Whether you've done a quick brow wax at home or had an in-salon bikini wax, how you care for the area after the fact can help minimize the risk of irritation and keep your skin smoother for longer. The best post-waxing products are gentle moisturizers made with noncomedogenic oils like grapeseed, sunflower seed, and rosehip, and soothing ingredients like aloe, vitamin E, and colloidal oatmeal. "The bikini and underarms are the most sensitive areas, so definitely don't use anything perfumed for 24 to 48 hours," advises waxing specialist Kim Lawless, who spoke to Elite Daily for this article. Additionally, you may want to incorporate an exfoliating product into your routine a few days after your wax. "Exfoliating helps dead skin cells from building up and causing ingrown hairs," Alison Silver, the director of new product development for Bliss, tells Elite Daily.
The Experts
Kim Lawlesswaxing products
Alison Silver is the director of new product development for Bliss, a Los Angeles-based skin care brand and Certified B Corporation. With over 11 years of experience in the beauty industry, she has an expertise and passion for creating clean depilatory treatments and skin care products.
Lawless points out that hot/hard wax in the hands of an experienced waxer will be gentler on skin and help minimize the risk of redness and bumps. But afterward, "irritation is usually caused by ignoring the aftercare advice," Lawless shares. "For the first 24 hours, have a warm bath or shower as opposed to scorching-hot water, and don't go into any public swimming pools or jacuzzis," she says. Both Lawless and Silver suggest wearing loose clothing made of a breathable material like cotton, and Lawless stresses that fragranced products and deodorants should also be avoided for at least 24 hours after your wax.
For the first 24 to 48 hours after your waxing appointment, you'll want to leave your skin alone, unless you're experiencing irritation, in which case Lawless recommends using a diaper rash cream on the area. After that, it's important to moisturize every day and incorporate an exfoliating product into your skin care routine. "It's best to wait two to three days after waxing to start exfoliating your skin again, and generally, you want to exfoliate no more than two to three times per week after that," Silver says, explaining that too much exfoliating can actually cause skin irritation. While you'll want to stick with chemical exfoliators like AHAs and BHAs on your face, if you choose to wax there, Lawless says that chemical or physical scrubs can work for your body and the bikini area, though she gives a few warnings about physical exfoliants. "If you're prone to yeast infections, avoid sugar scrubs on the bikini area," she says, adding that salt scrubs can also be too harsh for those with sensitive skin.
Shop The Best Post-Waxing Products
In a hurry? Here are the best post-waxing products:
1. Best Post-Waxing Product For Calming Irritation: Mustela Diaper Rash Cream
2. Best Post-Waxing Moisturizer For The Face: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
3. Best Post-Waxing Moisturizer For The Body: Pipette Eczema Lotion
4. Best Post-Waxing Moisturizer For The Bikini Area: Lady Suite Rejuvenating Botanical Oil For Intimate Skin
5. Best Post-Waxing Exfoliator For The Face: Bliss Jelly Glow Gentle Exfoliator Peel
6. Best Post-Waxing Exfoliator For The Bikini Area: First Aid Beauty Ingrown Hair Pads
1. Expert’s Pick: Best Post-Waxing Product For Calming Irritation
Mustela Diaper Rash Cream$10
"Most people don't get any irritation, but if you do, nappy cream is my go-to product," Kim Lawless says of diaper rash creams, like this one from Mustela. "It's perfect for the bikini area, but a bit thick and messy for the general body, so just use an [unscented] lotion for the rest of the body until any irritation has gone," she suggests. The reason this diaper rash cream is so effective when it comes to calming irritation is that it's formulated with nourishing botanicals like sunflower oil and avocado perseose to soothe, and zinc oxide to create a protective barrier over the delicate, irritated skin. Because it was developed for babies, the gentle cream has been pediatrician and dermatologist tested, and is both hypoallergenic and fragrance-free.
Key Ingredients: Zinc Oxide, Sunflower Oil Distillate, Oxeoline Of Alcacea, Avocado Perseose Size: 3.8 oz.
2. Best Post-Waxing Moisturizer For The Face
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing
You're probably already applying moisturizer morning and night, but after any kind of facial waxing, you'll want to stick with something extra gentle. CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is a noncomedogenic, oil-free, and fragrance-free option that feels lightweight on skin, but offers some serious moisturizing benefits. The formula combines hyaluronic acid with three different ceramides to lock in moisture and help support the skin's natural protective barrier. You’ll also find niacinamide in here, whose many benefits include calming inflammation. There's also an AM Moisturizer version, which includes SPF 30 (something you'll definitely want, as your skin will be more sensitive to the sun after waxing).
