In this blog, we share a few tips per category to help you switch over, step by step. You don't have to do it all at once. The easiest way is to replace each thing with a better version as it runs out.

Plastic-free bathroom: where to start

It is a frustration that many know all too well: you take your time to pamper yourself, but right after drying off, your skin starts to burn. Not much later, painful red spots appear. Many people wonder how they can prevent razor bumps after shaving and immediately reach for expensive creams, lotions, and aftershaves to limit the damage. Often, 'sensitive skin' is blamed, but the real cause is much more likely to be the materials we use during the shaving process itself.

What is the impact of synthetic additives in your razor?

If we look at most razors in the supermarket, it stands out that almost all of them are equipped with a brightly colored gel strip. Conventional brands almost always add extra synthetic gel strips to their blades. The promise is that these strips hydrate the skin and ensure a smooth glide. In principle, your shaving soap does this too.

In reality, these strips are often full of artificial fragrances, preservatives, and other unnatural additives. When these come into contact with freshly shaved (and therefore lightly exfoliated and vulnerable) skin, it can immediately cause unwanted irritations.

As far as we are concerned, this synthetic strip is therefore unnecessary. Simply use your own trusted shaving soap or a mild shaving cream combined with high-quality Swedish steel. This is the first and most important step to prevent irritation.

How do you perfectly prepare the skin for a shave?

In addition to avoiding synthetic strips, proper preparation is also essential. Preferably shave after or at the end of your shower. The warm water and steam soften your hairs and open the pores. Use a gentle scrub to remove dead skin cells; this prevents hairs from growing back under the skin after shaving and causing inflammation.

How do you achieve a soft result without unnecessary plastic?

A good razor is the foundation for a great shave. Plastic razors often use unnatural gel strips. The 

 takes a different approach and keeps it as natural as possible. By staying away from synthetic additives, your skin remains calm and you are much less likely to get annoying red bumps.

With the five sharp blades, the flexible shaving head, and the comfortable bamboo handle, you always shave easily, softly, and smoothly. Moreover, by doing this, you directly help to reduce the amount of plastic waste.

Is design especially important to you? Then we have the 

 for you. This model offers exactly the same comfortable shave as the original model but features a subtle, nature-inspired engraving. For extra character and style. No bright colors or fast trends, but a thoughtful detail that makes every shave just a little more beautiful.

Click here if you are curious about all the ins and outs of the Smooth Touch

Razor bumps are rarely your skin's fault. The synthetic gel strip on your razor often causes them. Here is what helps, without the irritation.

Razor Bumps After Shaving: What Actually Helps

Still relying on expensive creams to soothe painful razor bumps?

Discover why the familiar gel strip on your razor might be the real culprit, and how a simple, natural switch could help deliver a smooth, irritation-free shave.

How could I prevent razor bumps after shaving?

That is the practical part. It works with any good brush. Below is why ours is made differently.

Many classic hairbrushes use boar bristle. A lovely material, but it comes from an animal. Our brush is vegan. No animal hair, full stop.

For you that mostly means one thing: you do not have to think about it. You buy a brush, not a dilemma.

Made from recycled plastic. The honest exception.

Let us be honest, because we always try to be: this brush is not bio-based.

We discoverd that in our collection of hair care products, a high quality hairbrush for curly hair was missing. So we did some research and found that curly hair thrives well on soft and flexible bristles, almost like those of a toothbrush. Something that bendy turned out very complex to make from bio-based materials, so our current state-of-the-art solution is recycled plastic.

No new plastic. Just plastic that already existed, put to use again.

One that bends and lets you detangle from the ends up. How soft and flexible it is matters more than how expensive it is. For most curls, brushing wet with conditioner in works better than brushing dry.

Yes, but timing matters. In or just after the shower, with conditioner in, you detangle without pulling the curl apart. Brushing bone-dry gives frizz and breakage.

A brush without animal materials. No boar bristle, which is in many classic brushes. Ours is vegan.

Is a brush made from recycled plastic just as good?

For the brushing itself you will not notice a difference. The difference is that no new plastic was made for it.

Pull out the loose hair, then give it an occasional soak in lukewarm water with a drop of mild soap. Let it dry properly before you put it away.

How often should you replace a hairbrush?

Only when it truly stops doing its job. Broken or missing bristles tug at your hair. A good brush lasts for years. That is the idea too: less thrown away.

Curls and a standard brush rarely mix. Start at the ends, brush wet and take your time. Here is how to keep your curl pattern intact.

How to Brush Curly Hair Without Ruining Your Curls

Curls and a regular brush rarely get along. You tug, it frizzes, and half your curl has lost its shape before you are out the door.

A few things do help. Read on to find out.

How do you brush curly hair without ruining your curls?

