With summer right around the corner, the days of covering up your legs are almost over. And, if I'm being honest, I couldn't be happier. In my mind, nothing compares to the feeling of a cool breeze on my legs as I strut around the city. Although having freshly shaved legs isn't everyone's prerogative, it's definitely mine. So knowing some shaving tricks for a smoother finish is something of a priority of mine.
If you think about it, there's almost no point to shaving your legs if you can't get them as soft and smooth as you can. I personally hate the feeling of leftover stubble after a fresh shave and after implementing a few of these tips, I haven't experienced it since. Though shaving seems like a foolproof task, there are so many tricks that you can do to ensure the experience gives you the best possible results. Once you give them a try, you'll be wondering why you never followed the advice sooner.
So whether you want your legs at their best for when your significant other rubs on them or if you want to strut your stuff like me, these 13 tricks will help you accomplish the task.
1Exfoliate Your Skin First
Accroding to Lifehack, exfoliating your skin before shaving will help make it smoother. This often skipped step will help eliminate dead skin cells to give you a closer shave.
2Moisten Your Skin With Water Beforehand
Schick noted that moistening your skin with water for about three minutes prior to shaving will give it a silky smooth outcome. Doing this helps plump up the hair, making it easier to cut with your razor.
3Wait Until The End Of Your Shower To Shave
According to Stylecaster, you should wait until the end of your shower to shave, as the steam from your shower will help soften your hair and open up your pores making for an easier shave.
4Shave At Night
Good Housekeeping noted that shaving at night will produce smoother legs. After shaving, your legs will slightly swell while you sleep and make hair retreat back into its follicles.
5Rinse Your Blade After Every Swipe
According to Self, a smoother shave can be felt if you rinse your razor after every swipe. By doing this, you are preventing hairs from clogging up your razor and ensuring that you get the closest shave possible.
6Stay Away From Dry Shaving
According to Cleveland Clinic, you should stay away from dry shaving for a smoother shave. Dry shaving increases your chances of getting cut and having your skin irritated. It also prevents you from going through the exfoliation stage, which was mentioned above.
7Shave Downward, Then Upwards
According to the aforementioned Lifehack article, shaving in the direction that your hair grows — i.e. downward — produces a closer shave and softer skin.
8Use Warm Water
According to Gillette Venus, you should be shaving with warm water. Hot water strips your skin of its natural essential oils. Using warm water will reatin your skin's natural oils and moisture.
9Prime Your Skin With Olive Oil
Glamour noted that priming your skin with olive oil helps soften up your hair, provide fewer micro tears from your razor, and leads to less irritation on your skin.
10Use Shaving Cream Instead Of Soap
As noted in the aforementioned Cleveland Clinic article, soap can have an astringent effect on the skin, which can leave it dry and flaky. It's best to shell out the extra money for some shaving cream.
11Use A Post-Shave Treatment
The previously mentioned Self article also noted that applying a post-shave treatment helps with irritation and skin inflammation.
12Invest In A Four Or Five Blade Razor
According to the aforementioned Good Housekeeping article, four or five blade razors provide smoother results because they get closer to the skin.
13Toss Your Razor After Three Uses
The previously mentioned Lifehace article also noted that you should be tossing your razor after three uses to keep your skin at its best. If you're using a disposable razor, keeping them past three uses can cause you to use a rusted or bad razor on your skin.
