Perfectly Shaved Legs (plus my drugstore find)
venus and olay
I love finding fun things at the drugstore. You always need to go there for odds and ends anyways and I stumbled upon this little gem. Gillette's Venus mixed with Olay to create this brilliant razor with built-in shave gel. Now, I know they aren't the first to come up with this, but they have made the best one yet! I have tried these before from other brands and it left my skin feeling dry with a little razor burn. So I will say that I was a bit skeptical when I bought this, but it was worth a shot. It's officially my new favorite thing! It actually makes me look forward to shaving my legs. I bought the 5 blade original, but they have a lot of options so that you can get whichever razor fits your skin type. These are PERFECT for traveling! I hate having to pack shave gel AND a razor (I know it's completely tragic).
For a perfect shave here are a few tricks:
*Softened Skin: You don't want to shave right when you get in the shower. Allow your skin to be in the warm water for a little bit of time before getting started. Make sure your water is warm and not HOT because the hot water will dry out your skin more.
*Exfoliate: I think this is the missing piece of the puzzle for most people. Once your skin has softened use a nice exfoliator to remove the dead skin cells from your legs. This will help prevent razor burn, ingrown hairs, and allow for a very nice clean shave. When you exfoliate use circular motions to get the best results. If you don't have a good exfoliator the next best thing would be to use a loofah with some moisturizing body wash. I recommend exfoliating your entire body a couple times a week at least.
*Make each one count: I think a lot of people (including myself) will just shave the entire leg then rinse the razor and move on to the next leg. I mean, we are all in a hurry to get ready most of the time aren't we? BUT I must say that you will get the best results if you rinse your razor after every couple times you run it over your leg. This keeps it clean and more effective.
*NO DULL RAZORS: Keep your razors clean and updated... like your toothbrush! It's not going to do it's job if it's getting worn down.
*Shave gel or Gillette's Venus and Olay Razor: If you haven't gotten this razor yet, or need to just use up the rest of your shave gel before you get it, make sure to use shave gel. I know it seems basic, but when we are in a hurry we either skip that part or just use a small amount. Shave gel helps protect your skin and if you don't use it your skin will be irritated, dry, and stripped of oils. I like the kinds that aren't alcohol based because they strip your skin. If you are in the market for something new... try this razor with built in shave gel and cut out that extra step!
*Lotion up!: Once you dry off after your shower immediately put your lotion on. Because your skin is still warm it will absorb the moisturizer much better than it would if it was cooled down.
*Don't shave every day: Allow your hair to grow out a bit. This helps prevent ingrown hairs and irritation to the skin.
If your legs are well hydrated they will shine on their own!