5 Tips and Tricks to Avoid Razor Burn

Put an end to razor burn! With these tips & tricks, your life will be easier and a lot less painful when it comes to body hair and shaving.

Short skirts, sleeveless tops and bathing suits: hairy affairs can no longer be hidden in the summer! For those of you who shave, I have the best tips and tricks against razor burn — including some tips from a friend who happens to be a stripper and knows a thing or two about the topic.

Prepare to care

The longer your skin is prepped, the better. When showering, shave only at the very end, so that your hair is softened, and your pores opened. For the most protection, it is best to use shaving foam so that your hairs stand up. Personally, I always use men’s facial shaving gel because it makes the hair extra soft. My acquaintance I mentioned above, always uses baby oil for shaving. It’s good to give different things a try to figure out what suits you best!

Extra sharp, please!

The most important thing when it comes to shaving is actually the blade. Oftentimes, people forget to change it. Dull razor blades lead to micro injuries on the skin, which in turn leads to skin irritations, pimples or razor burn. If you also want to protect the environment and avoid the plastic waste from used razors and blades, you can use a razor plane. The name sounds a bit strange, but basically it is a razor made of metal, wood or precious resin with replaceable, classic razor blades without plastic content.

Show me the way, baby!

The most common cause of razor burn is shaving against the grain. This may feel more thorough at first but can lead to permanent inflammation of the hair follicles. So always shave with the direction of hair growth. The hair grows in different directions, especially in your intimate area, so make sure to check with a mirror the direction of your hair growth.

After the shave is before the shave

In order for the hair to reach the surface of the skin and not grow inwards, it is important to exfoliate shaved areas 1-2 times a week in circular motions (especially in the intimate area). You can either make your own peeling or you can pay attention to a few things when purchasing shaving products: Good quality is characterized by the fact that no harsh perfumes are added to the scrub and the peeling effect is not brought about by beads of microplastic. Apart from being absorbed through the skin, it is also devastating to our drinking water quality and oceans, as microplastics cannot be filtered out of water. You can also enhance the exfoliating effect by getting a thin exfoliating glove.

This has a repercussion

If you ask my acquaintance, she swears by deodorant after shaving. Especially in the intimate area she applies a deodorant stick, so the skin stays dry and there are no skin irritations caused by friction. Of course, this is not a permanent solution for every day, especially because of aluminum-containing deodorants, but it is a good remedy to use every now and then. I swear by coconut oil. Firstly, I love the smell and secondly, it keeps dry for a long time on days when you don’t feel like wearing deodorant. And to re-emphasize, it smells delicious even when you sweat. Otherwise, after shaving, use only fragrance-free cream and wait as long as possible to get dressed so that the skin can breathe and fully dry off.

Edited and translated by April Verite.