While skincare often refers to the face, it’s also important to take care of the skin on the rest of your body too. Here are some of the products that I use and recommend.
Body wash / shower gel:
I like the Avalon Organics line, because they use a lot of organic, natural, sustainable ingredients, and their products smell amazing (with no synthetic fragrances!). I’ve used the rosemary, peppermint, and lavender shower gels and they all smell and feel great. They also have an unscented aloe shower gel, for very sensitive skin. I recently bought a giant bottle of the lavender shower gel, so that should hopefully last me a while. The formula is pretty liquid-y, so it’s easy to pour too much out of the bottle and use it faster than you need to. The bottle I got has a pump so that should solve that problem! It has a nice texture, and in a pinch it will work for shaving too.
Shaving cream:
While soap/shower gel does work for shaving, it’s important to shave with a product that will create maximum smoothness to prevent the razor from irritating your skin. I like to use the unscented aloe shaving cream from Avalon Organics, though they do have other scents (I just want to be extra careful with my legs/underarms because that’s where I get the most irritation and sensitivity!). I used to use Dr. Bronner’s lavender shaving gel, but it left a gross residue because of the hardness of the water where I lived, so when I finished that tube I switched brands. I do recommend the Dr. Bronner’s shaving gel if you have soft water or if you prefer the lighter, less lather-y formula, but I’m happy with the shaving cream too. It’s important to remember to frequently rinse out your razor thoroughly when using thick shaving creams or things like coconut oil, so that the razor stays unclogged and able to shave smoothly. Also, you should always take your razor out of the bath when you’re done and dry it, so that the water doesn’t erode the blade over time.
Lotion:
This Olive and Green Tea Body Butter from Shea Moisture is a great, all-natural lotion. I like using it when I want something that will absorb into my skin quickly, or whenever I feel like smelling its lovely fresh scent! The olive and green tea collection is made for dry skin, which I definitely have. This lotion is perfect for using on my legs when I’m about to go out and don’t want to have an oily sheen from coconut oil. I also love the Olive and Green Tea Hand and Body Scrub (can’t find it on the website so I linked to the Lavender and Wild Orchid instead) for exfoliating my legs and underarms before shaving. However, I recently finished my last tub, so I don’t have a picture! I will certainly be restocking on this sugar scrub the next time I get a chance.
I also use coconut oil on my body and argan oil on my face and specific sensitive areas (like healing burns, dry cuticles, etc). You can ready my posts about these oils for more information.
Witch Hazel:
I like to use witch hazel as a toner on my face, as well as general first aid. It’s soothing so I apply it to any sensitive areas, like places with a scrape or cut, or my legs if they start acting up from being dry/irritated. See more about witch hazel here.
After-shave care:
After shaving, my legs are extremely sensitive, and I used to have a big problem with ingrown hairs. However, I have found some products that work for me from the Shea Moisture line. I already loved their shampoo, lotion, and sugar scrubs, so when I saw they had a shaving care line, I knew I had to try it, and I wasn’t disappointed. The Regenerative Lotion claims to prevent hair regrowth, but I haven’t really noticed that if it’s true. Either way, it’s very moisturizing, and it absorbs really well into the skin, so I don’t have to worry about having greasy legs (I typically apply coconut oil at night when it doesn’t matter).
The Tea Tree After Shave is actually from the men’s line, but who cares. 😛 It works for me. It’s actually pretty effective at preventing ingrown hairs and irritation, and the stinging when I put it on feels good, haha. It also makes me feel like Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone. I’ve just about used up both of these products, and I reordered the Skin Healing Elixir spray from the women’s line as a replacement, mostly because I think the spray format might be convenient. I haven’t used it yet but I can update when I do!
-K
non-stop crush 