What Should Women Apply Before and After Shaving: A Beginner’s Guide

There is no doubt that shaving is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most convenient methods of hair removal. You can choose to shave to easily get rid of any unwanted hair from your body. However, like every other method, you might end up damaging your skin if you tend to do it roughly or without proper care.

If shaving is your go-to hair removal method for getting smooth and hairless skin, you must remember to take special care and follow certain steps to make sure that you don’t have to face any issues later.

But don’t worry! This blog will explain what should women apply before and after shaving. You will also learn all the methods and tricks to get the soft and healthy skin that all of us want.

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: What to Apply Before Shaving
• Part 2: What to Apply After Shaving
• Part 3: Preventing Ingrown Hairs
• Part 4: Do’s and Don’ts
• Part 5: Bonus – Relieving Razor Burns

What to Apply Before Shaving

Coating your skin with ample shaving gel isn’t enough when you are preparing for shaving. No matter what body part you are planning to shave, there are some points that you ought to remember to do first. The main goal is to moisturize your skin sufficiently and soften your hair so you can avoid any rashes and bumps later.

Warm Bath

Most experts recommend taking a bath before shaving. Even better, you can choose to have a warm bath rather than a cold shower. This is because the steam from warm water can help relax your skin pores so you can cut even the smallest hair easily. It also makes exfoliation easy, cleaning off any sebum or dead skin cells that could cause friction during the process. People might get goosebumps from cold water as well, which can then cause razor burns during the shave.

Cleanse

Use a mild cleanser or soap when you are taking the bath. This helps in removing any dirt, oil, dead cells, and other buildup from your skin. Cleansing not only prevents irritation while shaving but also helps keep your razor blade clean and sharp. Skipping this step would not be a good idea since you could get the risk of infections if you cut yourself while shaving.

Moisturize

Although cleansing before shaving helps to clean your skin, it might also end up removing the natural oils produced by your body. However, these are extremely essential to keep your skin smooth and are highly important, especially before shaving, to prevent any rashes. So, remember to use a light, oil-free moisturizer to hydrate your skin and prevent any dryness while you shave.

Exfoliate

Along with a good moisturizer, a gentle natural exfoliant is another necessity for your pre-shaving regime. Exfoliation helps remove any deeper dead skin cells and dirt, smoothening your skin and allowing your razor to easily slide over it. You can use a gentle scrub or loofah in the bath for this purpose as well. However, note that you should avoid exfoliating your skin after shaving as this could cause further redness and irritation.

Use Shaving Cream

One of the most widely known pre-shaving rituals is to apply shaving cream, foam, or gel before you hold that razor. This is extremely vital and must not be skipped for any reason. These products help in lubricating your skin and lifting your hair, thus helping you shave easily and smoothly with minimal risk of rashes. These also ensure a clean shave, allowing the blades to glide nearest to the skin and cut the hair as much as possible.

Want to find a better alternative to the traditional shaving creams? Let this guide help you!

What to Apply After Shaving

Taking care of your skin after the shave is just as important as preparing it before the shave. Make sure to take a few minutes once you are done cleaning off your unwanted hair to pamper your skin after the whole process. This will not only help you minimize any complications (that you obviously wouldn’t want) but also help make sure that your skin stays healthy and smooth.

Rinse with Cold Water

As soon as you’re done shaving all the hair, the first thing to do is to wash your shaven skin with cold water. This will clean any remains of the shaving product and hair, as well as close your skin pores to decrease any chances of irritation and razor burns.

Apply Post-Shave Balm

No matter how careful you are, shaving can still end up giving you rashes or slight cuts. To help your skin recover, you can use a good post-shave balm for soothing, cooling, and revitalizing it. Not only do these products help moisturize your skin well, but also reduce any redness or irritation caused by the shave.

Avoid After-Shave

Even though after-shave sprays are marketed to be used as soon as you have shaven, this is not the case. It is better to steer away from these products, at least for a while after shaving. This is because they are made of ingredients that can end up drying your skin, especially after it has become extra sensitive due to the shaving process.

