If our skin is permanently irritated, it inevitably reacts to it: redness or small pimples are the result. This not only looks ugly, but can also burn and itch. Especially when the skin comes into contact with salt or chlorinated water on a hot day. So when we go swimming in the outdoor pool or at the sea – which can happen quite often in the summer months. The question arises as to how the annoying razor burn can be completely avoided without having to give up daily shaving on the legs, under the arms or in the intimate area or the bikini zone? We will tell you the best tips and home remedies on how to avoid and relieve skin irritation.
Many women believe that their dry or sensitive skin is the main reason they are prone to razor burn. But that is a misconception: In most cases, the wrong shaving technique is to blame for the skin reacting reddened, swollen or irritated in the shaved areas. This can even go so far that the hair roots become inflamed – in this case the pain lasts for several days. However, so that it doesn’t get that far in the first place, only a few points have to be observed to avoid razor burn. You can find out what these are in the next paragraph.
1. Even if you sometimes have to go faster: Never shave your skin dry or only with water! Instead, always use a special shaving gel for women – the extra layer of protection ensures that your skin is less stressed. In addition, the razor glides much more easily over the affected areas. Alternatively, you can use regular body wash, coconut oil, or even your shaving conditioner. The latter makes the hairs softer, including on the legs.
2. The razor blades should always be sharp and clean, as sensitive skin in particular reacts to dirty blades (e.g. due to dead skin cells and removed hairs). Aside from that, small cuts can quickly become infected as a result. It is all the more important to clean the blades properly and replace them regularly – this is the only way to achieve a smooth shave. If the blades become dull, you have to apply more pressure to the skin. This irritates the affected areas more and promotes the annoying razor burn.
Our tip: Use a women’s razor that has at least four blades.
3. Many women shave off the small stubble in the opposite direction of growth, although shaving in the direction of growth would be better for their skin, especially in the intimate area. Because if the hair is pulled up before it is shaved off, the skin becomes even more irritated. It is therefore advisable for women – especially those with a lot of hair growth – to shave the desired body regions at the beginning of the hair growth. This not only avoids skin irritation, but also makes it easier to remove ingrown hairs.
4. Proper skin care is also very important to avoid razor burn. In particular, if you tend to have dry skin, it must be supplied with sufficient moisture: When showering, use a nourishing shower gel (e.g. including shaving foam), choose a razor with gel pads and apply lotion to the shaved body regions after showering . Shaving removes moisture from your skin, which can dry it out quickly and cause razor burn.
Our tip: Use a special care spray for the intimate area to avoid razor burn.
5. Exfoliating your skin before you shave can definitely help. This removes dead skin cells and impurities so that the razor can glide over the skin more easily and “only” has to shave off the annoying little hairs. Alternatively, you can also use a special peeling glove. In both cases, however, you should first take a warm shower – the heat opens the pores, and the hair also becomes softer so that it can be removed more easily and razor burn avoided.
If the skin is still red after shaving or small pimples appear, you must act quickly. It is best to proceed as follows:
Step 1: Cool the affected body regions – preferably with cold water or a cooling pad that you wrap in a tea towel beforehand. The cold closes the pores that were previously opened by the warm shower.
Step 2: Dry your body with a fresh towel so that no germs or pathogens can penetrate the skin through the open pores and aggravate the razor burn or cause further inflammation.
Step 3: Apply an aftershave balm to the skin to soothe the redness. Make sure that the care product contains aloe vera or tea tree oil – both ingredients have a calming effect.
Step 4: Before you go to sleep, you should apply an alcohol-free lotion to the irritated skin to provide it with sufficient moisture. Or you can apply a thin layer of wound and healing ointment to the affected areas.
Step 5: Give your skin time to recover from the stress. In plain language, this means that you are not allowed to shave again for the next 24 hours. Two to three days would be even better if you can ignore a few stubbles.
In addition to the over-the-counter care products that are supposed to be able to prevent or alleviate razor burn, there are also a large number of natural home remedies that help with skin irritation – and are available in most households.
honey
It’s no longer a secret that honey has anti-inflammatory effects. If you suffer from razor burn, you can rub a little over irritated skin and leave it on for 15 minutes. Then the honey is simply washed off gently with warm water using a clean and soft towel.
Camomile
Chamomile is also said to have healing properties. The active ingredients bisabolol, apigenin and matricin contained in it soothe the skin and can alleviate razor burn. It is best to take a few tea bags, pour them with water and let them cool down before placing them on the affected parts of the body for five minutes.
Quark
Quark can provide relief not only for sunburn, but also for razor burn. It provides the skin with moisture, relieves itching and redness. To do this, take a cup of low-fat quark, apply it to the irritated areas, leave it on for ten to 15 minutes and then carefully wash it off with warm water.
St. John’s wort
This plant also has a healing effect: Take the flowers and put them in some sunflower oil – the oil absorbs the soothing active ingredients and can then be spread thinly on the irritated skin for ten minutes. Or you can drizzle it on a cotton ball and treat the razor burn selectively (e.g. in the intimate area).
This article contains so-called affiliate links. There is more information here.
