You Might Be Neglecting a Significant Shaving Routine Step

Are you as excited as we are to show off those "end of summer" bronzed legs? We bet! So, we figured it was time to talk about how to achieve a flawless, silky shave in preparation for bearing those gorgeous legs.

Getting an ultra-close shave is not as easy as it sounds. Shaving is such a pain, and there are so many things you need to do to make sure you don't get annoying blemishes like razor bumps, nicks, or ingrown hairs…

And you also may be wondering, do you exfoliate before or after shaving?

There's a good chance you're neglecting this significant shaving routine step: Exfoliation. While it often goes overlooked, exfoliating can completely transform your body. Exfoliating is a super important skincare step you don't want to skip regarding your shaving routine. But how you exfoliate is a total game-changer if you want to prevent those terrible annoyances like razor bumps or ingrown hairs.

So, should you exfoliate before shaving or after? For best results, you should actually be doing both! It would be best to exfoliate before you shave and again a few days later to keep the area free of dead skin cells.

You'll be doing yourself a massive favor if you use sugar scrub instead of regular, toxic shaving cream. The oils you rub into your skin with sugar give you much-needed lubrication for your razor. You can glide your razor right over your skin without any problems, so you'll get those razor blades closer to your skin for a longer-lasting, smoother shave!

The Benefits of Exfoliating

As you live out your day, your skin naturally accumulates oil, dirt, and dry, dead skin cells. This can make it difficult for your razor to glide smoothly across your skin when you shave. Using an exfoliator removes this surface layer of skin and leaves behind a smoother surface for your blade.

Excess oil, dirt, and dead skin cells can also hold your hair flat against your skin. When this happens, your razor has to perform extra work, tugging, pulling, and catching on your hair.

You definitely don't want all that dead skin to get into your freshly shaved hair follicles – And sugar is one of the best natural exfoliators out there!

The small sugar granules enable it to eliminate every little piece of dead skin, leaving behind glowing new skin. Sugar is gentle enough to use on sensitive areas, like the bikini line.

Basically, exfoliating can give you the silky legs of your dreams... Our skin cells naturally replenish monthly, but sometimes dead skin cells can collect, and dry, flaky patches of skin occur.

The Secret to a Closer, Smoother Shave

It turns out that the secret to a close shave isn't just up to your razor – It's the exfoliating step before you shave. It removes all the dead skin cells that could clog up your razor. Those clogs prevent your razor from getting up close and personal with your legs, so you wind up pressing harder and causing irritation.

Improves Cellulite-Prone Areas

By removing dead skin from cellulite-prone areas, the skin will appear more toned. Proper exfoliation is a great way to boost circulation and reduce the appearance of cellulite in the legs by removing dead, flaky skin cells resting on the skin's surface.

Prevents Ingrown Hairs

Leg exfoliation can also help ward off shaving-related ingrown hairs. When dead skin cells remain on the skin, hair follicles can become blocked and develop ingrown hairs and inflammation (folliculitis). Some gentle leg exfoliation can reduce the risk of ingrown hairs and make shaving much more effortless. To prevent ingrown hairs, you'll need to exfoliate the area again a few days after shaving, and this is crucial if you shave a sensitive area. 

You don't want new dead skin cells to get into your follicles and cause irritation, especially for the pubic area. You should be regularly exfoliating before and after shaving for good maintenance. We believe using an exfoliating scrub to remove dead skin should be part of everyone's self-care routine!

 

How to Shave with an Exfoliating Scrub Step by Step

Our all-natural sugar scrubs combine exfoliating, moisturizing, and shaving all in one go!

And while an all-natural exfoliate is excellent for shaving and the health of your skin, we've got a few tips to make things go smoother than your freshly shaved legs!

Always clean your razor head after shaving – Especially after using something dense like an all-natural sugar scrub. Those little sugar granules can get caught between the blades and hinder your razor from doing its job. Plus, it will dull the blades faster.

