Removing body hair is probably one of the more frustrating parts of our beauty routines. It can be a real hassle, especially when you have to repeat the process daily from your legs to underarms and the super delicate bikini area. Of course, removing any of this hair is optional, and for those women that choose to go au naturel, more power to you. But for those of us, that love the feeling of smooth and hairless skin or remove the hair for whatever reason, going through the motions every day just seems like too much.
Yes, waxing, laser hair removal, and Nair are all alternative methods for hair removal. But for a lot of people, shaving just seems to be the lesser of all evils. On the other hand, shaving only lasts at most 24 hours before you’re back at it again. But there has to be a way to extend the time between shaving. Your smooth legs should at least be able to last an entire weekend. Right?
Well, if you’re in this hairy boat, keep on reading. These are some beauty tips and tricks to help stretch out that shave just a bit longer.
This is something we are all guilty of, but you need to stop using an old razor. Yes, razors are insanely expensive, but reusing dull or old ones will not do you any favors. Instead, an old razor will increase your chance of razor burn, bumps, and even nicks. Plus, you are much more likely to miss a critical spot around the knees or ankles when your razor isn’t in tip-top shape. If buying more cartridges is just too much of an investment for you, try out DORCO (Shop here). You can buy their cruelty-free razors, and cartridges for a portion of the name-brand ones cost at the pharmacy. Plus, you can buy both men’s, and women’s handles or refills as all of their products are interchangeable.
Then something that takes a few extra moments in the shower exfoliating. If you exfoliate your legs before you go in with your razor, you will save yourself a whole lot of struggles. Buffing away the top layer of dead skin not only leaves your legs feeling baby soft, but it ensures that your razor is shaving the tiny stubbly hairs rather than getting clogged with dry skin. You can use a physical exfoliator like Ocean Salt from LUSH (Shop here), or even an exfoliating mitt will do the trick.
Shave after letting your skin get a bit softer in the shower or, more ideally, the bath. After just about 3 minutes of soaking, your skin should soften to the perfect texture for shaving, and the process will be much easier. Not only will the hair be more conditioned, but your skin will be smoother and softer, which allows the razor to glide over your skin more gently. This will help to avoid any nicks or cuts. Plus, just as your hair looks longer when it’s wet, your body hair is the same. This allows you to get a closer shave, ergo a longer-lasting shave.
Make sure you are using a deep conditioning body wash or shaving cream. If you use your regular soap, your skin is going to be drying out as you shave. Adding in a deep conditioning product will further help to hydrate your skin and hair to make shaving less painful and more efficient. Also, be sure you are rinsing your razor after every few glides. Otherwise, the build-up will cause you to miss spots and possibly cut yourself. And no one wants that.
Do you ever get razor burn or irritation after shaving? Yes? Does it usually happen in the underarms or the bikini area? These places are more sensitive, so pulling the hair back in the opposite direction of shaving growth can cause redness and irritation. To counteract this, once you shave, rinse your razor and go back over the same spot in the direction of the hair growth. This step seems to calm the skin a bit and soothe those sensitive areas. Seriously, just give it a go and see if it works for you. Like magic, you’ve prevented redness, and your sensitive areas are hair-free for longer.
Finally… Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize! Using a thick yet gentle cream to hydrate your body is essential to keeping everything smooth for as long as possible. Not only will your skin maintain a healthy glow, but you will not notice your hair growing back as quickly. This helps your stubble to come in less noticeably. Rather than being coarse and dry, it is more delicate and less spiky because it is hydrated. Also, be sure to use a lotion or cream without loads of added fragrance. This can further irritate your skin.
And with these easy beauty tips, your legs, underarms, and even sensitive bikini area should be hair-free even longer. This will save you money on razors, time in the shower, and stress because worrying about shaving every single day is now a thing of the past.
