How to Avoid Razor Burn: Try These Methods

Anyone can get razor burn on any part of their body. People who shave their bodies can easily cover their razor burn with clothing. Men who shave their faces don’t have that same luxury. If they have razor burn, their red, sensitive, and irritated skin will inevitably wind up on display. 

The act of shaving is naturally somewhat irritating. 

You’re dragging a sharp object against your face and allowing it to cut your hair. Your skin probably won’t be too happy with the entire process. Your shaving routine should include plenty of steps to satisfy and protect your skin as you’re gliding a razor across its surface. 

What to Do If You Already Have Razor Burn

It usually takes a bad case of razor burn to send men seeking a solution. If you’re dealing with a particularly bad case of razor burn, you need to be really gentle with your skin until the issue is resolved. 

Avoid sun exposure, but if you do have to go outside, use an all-natural fragrance free, alcohol free high SPF sunblock. 

Avoid using soaps or products on your face that contain ingredients like alcohol or fragrances, as they can exacerbate the irritation you’re experiencing. Mild natural soaps work best to clean your face. 

Coconut oil, vitamin E, chamomile, aloe, and green tea can help to reduce the stinging sensation or irritations and encourage your skin to heal. 

Try taking a two ounce cup of water and brewing an extra strong cup of tea, using one chamomile tea bag and one green tea bag. Let them steep together for about 5 minutes, take the teabags out, and toss the water. You can gently dab the tea bags directly on your razor burn.

Follow up with a dab of aloe vera, a little bit of vitamin E, and a little bit of coconut oil. Mix them together in your hands and gently blot them on your razor burn. 

This works best if you do it about half an hour before you turn in for the night. Just keep in mind that your pillowcase might get a little oily. Switching to one you don’t care about is probably a better idea. It will also prevent your partner from yelling at you about ruining one of the good pillowcases. 

Changing Your Routine to Avoid Razor Burn

If you keep getting razor burn and you use the same or similar products every time you shave, those products are probably contributing to the problem. 

Even if you wouldn’t say you have sensitive skin, it doesn’t hurt to treat your skin like it’s sensitive. Everything you use can help to reduce the risk for irritation, so choose wisely.

Prep Your Face Correctly

You might have to make a ton of passes with your razor to actually cut down the hair, even if you’re using a new blade. That’s because the top layer of your skin is dead cells. The razor is picking them up, dulling faster, and clogging. 

It’s a good idea to exfoliate your face at least once a week. It’s a better idea to exfoliate it two times a week. If you don’t let the dead cells accumulate, they won’t get in the way of your shave. Another bright side to regularly exfoliating is that it helps to keep your face soft and bright. A good complexion might even shave a few years off your appearance. 

Get a Better Razor

Cartridge razors or disposable razors with a ton of blades aren’t actually better for your skin. They’re making one pass count for three, four, or five depending on the amount of blades the razor holds. This is exposing your skin to unnecessary trauma. 

Single bladed razors are better, particularly if you’re patient and deliberate with your shaving technique. Safety razors and straight razors will do a better job than razors with stacked blades if you’re willing to work out the proper angles and take your time.

Shaving with the grain does more to protect your skin than shaving against the grain. Although this method is technically imperfect and may result in noticeable stubble slightly sooner, it’s worth the trade off. Razor burn hurts. If shaving one extra time a week with a different technique helps you avoid it, it’s worth the compromise. 

Use the Right Shaving Cream and Keep it Warm

The shaving cream, gel, or foam you’re currently using might not be doing you any favors. The stuff in the metal can, even if it says it's for sensitive skin, isn’t designed to do more than provide a slight buffer between your skin and the razor. 

These products are often loaded with chemicals, fragrances, and harsh surfactants that can often irritate your skin.

LTHR skipped all of that mess. Our shaving cream is formulated with moisturizing and skin soothing ingredients that help the razor glide, protect your skin, and moisturize while they work. Our shaving cream is made to work with our hot lather machine, which is something you should consider adding to your routine.

Shaving when your face is warm and wet helps to keep your beard and skin soft throughout the process. 

The coarse hairs plump up and soften, making them easier to cut. The warmth increases blood flow in your face, helping to perk up the hairs. When you use hot lather, your face is working with you to help you achieve the perfect shave. That’s why barbers do it, and that’s why you should do it. 

Be Mindful About What You Do Next

You don’t need aftershave. Aftershave balms are more moisturizing than alcohol laden, drying, and irritating aftershave lotions, but they still aren’t perfect. 

The best thing you can do after you shave is give your skin some extra moisture. If you’re a morning shaver, choose a hypoallergenic moisturizer with an SPF. If you’re a night shaver, choose a hypoallergenic moisturizer with skin soothing ingredients. 

The Takeaway

Razor burn is tough. Thankfully, it’s something that can be almost completely avoided just by changing your routine. If you encounter razor burn or currently have razor burn, you probably have most of the stuff you need to soothe your skin in your kitchen cabinets. 

LTHR is here to help you achieve a barbershop quality shave from the comfort of your own bathroom. Take your time. Relax. Pamper yourself. 

The more patient you are with your shave, the better the results will be. Don’t shave in a hurry and rush out the door with little bits of toilet paper stuck to the knicks. Spend a few moments relaxing and taking care of yourself before you have to face your busy day. 

Sources:

German Chamomile Information | Mount Sinai

Perfume Allergies | Green Facts

How to safely exfoliate at home | American Academy of Dermatology