 

Step 1: Wet Legs and Relax

Before you start shaving, remember to thoroughly wet your legs. Shaving in a steamy shower or hot bath helps to soften follicles and open pores, so you can have that super close shave. Take your time when showering or bathing, and don't rush into leg shaving first. Relax.  

Step 2: Exfoliate

When shaving your legs, exfoliating should be your first step. Prep skin for a close shave by exfoliating those legs.

Start with wet skin in the shower or bath. Allow the warm water to soften the skin. Massage a dollop of scrub into your legs in a circular motion, focusing extra attention on rough areas like knees and ankles. 

Step 3: Rinse

Rinse your legs just enough to remove the sugar granules, leaving behind a dewy, creamy shaving lubricant. This creates a conditioning barrier to your skin before shaving. If you don't, you are setting yourself up for making too much friction between your razor and skin, which can cause tiny cuts, nicks, painful razor burns, and ugly ingrown hairs. 

Step 4: Time to Shave!

Slow and steady always wins the race. So, resist the urge to rush. If you've ever wondered how to shave your legs without irritating them, here's the answer: go slow! There's no need to rush. Start at your ankles and slowly work your way up and above your knee using slow, smooth strokes.

Step 5: Rinse, Again

It's crucial to thoroughly rinse off once you're done shaving. Too much leftover residue can clog pores. And we all know what clogged pores lead to. Those annoying ingrown hairs! 

Step 6: Pat Legs Dry (Don't Rub!)

When you first learned how to shave your legs, we bet no one told you that it's essentially a form of exfoliation. Shaving can strip the skin of its natural oils, and using a rough towel to dry legs can cause even more dryness. Instead, try patting your legs dry with a clean, soft bath towel. This is a much less invasive technique for vigorously drying legs and body, and your skin will thank you later. 

Step 7: Moisturize 

It's so important to replace moisture lost through shaving since the process of shaving strips the skin of naturally occurring oils. So, as the finishing step, apply a generous amount of our all-natural goat milk lotion to the legs – Just spread across the skin and rub in for a magical moisturizing treatment. 

So, make sure that you do an exfoliating scrub before you shave! You need all those good oils on your skin to lubricate your razor and prevent any nicks from happening. Exfoliating after you shave is just wasting some good oils.

Remember: Don't Over Exfoliate! 

When you take up an exfoliating routine, it can be tempting to exfoliate as often as possible to ensure that younger and healthier skin cells are always on the surface. But there is such a thing as over-exfoliation. Depending on your skin sensitivity, you should never exfoliate more than twice a week. Exfoliating your body shouldn't be an everyday thing! Make sure not to over-exfoliate if you shave multiple times per week. Those dead skin cells need a decent amount of time to regenerate.

Doing more than this can rub your skin raw and cause your skin to produce excessive sebum, a type of moisturizing oil your body naturally has that helps protect your skin but can also cause acne and other issues if there's too much of it.

3 Guilty Shaving Mistakes

 

1. Forgetting to Exfoliate

Don't overlook this vital step in preparing skin for a close shave. Be sure to exfoliate your body at least twice weekly!

 2. Using an Old Razor 

If your razor is old, it's most likely dull, too. And a dull razor requires you to put more pressure on it to cut hair, which can lead to cuts. An old razor is also unsanitary. If you have an old razor, toss it and buy a new one!

 3. Not Moisturizing Post-Shave

The combination of shaving and hot water is enough to dry the skin quickly! Reinvigorate skin post-shave by applying our nourishing, all-natural goat milk lotion to your legs and body. 

Final Thoughts

So, it turns out exfoliating before you shave sloughs off any dry, dead skin, so you can get a closer shave and, ultimately, smoother legs! When you get out of the bath or shower, put on some of your favorite goat milk lotion and enjoy your silky smooth legs – We guarantee you'll be so amazed at how soft your skin feels that you won't be able to keep your hands off yourself!