When Dipsi Shah and husband Jay Govender of Hackensack found themselves inside a New Jersey drugstore navigating the women’s shaving products aisle, Dipsi had a revelation. Why were pricey hand-held razors designed for grown women manufactured with flimsy handles and designed in goofy colors like bubble-gum pink? Wouldn’t it be cool if razors for chicks were sturdier, less expensive and offered free home shipping?
“Being female is tough enough. We deal with high heels, glass ceilings, and mini-crises on what seems like a daily basis. In addition to this, we put up with high-priced, individually wrapped blades that barely stand up to our daily shaving regimen,” Dipsi says. “Until we got involved, women did not have access to affordable, thoughtfully designed razors that were conveniently delivered to their door. Something had to be done.”
After their drugstore visit, the couple decided to create Rose’s Razors (named for Dipsi’s fave flower that is as beautiful as it is strong) and they immediately sharpened their pencils and got to work. Dipsi, a project manager at a New Jersey pharmaceutical company, began assembling market-research focus groups and interviewed more than 500 females to determine exactly what women are looking for in their shaving products. (Most-requested feature: a simple, chic black handle.) Meanwhile, Jay, an expert in strategic consulting and investment banking research, hit the road and visited more than 30 manufacturing plants in the U.S. and abroad in search of the most effective razor cartridge and the most comfortable handle.
Jay says, “We realized that women’s razors require a different design than guys’ razors because women need a different angle of the blade to adapt to the curves of their legs and underarms. A women’s razor also gets a real workout because it covers many more square inches than a male’s razor which typically is used only on the face and neck. Additionally, we discovered that most women hold their shaving implement by the tip, and men tend to hold theirs by the barrel.”
The couple re-imagined the shaving experience for females from scratch, asking women to describe their ideal shaving experience. It came down to four things: quality, convenience, cost and design.
All this research resulted in a six-blade (five on the basic shaving surface + one on the top surface for the bikini area) design with a rust-resistant coating, enveloped in a super-grippy, durable black handle.
Dipsi adds, “Women tend to use their razors way longer than they are supposed to. Dermatologists recommend changing your razor after 5-7 shaves because keeping them longer can lead to shaving burn and ingrown hairs. Most women in the Northeast spend around $140 – $160 per year on razors, with some women spending over $200. Our plans go from $71.88 – $119.88 for a full year of razors and they are delivered for free.”
“Our blades are made in America, as are our brand new line of shaving products that will be launched in mid-February,” Jay says. “These offerings will include skin scrub, shaving conditioner, moisturizer and bath butter.” Also in the works is a “first-shave kit” intended for women to present to their tween and teen daughters when they decide to begin de-fuzzing their legs and underarms.
Since launching their online business at the end of 2017, this determined female CEO and her savvy husband are selling to customers in 43 states and enjoying accolades from happy shavers. New Jersey Monthly readers can save 10 percent off your total order between now and Valentine’s Day. Just use coupon code “NJMonthly” at checkout.