Preventing Ingrown Hairs

One of the common problems of shaving, other than razor burns and rashes, is ingrown hairs. People with thick coarse hair usually suffer from this problem, or others can get ingrown hairs where they have similar hair follicles. This is because cutting thick hair can cause it to curl back inside the skin surface instead of growing out. This results in causing painful, and often puss-filled, bumps on the skin.

You can follow the tips below to prevent ingrown hairs after shaving.

Choose the right razor

The primary actor in the whole process of shaving is your razor. A razor with dull blades can irritate the skin, as well as razor burns and ingrown hairs. If you feel that you have to put some effort into cutting the hair, or that the blades have started to pull at your hair, it’s time to replace your razor with a new one.

Looking for the best razor? Read along this list of best razors to find one that suits you.

Shave in the direction of hair growth

Experts recommend shaving with the grain (or, in the same direction as your hair growth). This not only helps you avoid ingrown hairs but also reduces the risks of razor burns and skin irritation. This is especially suggested for people with thicker curly hair as they usually find it uncomfortable to shave against the direction in which their hair grows.

Exfoliation regularly

One of the most prevalent causes of ingrown hair is clogged pores. Once shaven, it can be impossible for your hair to grow from a pore that has been blocked with dead skin cells, sebum, or other foreign particles. Exfoliating cleans these blockages off, clearing your pores and making way for the growth of your hair.

Moisturize daily

Moisturizing is extremely important before shaving, not just to avoid scratches and irritation, but also to prevent ingrown hair. Moisturized skin allows the razor blade to glide over easily, helping in a cleaner shave and thus supporting normal re-growth of hair.

Do’s and Don’ts

Even if you apply all the products recommended before, there still are certain other rules that you ought to follow for a problem-free shave. Below are some do’s and don’ts to remember when you decide to shave next time:

• DO exfoliate gently before you shave your hair to avoid irritation, ingrown hairs, and dull blades.
• DO wear loose clothes made of natural fibers to allow your skin to breathe freely and decrease the chances of friction.
• DO leave your skin alone and avoid scratching after shaving it as this could irritate your skin further causing redness and infections.
• DO check your razor before shaving for dull blades to avoid friction and irritation.
• DON’T take any hot baths or direct exposure to the sun immediately after shaving as your pores are more exposed and sensitive than usual.
• DON’T use any perfumes and deodorant, or perfumed products, on your freshly-shaven skin since this can result in extreme irritation and a burning sensation.
• DON’T use any products with alcohol after shaving as they can burn your skin, which could then take several weeks to heal.

Bonus – Relieving Razor Burns

If you shave regularly, you might be well aware of the pain caused by razor burns. However, it is not impossible to ease this pain. For this, just cleanse the area gently after shaving with a mild cleanser and lukewarm water. Then, apply a soothing balm or body lotion made of natural ingredients to moisturize and soothe your skin. This can help decrease any irritation and redness, calming the burning sensation, and hydrating the skin. Some of these natural moisturizers include

Cocoa butter – The Best Moisturizer

Cocoa butter is renowned for its moisturizing and healing properties. The rich emollient is derived from the cocoa bean (yes, the one used to make chocolates!) and is packed with multiple vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids. Thus, the natural butter helps nourish the skin deeply, increasing its elasticity, and giving it a soft young glow.

Coconut oil – A Natural Skin Savior

Coconut oil is one of the most widely used natural moisturizers, valued in numerous cultures and regions for its long list of benefits. The oil contains several free fatty acids. This makes it highly moisturizing and hydrating for your skin. It acts as an antibacterial protectant and antioxidant, reduces skin inflammation, and repairs the skin barrier that might have been damaged due to the shave. You can use coconut oil as a shaving cream on any part of your body to soften your skin before you shave.

Conclusion

Shaving is one of the easiest, quickest, and most pain-free methods to get rid of unwanted hair, particularly for women. Not only are the results long-lasting, but shaving can also help exfoliate the skin by removing any dead cells. This helps in keeping your skin clear, smooth, and silky.

Nevertheless, it is important to follow some guidelines to decrease any risks of irritation, razor burns, and infections during and after shaving. This article explains what should women apply before and after shaving, allowing you to make sure that you get your desired results after every shave!

Worried about shaving your face? Read on this helpful guide to learn the do’s and don’ts of facial shaving.