Eliminate Razor Burn with These 8 At-Home Remedies

Want to learn how to get rid of razor burn? You’ve come the right place. You might shave once a week. You might shave everyday. You might never shave and prefer to rock a big, beautiful beard. But if you do reach for the razor or electric shaver on the regular, chances are you’ve experienced razor burn—a skin irritation caused by the friction of a blade on your skin—at some point. Anyone who’s had it will know that it’s unsightly, uncomfortable, and just no fun. So how do you leave the bathroom fresh-faced and rash-free?

First, you need to recognize when you're dealing with razor burn. Usually, it appears a few minutes after your blade has touched the skin, and typically it’s after you've dry-shaved, shaved too quickly, used an old razor, or shaved in the wrong direction (against the natural grain of the hair). It presents itself as an immediate red rash that can be sore to touch and feels extremely irritable. To be honest, it looks as bad as it feels.

Just don’t confuse it with razor bumps, which take the form of pus-filled pimples or pseudofolliculitis barbae (usually the result of annoying little ingrown hairs). That can take a few hours or a few days to come to life, and requires a totally different treatment.

How to prevent razor burn

How do you actually prevent it in the first place? You might need to rethink your shaving techniques to avoid razor burn. Slow down, switch up your razor (blades should be replaced every five to seven shaves, FYI), and if you aren't already doing so, invest in a new shaving lubricant— always using a cream, gel, or oil.

You might want to think about shaving post-shower, too. Not only is this pretty convenient timewise, but it is when your hair is softest and less likely to tug on the skin when met with a blade. On that, you should also slow down and not apply as much pressure to your shave—this will prevent friction on the skin and in turn reduce the chance of razor burn.

Post-shave, we advise that you rinse freshly-shorn skin with cold water and apply a gentle lotion, gel, or moisturizer. Avoid any products that are fragranced, colored, or contain irritants—those are the last things you need.