After about twelve weeks, the bristles start losing their shape. They bend outward, go softer, and clean less well along your gums and between your molars. Dentists and manufacturers, Oral-B included, use three months as the rule of thumb.

It isn't exact. Brush gently and it lasts a little longer; brush hard and it's shorter. The bristles tell you more honestly than the calendar does.

Watch the bristles above all. No longer standing neatly upright, but splaying to the sides? Then it isn't cleaning the way it should. That's the clearest sign on any head, ours included.

Some plastic heads have blue indicator bristles that fade as you use them. Handy, but not foolproof, and our bamboo heads don't have them. So go by two things: how the bristles look, and the calendar. Three months is a good rhythm.

And if you've had a heavy cold or the flu, a fresh head isn't a bad idea.

Nothing elaborate. Rinse the head under the tap after brushing, tap it dry, and let it air-dry upright, not sealed in a case where moisture lingers. That's plenty. No need to make a ritual of it.

Throwing one away four times a year, there's a catch

Do the maths. Four heads a year, per person. Living together? Eight. Each one is a small piece of plastic you use for a few months and then bin. Year after year.

Most people never notice. We did. It's exactly the kind of everyday throwaway that got us asking: why is this the norm, actually?

The swap: a bamboo brush head that fits your Oral-B

You don't have to replace your toothbrush. You only replace the head, and that can be bio-based too.

 click on just like you're used to. The bristles are bio-based nylon made from castor oil, the handle is 99% plastic-free, and they're dentist-tested. You give up nothing on the brush itself. They arrive through the letterbox. Order once, or have them sent automatically 

. Either way you're not locked in. If you're replacing it every three months anyway, that one swap might as well be right.

? We explain that honestly over there, including where it isn't a hundred percent.

How often should I replace my electric toothbrush head?

Every three months, or as soon as the bristles fan out. Whichever comes first.

Worth doing after a heavy cold or flu. Replacing it does no harm and feels fresh.

Our heads are compatible with all Oral-B® models except the iO and the Pulsonic. Using one of those two? Then they won't fit, unfortunately.

Yes. Treat them like any head: rinse and let them air-dry upright.

Every three months, or as soon as the bristles start to splay. Here is how to tell when your brush head is done, and what that saves in plastic.

How Often Should You Replace Your Brush Head?

Every three months. Or sooner, if the bristles start to fan out. That's the short answer.

In this article, you'll read how to spot it yourself and where the real gain is. Because it isn't in how long you stretch one out, but in what you pick next.

How often should you replace your brush head?

We put it this way on purpose. "Bamboo is sustainable" has become a sales line, and that does not help you if you just want to make an honest choice.

Bamboo is not a tree, it is a grass. That sounds like a detail, but it changes everything.

A grass grows back after you harvest it. You do not have to replant anything. In the growing season, some bamboo species shoot up tens of centimeters a day. It needs no fertilizer, no pesticides, and far less water than many other crops.

Translated to a product: the raw material grows back fast, does not exhaust the soil, and ends up bio-based instead of fossil plastic. That is exactly why you see bamboo more and more where there used to be only plastic, in toothbrushes and in the heads for your electric brush. A plastic handle or head starts as crude oil and ends up in a landfill or the sea. A bamboo handle started as grass.

So if the question is "is bamboo better than plastic", then for most bathroom items the answer is: yes.

Fair question, and the honest answer is: it does. Bamboo mostly grows in Asia. That means transport, and transport has a cost. We do not think you should paper over that with a pretty picture of a forest.

So we had it calculated. We compared the total CO2 emissions of a bamboo toothbrush with those of an ordinary plastic toothbrush, also from China, so transport counted on both sides. The result: the bamboo toothbrush comes out at around 19 grams of CO2, against more than 40 grams for the plastic one. Well over half less, including the trip over here.

One toothbrush, and still half. That is the point of bio-based: it wins not because it grows far away, but in spite of growing far away.

Look at a brush head, and you will fortunately find out that the bristles are not bamboo. Bristles have to be fine and firm. For that, we use bio-based nylon made from castor oil, from the castor bean, instead of nylon from crude oil. Better, but not nothing. That is why we say 99 percent plastic-free, not 100 percent. That one percent is still there, and we do not pretend otherwise.

We know how to fight the last percent. With our razors, we wanted to get plastic out all the way into the cartridge. That final bit turned out so stubborn that at some point we launched anyway, with a nearly fossil-free make-up, rather than wait forever for a perfect 100 percent. That same honest story sits in the brush heads: we would rather say 99 percent and be right, than 100 percent and overstate it.

What people usually really mean when they type "is bamboo sustainable" is this: will I not feel silly later for buying something that turned out to be dressed up nicer than it was?

Honest answer: one bamboo brush will not save the world, and it does not have to. The difference is in the repetition, and it only starts to mean something when you spread it over years.

