Should You Exfoliate Before or After Shaving

When you’re ready to shave, you might want to reconsider the exfoliation time. Exfoliation is an important step that prepares your skin for shaving. It helps get rid of dead skin cells and achieve glowing skin overall. The main question is whether you should exfoliate before or after shaving.

While there’s no such rule of thumb, most people favor exfoliating before the shaving session. This way, you are preparing your skin for shaving because exfoliation will raise your grown-out hair. As a result, you will be able to glide your razor better over the exfoliated area.

Table of Contents:

Part 1: Should You Exfoliate Before or After Shaving?
Part 2: Step-by-Step Guide: Exfoliating Before Shaving
Part 3: Step-by-Step Guide: Exfoliating After Shaving
Part 4: Precautions and Tips for Exfoliation and Shaving

Should You Exfoliate Before or After Shaving?

As stated previously, you can exfoliate before and after shaving, as both have their set of benefits. These are listed below:

Benefits of Exfoliation Before or After Shaving

The shaving surface becomes smoother and it becomes easier to shave with reduced chances of razor burns.
The hair will be lifted, allowing you to get a closer shave, which ultimately helps to achieve even smoother and more appealing skin.
Since dead skin cells and other dust and dirt get removed, your razor is less likely to get clogged by all the debris that may be present on the skin.
By exfoliating before shaving, you’re making way for any hair to grow outwards your skin. As a result, you’re eliminating any chances of ingrown hair, and you’re not likely to have any ingrown hair in the shaving area.
If you’re planning on using any products after the shave, exfoliating before shaving will help those products penetrate your skin better after the shave.
Exfoliation can help you feel fewer sensations or irritations after shaving.
Your skin brightness is expected to increase.

Benefits of Exfoliation after Shaving

Exfoliation after shaving will leave you with soft and smooth skin.
Shaving will scrape away all the debris, and exfoliation will remove any remaining debris after the shave.
Shaving leaves some degree of burn or damage to the skin at the microscopic level. Exfoliating after shaving speeds up the natural healing process by removing all the dead skin cells. Otherwise, the healing process would be slower.
Shaving can give you razor bumps and exfoliation helps in treating them.
The skin is expected to appear more youthful.
After shaving, pores can open up, which can be quite troublesome. Exfoliation can tighten up those pores.
Your blood circulation can improve in the shaved area.
This process can help you reduce dark spots over a span of time.
Your skin is sure to get completely free from any toxins and oil buildup if you exfoliate after the shave.

Step-by-Step Guide: Exfoliating Before Shaving

Things Needed

Gentle exfoliant (scrub or chemical exfoliant)
Shaving cream or gel
A fresh, sharp razor
Warm water
Towel
Moisturizer or after-shave

Preparation

Wash the area that you want to exfoliate and shave. You may use warm water and some cleaning agents like soap or body wash.
If you are using a glycolic or salicylic acid pad, make it ready for use. If you are using an exfoliating scrub, make your exfoliant ready in your palm.

Application

Massage the exfoliant on the targeted area. Experts suggest that you may massage in circular motions and don’t press it too hard.
It would be great to wash off the exfoliant with warm water and then use a towel to pat dry the area.
Apply shaving cream on the area and use a sharp razor. Start shaving in the direction of the hair growth. Do it calmly and don’t rush.
Rinse the shaving cream with cold water.

Post-shave

Apply a moisturizer or hydrating agent to make your skin even softer. For best results, use alcohol-free products.
Wash your razor and store it for your next use.

Step-by-Step Guide: Exfoliating After Shaving

Things Needed

Mild exfoliant (preferably chemical to avoid further irritation)
Cold water
Towel
Alcohol-free toner or aftershave
Moisturizer

Preparing the Shaved Area for Exfoliation

You need to rinse the shaved area with cold water and pat dry it with a dry towel.
Make your exfoliating agent ready for use. You can use a scrub or glycolic or salicylic acid pads.

Application

Apply the exfoliant to the shaved area and massage for a minute or two. Be gentle with the massage. Sometimes, chemical exfoliants have a different duration for the process, which you can find on the product’s package.
Rinse off with cold water and apply an alcohol-free toner or aftershave for hydrated and smooth skin.

Precautions and Tips for Exfoliation and Shaving

Precautions

General Precautions

1. Consult a Dermatologist

If you will exfoliate for the first time, then it is a good idea to speak to your dermatologist. They may help you figure out how sensitive your skin is and may come up with a customized process of exfoliating and shaving.

2. Do a Patch Test

Sometimes exfoliants may behave unexpectedly. It’s a good idea to do a patch test on a surface that usually remains covered under the clothes.

Precautions During and After Exfoliation

1. Choose the Right Exfoliant

Based on your skin’s sensitivity level, you may want to choose the most sensible product rather than going blindfolded with the products that are best advertised.

2. Don’t Over Exfoliate

It’s common for many novice people to exfoliate too much. Limit your exfoliation to at most twice a week.

3. Apply Gently

Avoid using tight and hard hands; instead, use little pressure and move your hands in a circular motion.

Shaving Precautions

1. Razor Choice & Preparation

Using a blunt razor will cause more razor burns and bumps. Use a clean and sharp razor. Preparing your skin before shaving will help you get better results.

2. Rinsing

Using cold water after shaving will help you cool down your skin from any razor burns and calm down the irritation. It’ll also help your skin feel fresh and more hydrated. Using hot water can increase irritation and may invite additional burns on the shaved area.

Some Useful Tips

Try DIY masks for exfoliation. Many beauty enthusiasts take the exfoliation to the next level by making a DIY mask from yogurt and honey.
After rinsing with cold water, you can wrap an ice cube in a piece of cloth and rub it gently on the targeted area. That will help you close the pores even better.
You can try using conditioner as a substitute for shaving gel or shaving cream.
After the exfoliation, use cooled green tea as a toner. Green tea has antioxidants that will protect your skin and smooth it even more.

Conclusion

Now, it’s clear that you can exfoliate before and after shaving; the choice is yours. And if you are looking to find the answer to whether should you scrub before or after shaving, then again, it’s your choice.

Scrubbing before or after shaving is acceptable and fine both ways. Many beauty influencers also emphasize exfoliating before shaving. But please remember that the sequence is totally your choice; exfoliate before or after; it depends on your comfort zone.