Nearly every person interested in personal care products knows the name Gillette. But they probably don’t know that the company is over 120 years old! Gillette was founded in 1901 by inventor King C. Gillette, who wanted to make a safety razor with disposable blades.
After a scrabbling first year, the company blazed to success in a very short amount of time. During World War II, Gillette produced personal safety razor sets for soldiers in the US military. They survived the Great Depression and other setbacks and continued to further their product innovation. In 2005, Gillette merged with Procter & Gamble.
When another company introduced the disposable razor in 1974, Gillette jumped to create its own, thus retaining its hold on the market. The brand has long marketed to both men and women throughout its history. The same is true today as it continues to offer a wide range of products.
The company saw early and rapid success, which can quickly lead to overseas manufacturing to keep up with demand. We investigated to find out where Gillette manufactures its products.
Verdict: Are Gillette Razors Made in the USA?
Only some Gillette products are made in the USA. Gillette has two operating manufacturing plants in Massachusetts and many others located internationally.
It didn’t take long after starting the company that Gillette spread internationally. In less than a decade after their beginning, Gillette had manufacturing plants in the USA, Paris, and Canada. Shortly after that, they opened a plant in Berlin, Germany.
In 1988, Gillette closed its two Canadian factories. Still in operation are a magnitude of facilities around the world. Being owned by Procter & Gamble, manufacturing sites often operate for multiple brands simultaneously. Factory locations include the USA, Russia, China, Mexico, and other countries.
In 2023, Gillette announced that their US-based South Boston factory would be moving to Andover. This move would also expand the facility footprint and produce razors, aerosols, and other products. As the transition is expected to take up to 3 years, the Boston plant is still currently in operation.
We reached out to the customer service team to ask about specific products that might be made in the US. Here is our conversation:
Is this the most fruitful conversation we’ve ever had with a brand? Probably. It’s a great starting point, that’s for sure. But doing your homework is important. Although the GilletteLabs Heated Razor Cartridges are made in Boston, the actual razor handle is made in China.
Although there is a manufacturing plant in the US, not every Gillette product sold here is made here. You’ll still need to check the back of the packaging to verify the origin. Besides being US-made, the most likely other label you’ll see is “Made in China.”
And this one:
Thanks to the helpful customer service representative, we have a great starting point for Gillette products made in the USA. Concerning the rest of the Gillette line, including the handles that accompany the US-made blades, it’s a roll of the global dice.
Popular American Made Gillette Razors
- Gillette 5 cartridges
- Gillette Treo
- GilletteLabs Heated Razor Cartridges
Popular Gillette Razors Not Made in the USA
- King C. Gillette Men’s Double Edge Safety Razor
- GilletteLabs Heated Razor
- Gillette Fusion5 Men’s Razor Blade Refills
