Six Shaving Hacks for Better Skin

Body hair can be a pretty controversial topic, depending on your audience. For ages, women have felt obligated to remove their body hair using, at times, strange and painful methods too. Body hair on a woman often got a pretty bad rep, and most cultures expected women to maintain hairless, smooth skin at all times. However, in recent years our approach to body hair and feminine attractiveness has changed immensely, and for the better. 

Six Shaving Hacks for Better Skin
[image: pexels by cottonbro]

Whether you do or don’t remove body hair is, as it should be, a personal preference entirely. If you choose to remove body hair, you’ll know that shaving is often the most preferred method. It’s relatively painless and super-fast, and you can even shave on the go. However, you’ll also know that shaving can have several drawbacks if you don’t do it right. Below, we’ll dish out some of the best shaving hacks to help you achieve smooth, clear skin after each shave. 

Pick the right tools 

Inarguably, one of the best ways to ensure you get a close, smooth shave each time is to invest in the right tools. Blunt, single razors can give you razor burn, leave patches of hair, and can even cut the skin if you aren’t careful. Women tend to gravitate towards pink razors, traditionally marketed towards women when picking shaving tools. However, if you’re experiencing razor burn, dryness, and a patchy shave, these pink razors can be the root of the problem. 

Women’s razors can often be incredibly irritating on the skin, and if you want a smooth, perfect shave each time switching to men’s razors can be the best choice. Women’s razors can also be much pricier than men’s razors, making them a heavy investment each month. Switching to a shaver for girls can help you have smooth, completely hairless skin without any effort each time. Even if you experience some dryness, using coconut oil as you shave can help you keep your skin baby soft through it all. 

Read the labels 

Although your shaving tool is one of the most vital parts of ensuring a smooth shave each time, you need to pay close attention to the other products you use too. Shaving creams, serums, and other products are incredibly important in ensuring you get glowing, exfoliated, and smooth skin each time. Although most companies will advertise their products as life-changing and revolutionary, you need to read the labels carefully to ensure there aren’t any drying, irritating products in the mix. 

If you have sensitive skin, you’ll want to avoid products with ethanol or fragrance in them to keep any irritation away. Sensitive skin shaving products often ignore powerhouse ingredients such as aloe Vera, essential oils, glycerin, and vitamins. If you still experience irritation as you shave, consider adding moisturizing ingredients to your skincare routine. Moisturizers can help immensely keep razor burn, itchiness, dryness, and other skin concerns at bay even as you shave on the go. 

Exfoliate 

Exfoliation can play a huge role in ensuring that your shave is as smooth and long-lasting as possible. If you have a build-up of dead skin cells, you can have a hard time having a clean, smooth shave. Physical exfoliation can also help you prevent skin issues after you shave, such as ingrown hair and pimples. 

However, when picking an exfoliator, you need to be mindful of the style you opt for and the required ingredients. Physical exfoliation can work pretty well on areas such as your arms and legs, where the skin is thicker and can withstand the scrubbing. However, when shaving more delicate areas, you’ll want to opt for a chemical peel that can gently remove dead skin cells. Furthermore, it’s important to remember always to exfoliate before shaving, not the other way around. 

Soften the skin beforehand

If you have low pain tolerance, you’ll know that at times even shaving, which is lauded as the most pain-free method of hair removal, can hurt. That’s especially true if you’re going over areas where the hair is much thicker and coarser. In such cases, taking some time out for self-care can help immensely. Before you whip out your razor, consider softening the skin and hair with a long, steamy shower. 

Hot water can help open up the hair follicles, making it easier to get a deeper shave. Spending about 10 minutes just soaking can help you relax your skin and soften the outer layer so you can have a cleaner, pain-free shaving experience. If you want to go the extra mile, this can be the perfect time to massage in coconut oil to soften your hair follicles further and make for a cleaner shave. Regular exfoliation, in general, can help you maintain smoother skin. 

Shave with the grain 

If you’re new to shaving, you might think that going against the grain from the start is the best choice. However, doing so can make shaving a pretty painful experience, give you cuts, excess hair, and irritate your skin immensely. Afterward, you can also face ingrown hair and pimples, which can be challenging. 

Shaving with the grain is one of the best shaving tips if you want a smooth, painless shave each time. That will mean going downwards first and then sideways for most areas of your body. Only when you’ve shaved in these directions first can you go upwards. This small change can help you make shaving pain-free and make your shave last much longer. 

Pull your skin tightly 

One of the biggest reasons you might experience cuts, razor burn, and ingrown hair is loose skin. Whereas the skin on your forearms and calves is smooth and tight, your thighs, upper arms, and other areas can have delicate, looser skin. A simple tip to have a better shave is to stretch the skin taut before you start shaving. 

Pulling the skin will let the razor glide over your skin much more smoothly, making it easier to avoid any cuts. When pulling the skin, be sure to shave in shorter strokes without pressing down too hard on the skin. 

Conclusion 

If you choose to remove body hair, shaving can be one of the most convenient options. With these tips, you can avoid any razor burn, ingrown hair, and cuts and get a smooth, long-lasting shave each time. Furthermore, these tips can help you keep your skin baby soft and smooth all year round.