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.
What we did
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.
What they found
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.
The regulation gap
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.
What we think should happen
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.
What this means for our razor
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 where to find us.
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