Razor blade corrosion has been an issue for David Valdez, the co-founder of BLADELIFE, since 2011. Valdez noticed that his blade was going dull easily, and he was spending too much on replacements. He began experimenting ways to extend the razor’s life.
Intrigued by Gillette’s story, Valdez delved into research. He found that keeping the razor dry after each use was key to extending blade life. In response, he created a razor storage container with a removable cartridge that extracts excess water from the blade after each shave.
“I discovered that the oxygen was creating the corrosion on the Gillette [blade],” Valdez said. “I said, ‘Well, if I take the oxygen out of the Gillette [blade], out of the razor it could [last] longer.’"
Valdez began storing his razor in a plastic bag after each shave. He then experimented with food storage containers. Valdez noticed that with the containers, he could reuse his blade for several months longer than usual and still get a clean shave.
Valdez comes from a family of engineers, who inspired him to develop a prototype. Then, in 2018, a friend introduced Valdez to Peter Gladstone, a mentor at the Harvard i-lab and a former Gillette employee. Gladstone was immediately interested in Valdez’s invention.
“When [Valdez] said he had a way of making the razors last longer, to me, a huge lightbulb went off,” Gladstone said. “At Gillette, we spent $1 billion to develop the Mach 3 razor, which is crazy… All of that went into the blade technology and the handle. No one ever thinks about the storage device.”
Valdez and Gladstone teamed up to iterate on the prototype and develop a business plan together. Now, 10 years after Valdez first began tinkering with razor storage methods, the two are ready to launch their company: BLADELIFE, which sells a blade storage device clinically proven to double the life of the blade.
The storage device works by effectively creating a low-oxygen environment for the blade. The user places the razor down into the storage component, allowing most air to escape through holes in the top. The cartridge is designed to absorb any moisture in the remaining air.
The controlled environment, Gladstone said, allows the blade to stay dry and last longer. The bottom cartridge needs to be replaced just once every three months, which amounts to buying two cartridge packs a year. The company says an independent firm determined that its technology can double the life of a typical razor, which would ordinarily last between five and 10 shaves.
The BLADELIFE Razor Longevity System costs $19.99 and currently comes with the bottom cartridge. Replacement cartridges come in a double pack and sell for $4.99. Valdez and Gladstone have outsourced most of their operations to sell their product, which can be bought online.
Valdez’s intention is not to compete with the razor blade industry, which could stand to lose money if people replace blades less frequently, but to provide users with a complimentary product. For Valdez, a Dominican-American man raised in a poor area who is now living in Cambridge, cutting costs was an import part of his invention.
“We don’t want to be in the razor business. We don’t want to compete with Harry’s; we don’t want to compete with Gillette,” Gladstone said. “It’s this whole idea of just sort of elevating their experiences.”
BLADELIFE’s goal is to promote the product by Father’s Day and, after bringing in adequate revenue from e-commerce sales, eventually sell in retail stores. Then, the team will modify the product so it will perform well in the shower, ideally bringing more women into the customer base.
During the Covid-19 pandemic might be an unusual time to launch a startup, but for Gladstone, it makes sense. He thinks his customers may be ultra-sensitive to hygiene — and they may want more ways to save their money.
Years down the line, Valdez and Gladstone anticipate BLADELIFE becoming a global product.
“People will be amazed [by] how they can use their razor, shave every day [and] save their money,” Valdez said. “You don’t have to use that many razors anymore.”
Jordan Frias is a contributing writer for BostInno.
