10 Shaving Tips All Ladies Need To Know To Save Their Legs
The idea of shaving off body hair is kind of weird when you think about it, but nothing feels better than a freshly shaved pair of legs. Especially after a hot shower and then going to bed with soft sheets. Mmm, the softness makes the awful job of shaving so worth it.
Now, some people just don’t want to shave and that is totally okay. But the people that do shave know that shaving is a huge pain in the butt and there seem to be so many things to do to make sure your legs don’t get cut, or razor bumps don’t pop up, or your skin doesn’t dry out.
So, if you are in the shaving boat and you feel like your shaving routine needs some improvement, here are ten shaving tips that will save your legs.
1. Never Dry Shave
When it comes to shaving tips, I am sure you will all have heard one or two of these over the years. My mom told me about this shaving tip when I first started to shave my legs. Do not dry shave. This is not good for your legs as it drys them out extra fast and it can leave pretty bad razor burns behind.
One of the main parts of shaving is exfoliating, so when you dry shave, you cheat yourself of the actual whole reason to shave; for soft legs. Also, try not to start shaving right when you get in the shower. There will be times when you are in a hurry, but if you let your legs soak a bit, the pores will open up and make it easier to shave the hair.
2. Shave at Night
I usually take showers in the morning, so I usually shave my legs in the morning. But many shaving tips have suggested shaving at night instead. It sounds weird, but shaving at night actually keeps your legs smoother.
When you sleep, your legs swell a little bit and when that happens, your hair may retreat back into the follicles even more which makes your skin smoother for a longer time. And for some reason, I am more prone to goosebumps in the morning than at night, and we all know goosebumps pretty much reverse all of our hard shaving work.
3. Use a Shaving Gel
I have a really bad habit of using plain ol’ soap to shave my legs, and I’ve only recently heard shaving tips that say soap dries out your skin just like dry shaving does. Find yourself a shaving cream or gel that works for you. If you are looking for something more natural, there are many different brands that sell natural shaving creams or gels such as Mother Dirt.
If you are interested, there are DIY recipes to make your own natural shaving cream. This shaving cream recipe uses essential oils, shea butter, coconut oil, and olive oil to give you that extra softness. Here is the link to the recipe.
Another shaving tip is if you are in a tight pinch and don’t have any shaving cream, conditioner actually works as well, just don’t be using it for every shave.
4. Shave Down Then Up
There are many small shaving tips out there that I haven’t even heard about and this is one of them. When your leg hair is a little on the longer side, or if you just want to be extra careful, shave in the direction your hair is growing (down the leg). This will help to make sure you do not have any irritation or cut yourself.
Once you have shaved down the leg, that is when you start to shave up the leg to get a closer shave. If you have very sensitive skin, try not to shave against the hair at all.
5. Moisturize Your legs
Out of all the shaving tips, moisturizing your legs is the one I hear the most. Moisturizing is one of the hardest shaving tips for me to stick to because I don’t take the time after my shower to use lotion. That and I some of the lotions I’ve used in the past have just irritated my skin even more.
That is why if you know you have very sensitive skin, you must find a more natural lotion that is made for sensitive and dry skin. I have found that Aveeno lotion works really well. One thing I also don’t like about certain lotions is how greasy they can be. I use St. Ives lotion because it is a great lotion for sensitive skin and it is not a greasy lotion at all.
6. Replace Your Blades Often
When you shave your legs, the blade on your razor begins to have dead skin and hair build up in the blades. If you rinse your razor off and that stuff doesn’t rinse out easily, that is your first sign that it is time to change your blade.
For me, I have found that my blades rust really easily, so I am changing mine, I feel, more often than usual. If you notice rust on your razor as well, just make sure you don’t use it because if you cut yourself with a rusted razor, you could get some pretty bad infections.
To avoid a rusty razor, dry your razor off with a towel after the shower. Then apply a little baby oil, or petroleum jelly works as well, on the blades before putting it back into the shower. This will help you keep your razor from rusting over so easily.
7. Use a Woman’s Razor
Women’s razors always seem so flimsy and they are always so expensive. So, of course, for a time I went over to men’s razors because I thought they worked better. But doing some research, the shaving tips have shown that men’s razors are made specifically for their coarse facial hair, which is not the same as leg hair.
So, as crappy as women razors may seem, they are made for our leg hair and other softer hair on our bodies. To save money, buy one of the more sturdy and expensive razors and then just buy the blades after that so you are not spending so much money on razors.
Other shaving tips have said that using single-blade disposable razors can be okay for trips and staying in a hotel for a night or two, but for regular shaving, it is best to buy the real deal.
8. Use Cool Water
The warm water of the shower opens up your pores and makes cleaning your self easier. But if you are the type to take super steamy, long showers, you might want to switch to cooler water when you shave otherwise your skin might be too soft and with be susceptible to cuts and irritation.
After you are done shaving your legs, shaving tips say to rinse your legs off with cold water to close those pores back up. This way it will tighten the skin and keep the hair in a bit longer.
9. Preventing Razor Burns
When we close shave our legs, we are prone to ingrown hairs and razor burns. I get horribly razor bumps the day after I shave and it hella hurts. To avoid this, shaving tips point to exfoliating body soaps and scrubs to use before you start shaving. Use them twice a week on your legs to shed off all of the dead skin that is trapping the hair.
To treat the red razor bumps, put a warm compress on the affected area. The heat will relax the hair and the skin. Moisturizing is so important after shaving as well because it helps prevent irritation such as this.
10. Use Sunscreen
This shaving tip is not really part of the shaving routine, however, it is just as important. Summer is the major shaving period as we begin to wear shorts, skirts, and dresses. After we shave, our legs become very sensitive, so it is important to wear sunscreen whenever we expose our legs to the hot sun.
