http://www.gillettevenus.com/en_US/products/index.jsp
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5689771_women_s-vs_-men_s-razor.html
The first link that I’m referencing here is for Venus razors, which are marketed specifically toward women because they supposedly are made to moisturize your skin, exfoliate it, and perform other positive, “feminine” functions for the skin.
If you look at this, or any other advertisement for feminine hygiene products, it makes it seem as if using a man’s product is incorrect, and will actually hurt your skin or make you less beautiful. However, I had read an article a long time ago, which was on a similar subject to Lizabeth Cohen’s Consumer’s Republic. Basically, Cohen’s thesis is that all the differences between races and the two sexes are media inventions, and it immediately reminded me of how advertising pushes different razors on men and women, when there is practically no difference between them.
However, with razors, the advertising industry is actually being more scheming than usual. It turns out that, despite the fact that the razors are about the same quality, men’s razors are less expensive. The reason for this, I believe, is supply and demand. According to the second article that I linked, women’s razors wear out faster because women shave more of their body than men do. Therefore, razor manufacturers can charge more for the same product because women don’t want to go out looking like unshaven bears. Essentially, women should buy men’s razors if they want to be more economical.
Yet, although I feel that there are many women who wouldn’t care about buying a man’s razor, the opposite wouldn’t be true. Would a man buy only women’s razors if it turned out to be better for him? Psychologically, I imagine that doing things like this are not easy for men. Would they buy scented soap, even they like the smell? Maybe it’s a bit too feminine for them.
