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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

DIY Aftershave Treatment for Razor Bumps

I have very sensitive skin.  Because of this (and much to my husband's disappointment) , I rarely shave my legs.  It's just easier than dealing with the inevitable ingrown hair, and then trying to get rid of it before it gets to the point at which I need antibiotics (which has happened multiple times).  I am allergic to many antibiotics, so I can't take them very often anyway, for fear that I will become immune to the ones that I can take.

There is one product, which will remain nameless, that I have used with much success.  You can probably figure out what I'm talking about, but I am not posting the name because I'm basically giving away their recipe.  I got a free sample of it with some makeup I ordered from Sephora.  It's a wonderful product, and it allows me to shave my legs without getting ingrown hairs.  However, the price tag is pretty shocking:  For an 8-ounce bottle, it's $35.00!  Someday, when I have a better-paying job and thus disposable income, I will totally buy this stuff.  However, until then, I found a recipe to make my own version.  It's not exactly the same, but the active ingredients are the same. Mainly, that's aspirin.  I found a recipe on an online forum, the website it linked to was long gone, but luckily she put the full recipe in the post.  I modified it slightly, just to make it easier to make.  Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:  5.5 ounces rubbing alcohol, 2.5 ounces witch hazel (I eyeballed the measurements), 8 uncoated aspirin tablets (available at the dollar store), crushed in a mortar and pestle.  You will also need an old bottle to put the product in, at least 8 ounces in size.  I used an old 12-ounce astringent bottle that I washed out with hot water.  It has a nice spout in the lid that will work well for this application.



First, I poured the alcohol and witch hazel into the bottle.


Next, I put 8 uncoated aspirin in my mortar and pestle.  I crushed up the aspirin as finely as possible, as shown below:


I made a funnel out of a piece of paper and dumped the crushed aspirin into the bottle.  Most of the aspirin dissolved immediately, and only a little bit was left in the bottom of the bottle.  I shook it up to mix the ingredients. That's it:  8 ounces of after-shave skin treatment for less than three bucks.  Just shake the bottle well before each use.  Apply liberally to any freshly-shaven area with a cotton ball, and enjoy never having ingrown hairs again!



10 comments:

  1. does this work as an aftershave for a face or is this solely to razor bumps?

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  2. Bobby, this does work as an aftershave, but my husband says it burns upon application. You've been warned! :-)

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  3. Your husband has some growing up to do... It is not a woman's obligation to shave. I'm still in college and my bf couldn't care less whether I shave or not. Body hair isn't that big a deal, and it's definitely not nice to complain about someone else's, especially in your situation...

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    1. Please let me apologize, and also provide some clarification to my post. Sometimes, my dry humor does not translate well to type. I am sorry that I portrayed in my blog post that my husband expects me to shave my legs. Actually, he is just as much of a feminist as I am. Having grown up with only his mother and two sisters, he is very sensitive to women's issues, always puts the seat down, and actually had to explain to me how ovulation works (you know, since the garbage they teach you in school is so riddled with political undertones--i.e. "you can get pregnant ANY TIME you have sex!"). He is nothing but supportive of anything I choose to do with my body. If someone rubbed their prickly legs on me, I would probably complain once in awhile about getting scratched, too! That is all I was saying, and it was honestly meant as more of a joke than anything. I am very lucky to have a husband who loves me truly unconditionally. While I don't shave my legs very often at all, I do feel self-conscious enough to shave them before I wear short pants in the summertime. This is purely my own feelings and nothing that my husband has caused me to feel. In fact, he has helped me become more secure in my body because of how loving he is! I am glad to hear that your boyfriend is the same way. Again, I'm sorry for the misrepresentation and I appreciate your standing up for what's right!

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    2. Hey I complain at my husband if he rubs his porcupine stubble face on me, he has every right to return the favor if I try to get all cozy with prickly legs :D

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    3. Aery, I agree! Beard stubble kisses hurt!!! :-)

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  4. Can you use this after waxing?

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    1. I can't imagine why not. It is the only thing that prevents razor bumps for me. I don't wax, but I think it would work just fine. Please let me know how it works for you!

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  5. Ashley, thank you so much for this! The past 3 years I have ran into this issue every time I shave! I used to hardly ever have this issue after shaving, I guess I hit the "every 7 years you system changes" mark. Thank you again :)

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  6. Can use this underarms and pubiv after shave
    ?

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