How To Get Rid of Razor Burn

Nearly all of us will have experienced post-shaving irritation at one time in our lives. The unpleasant sensation has several different names: shaving rash, post-shaving irritation, razor burn, to name only a few. The signs are all the same; a red, irritated, often tender and itchy, area of the skin that develops immediately after shaving but that can last anywhere from a number of hours to a few days. The rash itself can develop into an irritation, leaving your skin dry, painful, and swollen. 

For those of you that shave every morning, there is nothing worse than a shaving rash to start the day off on the back foot so, read on to find out what we at Proverb have discovered to be a cause of this irritation.

What Causes Razor Burn

There are a number of factors that are thought to play a part in causing razor burn, such as: using a dull blade, using a hard soap, shaving dry, not prepping the skin correctly, using the wrong products, or just having sensitive skin. 

The simple truth is that the very solutions that well-known shaving brands are promoting are most likely to be the actual cause of the problem.

Over a lifetime of shaving, you will end up putting over 250kgs of product on your face, with the majority of this aimed at preventing and soothing shaving rash. But do you really know what these products have in them? 

When it comes to our bodies we count macros, we measure protein intake, we know what we are putting in them. Then why don’t we do the same for our skin? Many products on the shelves today contain harsh chemicals that can seriously affect your skin, causing long-term dryness and premature ageing. Frankly, just like with your body, the higher quality of ingredients makes for better results. We recommend skincare products made with clean, natural and non-irritating ingredients.

3 Tips To To Get Rid Of Shaving Rash

We’ve taken our over 30 years of experience in the grooming industry and condensed it into 3 easy steps to help you get a better, cleaner and rash-free shave.

1. Choose Products Wisely

Your choice of pre and post-shaving products will have one of the biggest impacts on whether or not you will experience shaving burn. Let’s face it (no pun intended), you can’t continue exposing your skin to cheap ingredients that are better suited for degreasing car engines so, next time you are shopping for your skincare products, consider these things:

• Read the ingredients. If you can pronounce all the names on the ingredients list, it’s a very good sign! When products like peppermint, acai oil and coconut water are present then your skin is less likely to react badly. See the table below for the harmful ingredients to watch out for.
• Look for a mark or certification that indicates the product is made from natural, organic and clean ingredients. Some of the best to look out for are Soil Association, EWG (www.ewg.org) or USDA Organic. 
• Shelf life. No product should last for 36 - 48 months and, if it does, it’s most definitely going to contain harsh synthetic preservatives like propylparaben, ethylparaben or butylparaben. These ingredients have no purpose except to make the product last longer, your skin does not need them!
• Price. Just like food, you get what you pay for. Products that are made with high quality and organic materials cost more to produce, so they also come with a higher price tag.

2. Less is more

Experts recommend shaving less as a way to avoid shaving rash. Just like with a twisted ankle, the key to recovery is rest. Your skin needs time to repair and recover from the cheap products and irritation caused by scratching off the skin cells day after day. So, think about if you need to shave every day. If possible, limit yourself to every other day or take a break at weekends and let your hair down.

3. The Razor in Razor Burn

With a name like razor burn, it’s pretty clear that your razor plays a huge part in causing post-shaving irritation. Make sure that you are using the right razor and the right technique. Now, this is a pretty obvious point but a necessary one. With the growing market of cheap, disposable razors and the fast pace at which we are all trying to rush out the front door, so this last tip is often overlooked.

Everyone knows that the best way of getting a close and rash-free shave requires a trip to the Turkish barber with a cutthroat razor. However, many of us should not be trusted to handle one of these near our face so we have found another solution - the safety razor! This is a blade that can be replaced as often as necessary but that is mounted at a 90-degree angle to the skin, meaning that you can get a truly close shave without needing to apply the same pressure and run the same risks of cutting your skin as with a disposable razor.

Our Bonus Tip: For a great shave make sure you also have properly prepped your skin. Usually, this can be done by applying a hot cloth or face towel to the area that you are about to shave, this opens the pores, allows the hair to stand on end, and means that less pressure is required to shave it off. Although, a great way to save time in the morning would be to prep the face before you go to bed by applying face oil the night before. This acts in the same way as a hot cloth and means that you can wake up and get right to it.

That’s all you have to do to shake up your shaving routine and get quick results!

For more expert shaving tips or personal grooming advice that will help you smash your day then call us on 00 44 (0) 207 7818 220, email: hello@proverbskin.com or hit us up on social media @proverbskin