Beauty tip- Want Smooth Legs? Don't Commit These Shaving Faux Pas

1. Using hot water. “Hot water mixed with harsh soaps or scrubs strips your skin of its essential oils, leaving it tight, dry, itchy and more prone to nicks and razor burns,” NYC dermatologist Dr. Marnie Nussbaum tells InStyle . Before shaving, soak your legs in warm water for five minutes instead. “It will open the pores and soften the hair for easy removal,” she says.

2. Skipping the shaving cream. Always lather up with a moisturizing shaving cream, unless you’re using a two- in-one razor with a built-in gel bar. Doing so will help you get a closer shave and eliminate skin irritation. Plus, Nussbaum points out, “it also allows you to see where you have already shaved so you won’t repeatedly go over the same area causing inflammation.

So, no, your bar soap won’t cut it. “Traditional soap bars can have a pH of up to 9, leaving skin with a dry, tight feeling,” says Nussbaum. When your pH balances rise, your skin will be more susceptible to things like razor burns and bumps.

3. Not exfoliating. Those annoying ingrown hairs you sometimes get can be avoided with regular exfoliation. Massaging your legs with Body Scrub twice a week will slough off dry skin flakes and work wonders on those who suffer from keratosis pilaris (or small red bumps on the skin).

4. Using a single-blade razor. The more blades you can count, the better. “Using a razor with more blades actually minimizes cuts as the blades are spaced closer together giving a smoother glide and closer shave,”
Just know when to toss it. “A dull blade can cause razor burn, as can pushing down too forcefully on the skin.

5. Borrowing from the boys. Though stealing his shaving cream is fine, using his razor won’t
be as effective. “While they have similar blades,
women’s razors usually have a curvier face to allow gliding over curves,” she says. “They also tend to have more moisturizing strips and a slip free handle to avoid cuts.”

6. Not moisturizing afterwards. “It’s imperative to pat the skin dry and apply a calming, skin protective lotion to lock in moisture and support skin’s barrier function.[Instyle edited]

Hope this was helpful.