Tricks to Help Avoid Razor Burn...Even On Dry Skin

With summer still in full swing, shaving our legs and underarms is still on heavy rotation during our weekly—and even daily—beauty routines. But, frequent strokes of a razor, even a high-quality one, on our skin to remove the stubble can leave us with some serious razor bumps and burn, especially if we have dry skin. To get a few tricks to help avoid razor burn—and to soothe it after a shaving session gone wrong—we tapped board-certified dermatologist, and Skincare.com consultant, Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali.

First things first, you want to avoid razor burn on dry skin, you have to prep your skin for shaving before you go ahead and start. To get an even—and hopefully razor bump-free—shave, exfoliate your skin before you start. This can help to remove any buildup of dead skin cells that linger on the surface and obstruct your razor from moving across your skin smoothly. Some other rules to always follow:

1. Never shave skin when it’s dry. Always shave in the shower or bath, when the warm water has a chance to soften your hair and open your pores.
2. Never use an old razor with a blunt blade, this can be very abrasive to skin and lead to an uneven shave and bumps.
3. If you have dry skin, instead of soap and water, reach for creamy shaving lotions which can help to minimize the chances of getting nicks and razor burn. We love Kiehl’s Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream which was formulated for sensitive skin and is enriched with aloe.
4. Always, always, always moisturize your skin once you’re done shaving to add back hydration. For dry skin, reach for emollient body butters or balms, like The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Nourishing Body Butter which is formulated with vitamin E, shea butter, and cocoa butter.

If you do experience razor burn, Dr. Bhanusali has a few tricks to share to soothe it while you wait for it to subside. A quick derm-hack for soothing razor burn may seem like an obvious one, but it’s definitely easy. “A quick thing you can do is apply cold water to constricts the blood flow in the areas and [temporarily] tighten up the pores,” Bhanusali suggests. He says you can even ice on and off for a few minutes.

If you frequently experience razor burn, you may want to invest in a post-shave product that is formulated to help improve the skin’s appearance after hair removal. While Razor Bump Relief from Kiehl’s was created with men in mind, ladies will love it, too.