Since bare leg season is here I shave more often which means annoying bumps or ingrown hair can happen. Not only do they look terrible, but it’s uncomfortable. Today, I’m sharing the products I use to prevent ingrown hairs. I don’t use everything at the same time, but I do use a handful of these at once. So if you’re looking for a super smooth, bump-free shave then read on!
DRY BRUSHING
Have you heard of dry brushing before? Guys…get on the dry brushing train if you haven’t already! There are so many full-body benefits to dry brushing that I wrote about it here a while back. Dry brushing involves doing a gentle exfoliation of dry skin (right before you shower) in order to lift and brush away dead skin cells, improve circulation, and lymphatic drainage. Not only does this feel fantastic, but it stimulates your lymphatic system, you’re skin will feel smoother, and it will help gentle release those hairs that are just under the surface with continued use. I still use the same basic dry brush from Eco Tools that I bought several years ago, but there are lots of styles available (long handles, bigger/smaller brush heads, etc).
A GOOD RAZOR
I’ve been a Billie customer for years now, and for good reason! I find that traditional razors available at local stores are a pretty big rip off in my opinion. Even the men’s versions are ridiculous! I’ve probably been on some sort of razor subscription service for a decade now but eventually had switched to Billie after the quality of another brand went down. The Billie razor system makes things SO easy and affordable. You can change the amount of time between deliveries, you can skip them, and you can add on additional shaving accessories as part of your delivery. I love that the starter kit includes a magnetic holder for your shower so tack it onto your wall or shower door, and that each razor head (you get two to start with) has 5 blades and is coated in a charcoal soap to glide over the skin with ease. I’ve dropped these razors so many times in the shower and with other brands, the razor would break and I’d have to buy a new handle. Billie razors are sturdy, they come in fun colors, they give me a super close shave, and I save so much money. If you are buying your razors from a store, PLEASE STOP and ask yourself why you aren’t on a subscription service like these! Let’s all save money and enjoy the convenience of the delivery!
A SHAVE BUTTER
There are lots of varieties at my local market, but I sought out this one after hearing another blogger, Courtney from Phyrra, talk about TreeHut shave oil. Well, I couldn’t get my hands on the shave oil, but I did find a shave butter in a tropical scent, coconut lime. Oh my goodness, you guys…I am so happy I bought this. Shaving creams (foams) are pretty unimpressive in my opinion, and I usually only go for the gel kinds — but this butter makes my shaves so close and smooth! Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter are what makes this formula gold by moisturizing the skin, preventing razor burn, and ingrown hairs by helping that razor glide over the skin, I only wish I could smell it better while in the shower! I still plan on trying the oil and will update you guys if one is better than the other!
A POST-SHAVE TREATMENT
Shaveworks Cool Fix is a must during the Summer and I learned this way back when my husband and I were still dating. My husband was the one who taught me how awesome this cooling blue gel is and I’ve been hooked ever since. There are other post-shave treatments out there (It starts with a T and ends with -kin) that burns so bad when you apply it, but you would suffer through it to reap the benefits of bump-free, smooth skin. Well not anymore! Glycolic and Salicylic acids are used in Cool Fix to help gently exfoliate the skin while caffeine helps reduce inflammation. My husband uses this on his face and I use it for basically everything else! It doesn’t sting, and it’s cooling and moisturizing. If you have some really stubborn ingrown hairs, this will help them work their way up and out of the skin leaving it smooth and calm.
A PRE-SHAVE SCRUB
Another easy way to prevent ingrown hairs is to frequently exfoliate with a good body scrub. Drunk Elephant Sugared Koffie Almond Milk Body Scrub has a nice coarse texture that can be used everywhere from the neck down while keeping the skin soft and moisturized. While I thought this scrub would smell rich of almonds like the rest of their body products, this one has more of a coffee aroma which also is nice. The reviews on Sephora are literally ALL over the place when it comes to the scent of this product. Some smell more almond than coffee and vice versa! Maybe some of us love almond more, or detect it better! Powdered coffee bean and brown sugar do most of the heavy work here polishing the skin smooth, while coffee seed, passionfruit, and marula oil deeply hydrate the skin without leaving an oily residue behind. I love this scrub. But because of the price, I would probably reserve to use this for special occasions or date nights.
Do you have a secret beauty product in your arsenal to prevent ingrown hairs? Share your secrets, I want to know!
[…] UPDATE AS OF 2021: I cannot find this product online, only possibly in store. But I have an updated list of productds that help prevent ingrown hair here. […]