The Best After Wax Care for Smooth Healthy Skin
Whether you’ve never done a wax at home before, or you’re a pro, proper after wax care is just as important as the preparations you make before you wax.
Making sure your skin is cared for afterward can enhance your emotional and physical wellbeing. It helps you prevent infection, protect your skin, and feel good about the process.
The main things to keep in mind for after-care are exfoliation, moisturizing, practicing good habits, and waxing at the right time each month.
This list of best practices for at-home after wax care will help you treat yourself right.
Exfoliation
Waxing is a form of exfoliation, meaning that it removes some dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Because waxing exfoliates your skins, you’ll need to make sure you don’t overdo it with other exfoliation products.
You can use a body scrub or salicylic acid product on the skin to be waxed the day before you wax. That will help prevent ingrown hairs.
However, you should avoid using products with retinol on your skin for at least a week before you wax. Retinoids can make your skin more sensitive, so it’s best to avoid them temporarily.
It’s also a good idea to wait 24 hours after your wax to exfoliate. Exfoliating as a form of after wax care can remove dead skin cells and help you avoid ingrown hairs, but it’s best not to do it immediately, as your skin will be very sensitive.
You can use body scrub or a product that contains salicylic acid to exfoliate after you wax. If you have an ingrown hair, you can use a washcloth or soft-bristled toothbrush in a circular motion to gently exfoliate around the hair.
You can also use a steroid cream or retinoid cream to exfoliate an area with an ingrown hair.
Moisturizing
It’s important to moisturize as a part of before and after wax care. This can soothe your skin, and it makes your skin very soft.
There are a lot of products you can use to soothe your skin after waxing. Moisturize with a post wax oil that has chamomile oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties to calm your skin and remove any wax residue.
You can also use aloe vera gel on your skin, or apply a cold compress soaked in a mixture of one part skim milk and one part water. The lactic acid in milk also works as an exfoliant.
You can also use hydrocortisone cream to moisturize. This can reduce redness, swelling, itching and irritation.
Preventing Infections
To prevent infections, change into a clean pair of clothes, including a new pair of underwear, after waxing. This will help ensure that bacteria does not get into your pores and cause an infection.
Also wear loose clothing. This allows rooms for your skin to breathe. Tight clothing can trap bacteria and sweat on your skin.
Check your skin carefully for cuts or other problems before you wax. If you have cuts or ingrown hairs, wait until they heal to wax.
It’s a good idea to use antibiotic ointment on your skin after waxing if you have an ingrown hair. This helps protect your skin from infection.
As always, keep your skin clean before and after your wax to prevent any infections.
You should also avoid exercise right after waxing because sweat can encourage bacteria to enter your pores.
You’ll also want to avoid sex for the first day after waxing because that can introduce bacteria to your bikini line.
Avoid the following for hygienic reasons for at least 24 hours after waxing:
- Saunas
- Hot tubs
- Bathing
If you have an ingrown hair around the time you would normally wax, wait until it heals to wax. This will help prevent an infection and a lot of pain.
Other Tips
It’s a good idea to avoid sun exposure, including indoor tanning, for 24 hours before and after you wax, since this can irritate your skin further. Also avoid applying sunscreen to your sensitive skin.
Keep in mind that any sunless tanning cream you apply before or after your wax can look blotchy. It’s best to avoid sunless tanner for a couple days.
You should avoid putting any product on your skin the day before your wax. Creams and other topical products can interfere with the wax sticking to your skin.
Timing is everything
Timing your wax session right can reduce discomfort. Your hormones fluctuate during your menstrual cycle. You will feel most comfortable if you wax at home a week or two after your period.
You should wax about every 4 weeks. Your skin will stay smooth for up to 8 weeks. Each time you wax, your hair becomes finer, and some hair follicles don’t recover, meaning that the hair won’t grow back at all.
This means that you’ll be less sensitive each time you wax.
Check your meds
If you use any oral or topical medications that could cause skin dryness, check with your doctor before waxing. Some medications can lead to a burn or infection if you wax.
Don’t drink alcohol right before waxing. Although you may think that it will calm you down and reduce your pain, it can actually make the process more uncomfortable. This is because the acetaldehyde in alcohol stimulates a specific a type of pain receptor.
You can, however, take an ibuprofen before you wax. This can reduce inflammation and discomfort.
You should not shave for 2-3 weeks before waxing. Your hair needs to be long enough for waxing to be effective at removing hair.
For tips on hair removal for sensitive skin, check out this blog post.
After Wax Care Recap
Whether you’re using an at-home wax kit or strips, it’s important to use good techniques and follow proper after wax care guidelines. This helps protect your skin and helps you enjoy the process more.
Remembering to moisturize, exfoliate your skin, prevent infections through healthy habits, and follow other best practices to keep your skin happy.
There are a lot of things to remember, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be glad you put these tips into practice.
