Men’s tendency to ‘re-stroke’ sees Gillette launch new blades to protect against irritation

The innovation comes of the back of the company’s latest research which reveals that most men take about 170 strokes every time they shave, and 120 of them are re-strokes over the same area of the face after the initial strokes have wiped away most of the protective shave gel.

This can lead to skin irritation, largely due to these large strokes, and Gillette says rather than expecting men to change how they shave it has changed its blade cartridges to with lubrication before and after the blades to shield against irritation during every shave, no matter how many re-strokes.

“With the latest razor technology, excessive re-stroking isn’t necessary for a close shave, but old habits are hard to break,”​ says Stew Taub, Director of Shave Care R&D at Gillette.

“At Gillette, we constantly look for solutions to help improve the shave for guys, and that is why we are introducing the new Fusion ProShield, with lubrication before and after the blades, to help shield from irritation during the shave. We have changed our blade cartridges so guys don’t need to change the way they shave.”​

Shaving auto-pilot​

According to P&G, men have a habit of slipping into auto-pilot when it comes to shaving, and this leads to often re-stroking over the same area without knowing it, wiping away the shave gel and continuing the shave without the needed protection.

This can cause skin irritation, redness and bumps which can be a cause for concern for gents, and was the driving force behind Gillette’s innovation.

The new Gillette ProShield features a lubrication bar before the blades, in addition to the common Lubrastrip which is placed after the blades, in order to protect against irritation, particularly when/ if shave gel has been wiped off.

The new blade cartridges come in two varieties, Standard (Yellow) and Chill with Cooling Technology (Blue), and Gillette says they will fit on all Fusion and ProGlide handles.