Billie made a real dent in the women's shaving market. The pink-tax positioning was smart, the subscription was convenient, and the handle design is actually pleasant to hold. If you've been using Billie for a while and it's been working, that's not nothing.
But if you're here, something probably isn't working anymore — or you're curious whether there's a better option. That's a fair question, and the answer isn't just "buy a different cartridge razor." It's worth understanding why some shavers find cartridges limiting, and what a quality safety razor does differently.
What Makes People Look for a Billie Alternative
The complaints that come up most consistently about Billie — and cartridge razors in general — follow a predictable pattern:
Clogging. Five blades packed tightly together clog fast, especially when you're shaving legs or other larger areas. Rinsing helps, but it's a constant interruption.
Blade dullness creep. Cartridge blades don't announce when they're done — they just start dragging. You often don't realize a blade has gone dull until your skin tells you.
The aloe strip. The moisturizing strip that made Billie feel premium gets slimy quickly and can gum up the blade channel.
Subscription fatigue. Receiving four blades every few months feels fine — until you have a drawer full of unused refills or the brand raises prices.
None of these are disasters. They're just friction. And friction accumulates.
The Case for a Single-Blade Safety Razor
Here's where it helps to know a bit about what happens to your skin during a shave.
A five-blade cartridge works by having the first blades lift the hair above the skin surface so that the trailing blades cut below it. That gives a very close shave — briefly — but it also means the blade passes over the same patch of skin multiple times in one stroke. That repeated contact is what drives irritation, razor burn, and for some people, ingrown hairs.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends trying a single- or two-blade razor for people prone to razor bumps or sensitive skin, specifically because reducing blade passes reduces the trauma to the follicle. A single blade cuts cleanly at skin level, in one pass, without the lift-and-cut mechanics.
Peer-reviewed research published in PMC measured skin redness (erythema) after shaving with different razor types and found that single-blade safety razors produced measurably less redness immediately after shaving compared to multi-blade cartridge razors — roughly 40% of the shaved area showed redness versus nearly 58% with cartridge razors.
That's not a small difference.
What a Quality Safety Razor Gives You That Billie Doesn't
One blade, one pass. The geometry of a safety razor is designed so the blade sits at the correct angle automatically. You don't need to press — the weight of the handle does the work. Less pressure, less drag, less redness.
No clogging. A single blade rinses instantly under running water. There's no channel of five packed blades for hair and cream to collect in.
The blade tells you when it's done. Safety razor blades are thinner and sharper than cartridge blades, and when one dulls, the shave feels noticeably different before it becomes uncomfortable. There's no "dragging without realizing" problem.
Lower long-term cost. Replacement blades for a safety razor cost a fraction of cartridge refills. Once you have the handle, the ongoing cost drops significantly.
Less waste. A single metal blade is recyclable. A five-blade plastic cartridge, including its lubrication strip housing, is not.
What to Look for in a Billie Alternative
Not all safety razors are built the same. If you're switching from a cartridge razor, a few things matter:
Weight and balance. A handle that's too light won't glide — you'll compensate by pressing, which defeats the purpose. Look for a handle with enough heft that gravity does the work.
Head design. A closed-comb head (smooth bar along the bottom) is gentler and more forgiving for beginners than an open-comb. If you're new to safety razors, closed-comb is the right starting point.
Handle grip. Wet hands and a smooth handle are a bad combination. Knurling or a textured grip matters, especially in the shower.
Blade aggressiveness. Different blades vary in sharpness and flexibility. A well-designed razor pairs with a mid-range blade — not the sharpest available — so you're not fighting the tool.
Freya's starter kit is designed specifically for this transition: a weighted, closed-comb handle with a textured grip, paired with blades calibrated for legs, underarms, and sensitive areas. It's built for the shave Billie was trying to approximate with five cartridge blades.
Making the Switch: A Few Practical Notes
Switching from a cartridge to a safety razor has a short learning curve — usually two or three shaves. The main adjustment:
- Let the razor do the work. No pressure. Rest the head on your skin and pull slowly with the grain.
- Short strokes. Especially on curved areas (knees, ankles, underarms), shorter strokes give you more control.
- Rinse after every few strokes. A single blade stays cleaner than a five-blade cartridge, but rinsing regularly keeps the shave smooth.
- Shave with the grain first. The AAD recommends shaving in the direction hair grows to minimize ingrown hairs — particularly important when you first switch.
For a complete zone-by-zone technique guide, the shaving by body area guide covers legs, underarms, and bikini line with specific angle and pressure notes for each.
The Honest Comparison
Billie is a decent razor. It's better than a lot of what's in the drugstore aisle, and the subscription model removes a genuine inconvenience. If five-blade cartridges work fine for your skin, you don't need to switch.
But if you're dealing with irritation, ingrown hairs, clogging, or just a sense that the shave isn't as smooth as it should be — a quality single-blade safety razor isn't a lateral move. It's a step up in how the tool actually interacts with your skin. The research supports it, the dermatological guidance supports it, and the shave quality tends to speak for itself after the first week.
That's the honest case for switching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a safety razor better than Billie for sensitive skin?
For many people, yes. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends single- or two-blade razors for skin prone to irritation or razor bumps, because fewer blade passes mean less friction and follicle trauma. A safety razor cuts in one stroke rather than the repeated lift-and-cut action of a five-blade cartridge.
Will I get razor burn switching from Billie to a safety razor?
The transition period is usually two to three shaves while you adjust your angle and pressure. After that, most people experience less razor burn than they had with cartridges — because the single blade produces less skin friction overall. Using no pressure and shaving with the grain are the two most important technique adjustments.
How often do you replace blades on a safety razor vs Billie cartridges?
It depends on how often you shave and how coarse your hair is, but a safety razor blade typically lasts five to ten shaves. Because safety razor blades cost far less than cartridge refills, the per-shave cost is lower even if you replace blades frequently.
Does a safety razor work for all body areas — not just legs?
Yes, though technique varies by area. The short-stroke, no-pressure approach works across legs, underarms, and the bikini line. Curved areas like knees and ankles benefit from shorter strokes and frequent blade rinsing. A closed-comb head design, like Freya's, is the most versatile across body zones.
Why do cartridge razors like Billie cause ingrown hairs?
Multi-blade cartridges work by lifting the hair above skin level before cutting, so the hair retracts below the skin surface after the shave. That below-skin cut is what creates the sharp tip that curls back and becomes an ingrown hair. A single-blade safety razor cuts at skin level in one pass, significantly reducing this risk — a point the AAD's razor bump guidance supports.
Last updated: 2026-06-17