Let's Talk About Bubbles

Sorry Catie, but I don't mean your bubbles. Mens grooming is an exploding industry at the moment. Men are spending more on grooming and personal care than at any point in the past (at least, domestically) and companies are finding new and inventive ways to jump into the water. For shaving, traditional shaving has the glimmer of a "personal luxury." To be fair, millennial are making less than previous generations, and so "young degrees" are more drawn to luxury brands than previous generations (think Starbucks, Chipotle, Apple, Abercrombie & Fitch, etc.). The challenge is that more young people than ever can't afford these "luxuries."
So let's talk about the bubble. Why do you think that mens grooming has been on such a rocket-ship trajectory in the past few years? Why are men now spending more on personal care than previous generations, do you think this trend extends across the board or is it centralized in a specific generation (Baby-Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, Millenials), and is there an end to the trend? Does the bubble burst? Or is this part of the new norm for mens grooming?

When I first read this, I thought, "Damn, I could write an essay about my thoughts on that!" My second thought, of course, being, why would anyone want to read it. My third thought was my mind's angry voice saying, "That's what's wrong with online conversations, everyone is afraid of saying everything they want to, don't water it down!"


Well, I'm going to try to keep it short, but this topic you bring up is actually striking a nerve with me, and I feel it has a lot to say about a lot of different things, not just this hobby. I'll try to stick to this hobby right now, and if anyone says they are interested in the expansion, I'll write a blog post or two expanding on it.


Right now, the wet shaving industry is experiencing a lot of growth, and mostly as a collection of cottage industries. Razor making entrepreneurs, soap makers, cream designers, and internet stores selling it all at better quality and for the most part better price points than their only real Brick and Mortar competition, Art of Shaving. A deep look at the forums and communities online dedicated to wet shaving shows that while membership consists of a wide variety of ages, for the most part, the community's growth in new members largely consists of younger people, mostly Gen X and Millennials. At least from everything I've heard, I don't really have much in the way of inside information to back this up. But it seems like outside of those two age groups, membership has either been around for more than five years, or they are new sign up outliers.


Personally, I was born in 1981. That is a strange year, because when you talk to sociologists who determine the Gen X / Millennial date ranges, some count that as being Gen X's tail end, others as the headwater years of the Millennial generation. To borrow a term from my Baby Boomer aunt, I sit on the cusp, I guess. As such, I feel that I take a variety of traits considered typical of both generations for myself. I look around at my financial situation and look at historic trends from people of the same age, with similar work history and experience over the previous generations, and I get angry that it seems like I just can't make any way up in the pay scales, typical Millennial. I have a very determined attitude of screw the status quo, I can get this done, and I can figure it out on my own, no matter what holds me down, typical Gen X. Also, I do prefer the enjoyment of things considered luxury and things that feel like they pamper me. Most consider that typical Millennial, but really, I think that is typical human. I mean, come on, is there anyone who really wants to drink Folgers if they can afford a brand of coffee that doesn't taste vaguely of mold? Perhaps more pertinently, anyone acquired the taste for razor rash instead of irritation free shaves? Dried out skin because of a canned product rather than a good, fine soap? Didn't really think so.


As such, wet shaving speaks to me on both levels. The pragmatic Gen Xer in me likes the idea that after a minimal set up, for instance mine, which ran me $25, I can have a razor and brush. Now, a razor can last a while, so long, in fact, that many from over a century ago are regularly discussed as being IN USE by members of the wet shave communities. A brush will likely need to be replaced several times over the life of a shaver, but that is because the shaver's life-cycle starts at around 12 - 15 years of age and continues until death, about 70 years later on average, while a brush will last about 10 - 15 years of regular use. Not a major investment at $80 for a low-end, high-quality brush, and definitely not for the $10 horse hair I start with. Past that, I have to buy soaps and blades. I can buy a case of 12 Arko sticks for around $13 on Amazon.com, and my preferred blades, Astra SP, at about $11 for a hundred blades. Using that combo, I don't experience enough razor burn to dignify the use of aftershave, so I don't buy it. If I do get the occasional irritation, I use a bit of witch hazel of facial astringent, which as a father and husband, we always have in the house anyway. So total, my shaving costs, after the purchase of the razor and brush, adds up to about $18.50 every year. That is practical.


On the desire for luxury level, I get to daily take an entire routine that leave my face feeling clean, smooth, and moisturized. While it can easily be argued that Arko is not the most luxurious soap out there, and rightly so, when I am paying less than $20 a year on my regular shaves, the occasional expense of a more luxurious cream or soap is not something I have to feel guilty about, even when I make as little as I do. Compared to $15 a month for blades, $10 a month for gels and foams, and $8 every two months for aftershave, spending even an extra $80 a year on luxury soaps, I come out ahead of the old game.


Additionally, the marketing machine of shaving in the current day says I need to spend the above. To save you some math, it comes to $348 a year. The Gen X side of me says to hell with that with every fibre of its being. The Millennial in me, after having felt a good wet shave, screams no to the irritation and all-around crapitude of that much money for that much irritation. No matter how you shake it out, I can't get the smell out of the rug, so to speak.


So, in short, with the coming of age of a group, the Gen Xers, who are typified by a "Screw the man" attitude not really seen since the 70s, and the luxury love of the Millennials, I don't think this is going away. However, I do think it is a bubble economy. I see this as similar to the suburban expansion of the 1950s. It was a bubble in that it did blow out, and it has never been as lucrative, relatively speaking, as it was during those days. However, suburbs have NOT gone away, and they have grown. I see traditional wet shaving, then, not as a bubble market, not as a temporary craze, but as a renaissance market. It has existed since before the American Revolution. Men have shaved since before the Roman Empire, for crying out loud! The means of delivery may have changed, but the basics haven't. We got away from those basics with the cartridge craziness of the recent generation of shavers, but we are rediscovering those basics now. And we are rediscovering them without the oversight of approval of any marketers, without the speed of iPads or crash diets, but we are rediscovering it with the certainty of a grassroots movement grounded in community and tied globally by the internet. Things like that generally don't die out. They shrink temporarily, they expand influence and retract notice, but they never go away completely.