Do the sum. You swap a brush head roughly every three months, so four a year. Over ten years, that is forty heads. At around 20 grams of plastic per head, that comes to about 800 grams, nearly a kilo of plastic that you simply never make over ten years. Roughly eighty plastic bottles, from one person, in one bathroom.

And that is just you. For tens of thousands of people taking part, it is no longer kilos, but tonnes. Without anyone having to turn their whole life upside down.

That is the whole idea behind a swap. Not your entire bathroom at once, not a lifestyle. One thing you already use every day, made from bio-based materials.

An easy place to start, because you already use it: our 

 for electric toothbrushes. We offer alternatives to Sonicare® and Oral-B® plastic replacement brushes.

They fit all Oral-B models, except the iO and the Pulsonic, and click on the way you are used to. The bristles are bio-based nylon made from castor oil, dentist-tested, and the head is 99 percent plastic-free. For sonic models, check the 

Want to read on first? This is a good next one: 

Is bamboo really sustainable, or is it marketing?

Bamboo is a fast-growing grass that comes back after harvest, needs no fertilizer or pesticides, and is bio-based instead of fossil-based. That is real. The nuance is transport from Asia and parts that cannot be bamboo, like bristles. That is why we say 99 percent plastic-free, not 100.

Does the transport from Asia not cancel out the gain?

We had it calculated. The total CO2 emissions of a bamboo toothbrush, transport included, come out at around 19 grams, against more than 40 grams for a plastic toothbrush that also came from China. Well over half less, including the trip over here.

For one brush head, little. Over ten years, a lot. Four heads a year, ten years long, at around 20 grams of plastic each, is nearly a kilo of plastic per person. For tens of thousands of people taking part that adds up to tonnes.

Is bamboo better than plastic for a toothbrush or brush head?

For both, bamboo wins, because the raw material grows back fast and is bio-based, while plastic starts as crude oil and does not break down. The gain is mostly in repetition: things you replace often add up.

Bristles have to be fine and firm, which bamboo cannot deliver. We use bio-based nylon made from castor oil, from the castor bean, instead of nylon from crude oil. Hence 99 percent plastic-free.

Which Oral-B does a bamboo brush head fit?

All Oral-B models, except the iO and the Pulsonic. For sonic models like Sonicare, the full list is on the 

Bamboo is grass. It grows back without fertiliser. Still, our brush is 99% plastic-free, not 100%. Here is the honest answer, numbers included.

Is Bamboo Really More Sustainable Than Plastic?

Yes, bamboo is more sustainable than plastic for most everyday items. And no, it is not 100 percent perfect. Both are true.

In this piece, we compare bamboo and plastic the way you meet them in the bathroom, from your toothbrush to the head on your electric brush, and show where bamboo really wins and where it does not.

Is bamboo really more sustainable? Our honest answer

Most people do not think much about the blue strip at the top of their razor blade. It is just there. It makes the razor glide better, and when it fades, you know it is time to replace the cartridge.

We thought about it a lot. Specifically, we asked: what is actually in that strip, what happens to it when it dissolves on your skin, and where does it go after it washes down the drain?

We could not find a satisfying answer anywhere. So we commissioned one.

In 2025, we worked with a team of six MSc students from Wageningen University to investigate the ingredients in razor lubrastrips, their potential effects on human health, and their environmental impact. The team, called MYSTIKZ ACT Consultancy, spent several months reviewing scientific literature, analyzing the ingredient lists of 10 different razors, and working through EU legislation to understand how and whether lubrastrips are regulated.

You may request the full report if you are interested.

The good news first: the plastic polymers in lubrastrips, mainly polyethylene glycol (PEG), are unlikely to form microplastics during normal use. The conditions needed to break down these polymers, extreme heat or UV light, are not present in a typical bathroom. PEG is also biodegradable, though the larger chains take longer to break down.

The more interesting finding was about a different group of ingredients: synthetic phenolic antioxidants, or SPAs. These are added to lubrastrips to extend their shelf life. They were found in five out of ten razors tested, and one of them, BHT, has been linked in some studies to altered sex hormone levels and shows environmental toxicity to fish at higher concentrations.

None of this means your razor is poisoning you. The concentrations are low, and the evidence is mixed. But it does mean the question is worth taking seriously, and right now, it largely is not.

Here is the part that surprised us most. Under current EU law, it is genuinely unclear whether razor lubrastrips count as cosmetic products. A non-binding EU manual suggests they might, but the final classification is made case by case. This means the ingredients in lubrastrips may not be subject to the same safety assessments as those required for other products that come into contact with your skin every day.

