I was a late bloomer to all things shaving-related, and while it's not necessary to shave at all, I personally do it now because it makes me feel a little more confident. That being said, I've never enjoyed the act of shaving, which is most likely a culprit of exclusively using disposable razors. They're affordable and convenient, but usually require too many strokes and far too much pressure to remove all of my hair. No matter how gentle I am or how lubricated the razor is, my sensitive underarms are often left looking and feeling more inflammed than their pre-shave state.
Karen Young, the founder of Oui the People, tells Allure she experienced terrible razor burn from the time she started shaving in her teenage years, and that ingrown hairs quickly followed. As she set out to create a solution, she quickly realized the disparity between men's and women's razors through her research. Not only did shaving ads from 1950 to present day use language "designed to make [women] feel like we aren't good enough," but the products themselves were "rooted in product design and marketing that suggests we're incapable of using a more mature tool than a plastic razor," Young recalls.
So she collaborated with engineers both in the U.S. and Germany to build a more sophisticated razor that is actually gentle on skin. They paid close attention "especially to the blade exposure, so customers could have a close but less irritating experience, as well as the handle and incredible weight of the razor, so that you can shave without applying pressure," Young says.
After my own less-than-ideal experiences with shaving, I knew it was time to toss aside the disposable and try Oui the People's The Single Rose Gold Sensitive Skin Razor, which looks like a legitimate work of art.