If you've made it this far (1,000+ words!), thank you. You are truly patient. I am sorry that I was so verbose, this isn't generally my typical rate of reply. This one struck a nerve, though, and like I said, I have actually kept it short compared to the rest of what I could say on the subject. But that is for a different time, and only if there is anyone who wants to hear it.

great post!

Hopefully, the bubble won't burst. Wet shaving definitely crosses all age groups. At 69, I am probably one of the older members here. However, I didn't start my wet shaving journey until about 10 years ago. We have folks in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond in the hobby so I think age is irrelevant.

The cost of wet shaving is really up to the individual. Blades, with the exception of straights, are inexpensive. Razors and soaps/creams come in all price ranges, as do pre and post shave products.

Lastly, we here at DFS, as well as people on other sites dedicated to our hobby, represent only one part of the wet shaving world. How many do it, have done it for years, and will continue to do it but are under the radar because they don't participate in the social network aspect of wet shaving?

Will the bubble burst? I certainly hope not and I think there are good reasons that it will never disappear entirely as long as we continue to shave.

I'm actually 17, so the hobby definitely does span a wide age range.  I've managed to stick to a pretty small budget since I don't have steady income, (but I've still managed to amass a decent collection by asking for shave gear as birth day presents  ) My first set up cost me about $50 and it lasted my a solid two and a half months before I ever got my hands on another soap.  And I'm still using the razor and brush that I got in my first and only kit.  Price is definitely something that's manageable for any wet shaver. I certainly won't stop wet shaving, so I really hope the bubble doesn't burst.

Hopefully, the bubble won't burst. Wet shaving definitely crosses all age groups. At 69, I am probably one of the older members here. However, I didn't start my wet shaving journey until about 10 years ago. We have folks in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond in the hobby so I think age is irrelevant.

The cost of wet shaving is really up to the individual. Blades, with the exception of straights, are inexpensive. Razors and soaps/creams come in all price ranges, as do pre and post shave products.

Lastly, we here at DFS, as well as people on other sites dedicated to our hobby, represent only one part of the wet shaving world. How many do it, have done it for years, and will continue to do it but are under the radar because they don't participate in the social network aspect of wet shaving?

Will the bubble burst? I certainly hope not and I think there are good reasons that it will never disappear entirely as long as we continue to shave.

I'm actually 17, so the hobby definitely does span a wide age range.  I've managed to stick to a pretty small budget since I don't have steady income, (but I've still managed to amass a decent collection by asking for shave gear as birth day presents  ) My first set up cost me about $50 and it lasted my a solid two and a half months before I ever got my hands on another soap.  And I'm still using the razor and brush that I got in my first and only kit.  Price is definitely something that's manageable for any wet shaver. I certainly won't stop wet shaving, so I really hope the bubble doesn't burst.

as long as the AD (acquisition disorder) can be kept at bay, traditional wet shaving can be very affordable and cheaper than using cartridges. what gear are you using?

I would definitely agree the concept of wet shaving is without a doubt cheaper than the newer forms of shaving. The moment the prices start jumping is when you find yourself sitting up at midnight thinking about what new brush and razor combination might best match your new soap haha ? ... Or maybe following the latest wet shaving trends on different forms of social media. And I am 26 so I definitely say that this addiction spans many generations. While I have been wet shaving for over a year this is my first wet shaving forum I have joined so there are definitely others out there indulging in the luxury that is wet shaving and are not necessarily active in the online forums.

Im what you would call a "millennial wet shaver" and i started for a few reasons. A) reduced irritation: im black, so mass market shaving products wrecked my face. B) I wanted to be able to use the aftershave that my grandfather left to me and since i didnt shave before this, i have no use for it. i wanted to feel a connection to the man who didnt get to see his grandson grow up big and strong. C) now its an incredibly relaxing activity. almost meditative

going alone with the question, ive notice that my generation is having an epiphany that "maybe there is something to this whole 'tradition' thing". so now you're seeing a lot more natural ingredients in everything, old school styles of dress are coming back (as well as grooming), cocktails, jazz, and speakeasies are also on the rise. we are having an obsession with previous generations. the generations of our grandparents. like my grandfather, i want to be a good man. thats my two cents anyways.

As a bald guy, I enjoy getting to still take part in grooming. I used to be really into my hair and love going to the barbers. Now in really in to shaving and love trying new stuff.


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Im what you would call a "millennial wet shaver" and i started for a few reasons. A) reduced irritation: im black, so mass market shaving products wrecked my face. B) I wanted to be able to use the aftershave that my grandfather left to me and since i didnt shave before this, i have no use for it. i wanted to feel a connection to the man who didnt get to see his grandson grow up big and strong. C) now its an incredibly relaxing activity. almost meditative

going alone with the question, ive notice that my generation is having an epiphany that "maybe there is something to this whole 'tradition' thing". so now you're seeing a lot more natural ingredients in everything, old school styles of dress are coming back (as well as grooming), cocktails, jazz, and speakeasies are also on the rise. we are having an obsession with previous generations. the generations of our grandparents. like my grandfather, i want to be a good man. thats my two cents anyways.

I'm glad that you've found that traditional methods provide a better shave for you.