The 2023 REACH microbead ban and the planned 2027 ban on synthetic polymer microparticles in rinse-off cosmetics are important steps. But if lubrastrips are not clearly classified as cosmetic products, they may fall outside the scope of these protections entirely.

We are calling for lubrastrips to be explicitly included in EU microplastics and cosmetic product regulation. The classification ambiguity needs to be resolved. Consumers deserve to know what is in the products that touch their skin, and regulators deserve clear frameworks to work from.

We are sharing the Wageningen findings with relevant bodies and will update this blog when we have more to report on that front.

The Smooth Touch razor does not use lubrastrips. It never has. We designed it that way partly for sustainability reasons, and partly because we were always uneasy about the ingredients question. This research confirmed that our instinct was right.

If you want a close, smooth shave without the lubrastrip question, you know 

We tested ten razors with researchers at Wageningen University. Five contained BHT. Here is what we found, and why EU rules still do not cover it.

What Is Actually in Your Razor's Gel Strip?

The lubrastrip question nobody is asking…

What is actually in your razor?

The short version: does it fit my Oral-B?

Yes, unless you have the iO or the Pulsonic. Those two lines use a different coupling system, so our brush head does not fit them. Every other Oral-B model uses the same standard shaft, and that is what our head is built for. Not sure which model you have? On the bottom of the handle is a four-digit code. Look that code up on 

, and it will tell you the exact model. If it turns out to be an iO or a Pulsonic, this is not your brush head. Every other model clicks on the way it should.

Worth knowing: we were the first to make a bamboo brush head that fits your Oral-B, and we still make it ourselves.

You do not need to look up a model number for this. Do this instead:

Take your current brush head and pull it off the shaft. If your handle has a round, smooth shaft the head slides over, it is a regular Oral-B and our head fits. If you have a magnetic, thicker shaft without that small pin, you probably have an iO. The Pulsonic feels longer and slimmer, more like a Sonicare.

Still unsure? Send us a message with your model number, and we will check for you. We would rather tell you honestly that it does not fit than have you order something that will not click on.

The base of the head is bamboo. The bristles are bio-based nylon made from castor oil, not standard petroleum-based plastic. That makes the brush head 99% plastic-free. The bristles are also dentist-tested for cleaning performance. So you brush just as well as with the original head, you just throw away far less plastic.

What you do not see is the work inside. A brush head has to click on exactly and release exactly, time after time, while it gets wet and vibrates. Rebuilding that mechanism in a largely bio-based material, without the click going soft, took us the most time, and it is why we keep improving it.

One thing is different from what you are used to: our head has no blue indicator bristles that fade. We did not want that dye in it. We explain when to replace it further down.

From four plastic heads a year to one swap

Most people replace their brush head every three months. That is four plastic heads per person per year. In a two-person household, you are quickly heading toward ten. It is such a habit that you never stop to think about it, because you keep using the handle. Only the head disappears into the bin, time after time.

That is exactly where the gain sits. You keep the handle you already have. Only the part you throw out every three months anyway, you now choose in bamboo instead of plastic. Your routine does not change. What you discard does.

If your Oral-B is not an iO or a Pulsonic, you can switch today. Our 

 heads fit your handle, are 99% plastic-free, and are dentist-tested. They also drop straight through your letterbox. You do not need to be home for them.

Order once when you need it, or take the optional subscription with 10% off if you would rather not think about it. You are not tied to anything and can pause or stop at any time. Want to know how long a head lasts first? Read 

. And if you are wondering whether bamboo is really better, we give an honest answer: 

Does the bamboo brush head fit the Oral-B iO?

No. The iO uses a different coupling system than regular Oral-B models, so our head does not fit it. The Pulsonic is also outside the compatibility range.

Which brush head fits my Oral-B if I do not know the model?

Pull your current head off the shaft. If you see a round shaft with a small pin, it is a standard Oral-B and our head fits. Still unsure? Send us your model number, and we will check for you.

Do your brush heads also fit a Philips Sonicare?

Yes, we have a separate bamboo version for that. Check the compatibility list on our 

Why is there no blue indicator in the bristles?

We did not want that fading dye in it. You can tell a worn head by the bristles splaying out, and the rule of thumb is to replace it every three months.

The bristles are bio-based nylon made from castor oil. Together with the bamboo base, the brush head is 99% plastic-free. Fully plastic-free bristles are not possible yet, and we would rather say that honestly.

Our bamboo brush heads fit every Oral-B model except the iO and the Pulsonic. Thirty seconds and you know whether yours is one of them.

Which Bamboo Brush Head Fits Your Oral-B?

Our bamboo brush head fits every Oral-B except the iO and the Pulsonic. If you have a regular rechargeable Oral-B, it clicks on just like the one you use now.

In this article, you can find out in thirty seconds whether it fits your model and why the head is made from bamboo and bio-based nylon.