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, Ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid Size: 3 oz.
3. Best Post-Waxing Moisturizer For The Body
Pipette Eczema
Both experts agree that moisturizing the skin on your body is important whether you wax or not. While everyone's preferences are different, Silver recommends sticking with noncomedogenic oils to restore moisture and healing ingredients to help calm irritated skin. "Argan and rosehip are great noncomedogenic oils, and healing ingredients like aloe, vitamin E, and colloidal oatmeal are also great options for calming skin post-wax," Silver says. Pipette’s Eczema Lotion is a fragrance-free option that was formulated to soothe irritation, dryness, and itchiness. In here, colloidal oatmeal calms inflammation, while noncomedogenic ingredients like squalane, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin E leave skin feeling moisturized and soft.
Key Ingredients: Colloidal Oatmeal, Squalane, Sunflower Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba Esters, Ceramide, Vitamin E Extract Size: 6 oz.
4. Best Post-Waxing Moisturizer For The Bikini Area
Lady Suite Rejuvenating Botanical
If you don't have sensitive skin (and it's been over 48 hours since your wax), you don't necessarily need to be using fragrance-free products on your body. But one place where you want to be especially conscious of the ingredients you use is the bikini area (only if you choose to wax there, of course). Fragrance-free is important for this sensitive area, but you'll also want to look for a pH-friendly moisturizer, like Lady Suite’s Rejuvenating Botanical Oil. Specifically developed to reduce signs of irritation, like dry skin, ingrown hairs, and razor bumps, after hair removal, the formula includes a blend of sunflower seed, jojoba seed, carrot seed, and evening primrose oils to soothe skin and prevent unwanted hyperpigmentation.
Key Ingredients: Sunflower Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Tamanu Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil Size: 1 oz.
5. Expert’s Pick: Best Post-Waxing Exfoliator For The Face
Bliss Jelly Glow Gentle Exfoliator Peel$9
"Fruit enzymes are great and gentle chemical exfoliators that can help prevent hair from growing back too quickly and keep ingrown hairs away," says Silver, who recommends Bliss’s Jelly Glow Gentle Exfoliator Peel. In addition to pineapple and papaya enzymes, the gel exfoliator uses plant-based fibers, instead of gritty physical exfoliators that can cause micro-tears in the skin, which cling to dead skin cells so that you can rinse them away without any harsh scrubbing. To hydrate and soothe, you'll also find hyaluronic acid, panthenol, and niacinamide in here.
Key Ingredients: Pineapple Enzymes, Papaya Enzymes, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol Size: 4 oz.
6. Best Post-Waxing Exfoliator For The Bikini Area
First Aid Beauty Ingrown Hair Pads$20
If you're prone to ingrown hairs, especially along the bikini line, you can try using a gentle exfoliating product on the area two to three times a week (just remember to wait at least two days after your wax before you start exfoliating). First Aid Beauty’s Ingrown Hair Pads were formulated with glycolic and salicylic acids to slough away the dead skin cells that can trap hairs and cause ingrowns in the first place. To soothe skin and minimize signs of irritation, the pads include witch hazel, aloe leaf juice, and bisabolol, and are free from synthetic fragrance and drying alcohols.
Key Ingredients: Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Witch Hazel, Aloe, Bisabolol Size: 28 Pads
7. You May Also Like
Olay Vitamin C+ Peptide24
"This sounds silly for a post-wax product, but if you have accidentally waxed away too much hair or waxed the wrong spot on your eyebrows, look for products with peptides," recommends Silver. Typically found in eye creams like Olay's Vitamin C+ Peptide 24 Brightening Eye Cream, which includes amino peptide, Silver says that these ingredients can help support faster hair growth. Additionally, Olay's eye cream includes the antioxidant vitamin C and niacinamide, which can help calm redness.
Key Ingredients: Amino Peptide, Vitamin C, Niacinamide Size: 0.5 oz.
Experts:
Kim Lawless, U.K.-based waxing specialist and founder of Kim Lawless The Wax Queen at-home waxing products and waxing techniques
