Hey guys! Stop walking around with toilet paper all over your face after shaving! It’s time to embrace taking good care of your skin (we won’t tell.) Skincare expert Annet King has skin solutions for any shaving, skin, or razor “situation” you may encounter.
DILEMMA #1: You fail to prep!
The ingrown hairs are still there and when you shave over the area, you bleed!
SKIN SOLUTION: Use a gentle scrub to loosen dead skin cells and help get the hairs out in the open. That way, you cut them off at the skin’s surface and don’t take away the little bump of skin that the hair is trying to break through. For thick, coarse hair use a prep product to soften the hair prior to shaving. Results: Less nicks and cuts.
DILEMMA #2: You have irritated skin and razor burn!
Rashes and redness are partly caused by heavily fragranced soap-based shaving formulas. Shaving gels are generally drying, as they are strongly alkaline instead of being pH balanced to the skin. Most cheap shave gels and foams are packed with fragrance, alcohols and don't provide much of a buffer between skin and razor. Fragrance strips are now even located on the actual razor.
SKIN SOLUTION: Look for pH balanced shaving products with soothing calming ingredients and those that are either fragrance-free or naturally fragranced with botanicals and essential oils. If doing some serious “manscaping,” go for a clear gel or silicone-based shaving product that provides a buffer between the blade and the skin, but allows you to see where you are shaving. Results: Less irritation, redness and after burn!
DILEMMA #3: Your razor isn't sharp enough or sterile.
It lives in the bathroom’s damp, wet environment and is potentially infested with bacteria!
SKIN SOLUTION: A fresh blade should really be used every time. Alternatively, rinse your razor with mouthwash or anti-bacterial wash to sterilize it before use.
DILEMMA #4: The Aftershave Sting!
Many men apply lotions immediately after shaving and wonder why their skin stings!! This removes the “stratum disjunctum,” which are the top 3-4 layers of dead cells, (which the chemicals in products can easily irritate.)
SKIN SOLUTION: After shaving, soothe skin areas with a non-perfumed, alcohol free, non-comedogenic hydration lotion or balm and wait a few hours before applying self tanner.
DILEMMA #5: You forgot sunscreen!
Newly shaved skin is exfoliated skin, and much more prone to burning and hyperpigmentation. Immediate sun exposure after shaving is not advised!
SKIN SOLUTION: Sunscreen must be used liberally after shaving, but wait a few hours for the barrier to be renewed or chemical sunscreens will burn. Alternatively use a physically fragrance free block.
For more grooming tips just for men, check out our new section, The Guy Guide.
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Annet King is the Director of Training and Development for The International Dermal Institute. Annet develops, writes, presents and monitors the success of all classes, which comprise the IDI curriculum. This program challenges skin therapists to reach far beyond the minimal standards required for licensing in the USA, bringing the skills of American-trained therapists into closer alignment with those of their counterparts overseas. Annet currently resides in Los Angeles and works at the IDI headquarters located in Carson, CA.
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