Do You Use Sugar Scrub Before or After Shaving?

A sugar scrub usually has sugar crystals that act as an exfoliating agent to remove dead cells from the skin and give your body a vibrant look. It is available in the market and can also be prepared at home by mixing brown sugar with oils like jojoba or coconut oil.

Most people prefer using these scrubs before removing their hair while others do it after shaving as a part of a normal skincare routine. What do you think is the right way? Do you use sugar scrub before or after shaving? Let’s see!

Part 1: What is Sugar Scrub Used For?

A sugar scrub is a physical exfoliant that primarily serves the purpose of sloughing off dead cells from your skin’s surface. They can help your skin stay fresh and healthy for long. Let’s unveil some more benefits of sugar scrubs:

Prevent Ingrown Hair Formation

Ingrown hair mainly occurs when dirt and dead cells are built on the top of your skin. They prevent the newly grown hair emerge out of the skin. As a result, the hair curls back into the skin causing painful ingrown hairs. Exfoliating your body with a sugar scrub can remove this build-up of dead cells and let the hair emerge out of your epidermis smoothly.

Unclog Pores and Reduce Acne

Our skin gets exposed to dirt and environmental toxins every day. This can clog our pores and increase the risk of pimples, acne, blackheads, and whiteheads. Furthermore, the use of oily skincare products also adds to the clogging of pores. Using a sugar scrub can help clear out your skin, unclog pores, and give you a fresh and glowing look.

Better Absorption of Skincare Products

Our dead cells serve as a hindrance to the absorption of the skincare products. So, the results will be slower and less effective when applied without proper pre-care. Therefore, using sugar scrubs regularly can help improve the immersion of your favorite products into your skin better. Also, the results will be more effective and quicker.

Makes Skin Smoother and Fresher

If you have uneven skin tone, blemishes, and rough skin texture, a healthy and consistent skincare routine can help you combat this. For this purpose, the most important step is exfoliation. A sugar scrub can gently exfoliate the dead cells, increase cell turnover, and let the fresher cells take the place of dead cells. This makes skin glow and healthy.

Enhances Blood flow

Massaging sugar scrub on your body can help relax the muscles and improve your blood flow. Proper blood circulation can help your organs be healthier and live longer. In addition, the brain also becomes sharper. So, using a sugar scrub 3-4 times a week can help relax your mind and be stress-free.

Makes Hair Removal Smoother

Lastly, sugar scrubs make hair removal processes like shaving or waxing easier. Since these scrubs make the skin surface smoother. This gives the shaving razor an even base to glide over. Hence, your skin will be less prone to cuts and nicks. It also helps the wax stick to your hair better and allows hair removal from roots less painfully.

Part 2: Do You Use Sugar Scrub Before or After Shaving?

Do you use sugar scrub before or after shaving? It is a never-ending debate and which side are you on? You are right either way. This is because using a sugar scrub or any exfoliating scrub before shaving is as important as after shaving. Here’s why!

Using Sugar Scrub Before Shaving

Using a sugar scrub before shaving can help exfoliate the skin and get rid of all the dirt and dead cells from the surface of the skin. As a result

• Hair removal products can work better. The shaving blade can move smoothly while a wax can easily stick to your hair.
• Since there are no impurities left on the skin’s surface, there are also fewer chances of clogging of pores.

Therefore, it is highly recommended to use a sugar scrub before shaving or trying any other hair removal method.

Using Sugar Scrub After Shaving

Sugar scrub after shaving is as essential as before shaving. It is because your hair starts regrowing after a few days of shaving. There must be no hindrance otherwise you can possibly have ingrown hair.

• Using a sugar scrub can help remove the extra dead cell layer and let your hair grow out smoothly.
• Moreover, it also gives your skin a brighter and fresher look.

But, using a sugar scrub immediately after shaving can irritate your skin so wait at least 24 to 48 hours before exfoliating the skin after hair removal.

Part 3: How to Use Sugar Scrub?

Let’s learn how to use a sugar scrub effectively without damaging your skin tissues:

• First, wet your body with warm water to soften the skin and reduce friction between scrub. For this purpose, prefer using sugar scrub in a shower
• Once your body is damp, take a quarter-sized amount of scrub for your face or slightly more for larger areas and apply it on the required area
• Rub this scrub in circular motions on the skin for two minutes and apply slight pressure while doing this. Do not be too harsh
• Lastly, rinse the scrub off your skin with lukewarm water and pat it dry

Part 4: FAQs

Can You Use Sugar Scrub on Your Face?

It is better not to use a sugar scrub for your face. This is because the granular particles in a sugar scrub are larger thus causing more friction when rubbed on the body. Using these particles on sensitive facial skin can irritate it leading to redness and discomfort.

Is it Right to Use Sugar Scrub Before or After Body Wash?

Using a sugar scrub after body wash is only the right way. The main purpose of a body wash is to cleanse your skin of dirt and dust. The remaining dead cells and impurities are exfoliated by the sugar scrub. Once the scrub cleanses your skin thoroughly, there is no benefit of using a body wash after it.

How Often Should You Use a Sugar Scrub in a Week?

This can vary depending on the skin type. Those with sensitive skin should use it only once a week while if you have oily skin then use it thrice a week. But, if you are thinking about using it daily then that is not right. But, over-exfoliation can disrupt the protective barrier and make your skin more prone to microbes.

Conclusion

If you are confused about whether you should use sugar scrub before and after shaving, do both. A sugar scrub, when used before shaving, gives the shaving blade a smoother canvas to move on thus reducing the risks of cuts. It can also help you get a close shave.

On the other hand, exfoliating the skin with a sugar scrub 24 to 48 hours after shaving can help prevent ingrown hair. Your skin also remains healthy, smooth, and soft for a longer time.