This is probably one of my most random posts but sensitive skin is the bane of my existence! I have always had quite sensitive skin but by legs in particular really suffer, especially when shaving! I don’t like to wax (my legs are so sensitive if I shave they bleed!) and hair removal creams usually bring them out in a rash so razors are really my only option. For many many years every time I shaved my legs they came out in a nasty red ‘razor burn’ shaving rash, I tried lots of different razors and shaving creams and I finally came up with a shaving for sensitive skin routine that leaves me with super soft smooth pins…
1. Prep / This is really important if you have sensitive skin and I would definitely not recommend going straight in to shaving your legs without soaking them in a nice warm bath first. I like to add in a bath oil or a moisturising bath soak as I find it gets my legs nice and soft and ready for shaving! Once my legs are nice and soft I like to use a smoothing scrub to exfoliate them and make sure there are no ingrown hairs before shaving, I like to use a salt scrub as they have oils mixed in and leave my legs soft without being too harsh on my skin.
2. Prime / This is probably my number 1 tip because, well…shaving creams are pants! I use a body oil and it makes a massive difference, they are super cheap (cheaper than shaving foams actually!) and my favourite is the Superdrug Vitamin E oil, I take a small amount and smooth it all over my legs, it provides a really good base for a close shave and moisturises them all at once. It is also really important to make sure you use a brand new razor, preferably one with 3 blades as it just means you have to go over the area less (I find if I shave an area of my legs twice it definitely causes razor burn!) New razors obviously have sharper blades too which makes the whole shaving job a lot quicker, if you are on a budget I would definitely recommend mens razors too, they are usually cheaper, have more blades and work just as well (if not better)!
3. Finish / Once I have shaved I usually rinse my legs off with some cold water and then go straight in with a body oil (the same one I use to shave) this just seals in the moisture and definitely prevents any bumps or razor burn, if they feel particularly dry or sensitive I use bio oil which is amazing for dry skin too. You should always use non perfumed products, if you have ever put a perfumed body butter or lotion onto just shaved skin you will know the pain and it also causes red blotchy skin!
One extra tip which might be a bit TMI is to let the hair grow a bit before shaving, not always an option in summer but then going out with a red rash all over your legs isn’t really either! When you shave over shorter hair it can really irritate the skin and letting the hair grow a bit longer definitely stops my legs coming out in a rash.
links: vitamin e oil / 3 blade razors / my favourite salt scrub
I really hope that this shaving for sensitive skin guide was helpful and would love to know if you have any tips for sensitive skin too!
I have such a sensitive skin that I tend to avoid shaving as much as I can (I usually epilate or wax instead) but sometimes, I just have to shave because I am in a rush and your tips are great ones! I think applying oils before and after shaving is a real must to avoid the shave burn! x
Alexandra
so please you found them helpful! oh I know how you feel, waxing actually makes my legs bleed though 🙁 oils are a must aren’t they?! xxx
I use the exact same method, I have really sensitive skin and this is the only thing that works! In-shower moisturiser is really good instead of shaving foam too! x
I tried out the in shower moisturiser after reading your comment and you are right it works really well! xxx
These are some super helpful tips. I have sensitive skin and should definitely pay more attention to prepping before shaving. I just tend to forget 🙂
XX
I was exactly the same but with sensitive legs you definitely pay for lack of prep! xxx
These are some really good tips, the warmer weather means I’ll now need to take better care of my legs. Will definitely be following the above steps!