Back to School : Five Tips to a Better Shave

This past Monday we started a "back to school" mini-post series where we shared our top five tools of the trade that every student needs to have in their survival beauty kit. If you missed it, you can read all the details by clicking on this title: Back to School: Beauty 101: Tools of the Trade

In the spirit of keeping these posts short and sweet, here are our 5 tips to a better shave:

1. Exfoliate - this is the best way to prevent ingrown hairs. Exfoliating will clear your skin from dead skin cells before shaving. Tip: Try this DIY scrub: 2 tbsp pure honey, 2 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil) and 4 tbsp granulated sugar (or brown sugar).

2. Soften - the ideal time to shave is when you are taking a shower (like you didn't know that one, right?). For best results, soften your hair/stubble with warm water for about three minutes before breaking out the razor.



3. Lather - contrary to belief, using bath soap to shave is a HUGE mistake. Bath soaps even hair conditioners can clog your razor as well as dry out your skin. Instead do this: layer a shaving lotion or gel onto skin. Tip: if your skin is super sensitive, use grapeseed oil as an alternative.

4. Skip the Scents - it is imperative to AVOID all of the following: fragranced creams, deoderants (yes, you read that correctly: deoderants), and perfumes for at least an hour after shaving. The only product you should apply immediately after shaving is an unscented lotion to seal in the moisture.

5. Stay Calm - every once in a while after shaving your skin can feel "burned" - when this happens, it's time to pull out a bottle of Mylanta. Pour a little bit onto a cotton pad placing it directly onto the razor burn for at least five minutes. Another calming regimen is placing a slightly chilled, damp chamomile tea bag onto affected area - this will help calm any swelling.


Please keep in mind that all of these tips can be applied to all body areas that are being shaved - not just your legs! Taking the extra time and effort in following these five tips will help you become a shaving mastah!

Enjoyed these tips? Check out these two other related articles for even more tips:


Avoiding Common Under Arm Blunders (Part I)
Avoiding Common Under Arm Blunders (Part II)


Now it's Your turn: Do you have any tried and true tips for shaving? Let us know in the comments - or facebook - or twitter ... We want to hear from YOU! 



{photo credit: Image courtesy of marin/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net}