How to Get a Smooth Bikini Line Once and For All
Send red bumps, ingrown hairs, irritation, and frustration packing with this simple and super effective bikini line routine.
Throughout my own little glow-up journey, one source of constant frustration for me was my bikini line. My morning skincare, evening skincare, everything shower, and haircare routines yielded such positive and relatively quick results, that I figured that tackling my bikini line would be no issue. And I was wrong. I learned a lot of hard lessons along the way, but finally figured out a routine that works like a charm to give me smooth, clear, and irritation-free skin.
It’s important to note that everyone’s skin is different, and what works for me may be different than what works for you. I’m sharing my routine because the tenets of a clear bikini line remain consistent. The frequency at which you do these things will likely vary for you. My advice is to start slow, introducing each step one at a time, to see how your bikini line reacts. Going too fast, too soon is your worst enemy when it comes to keeping your bikini line happy and clear. This means if you have a pool day next week, start introducing the following steps this week!
Here’s my go-to routine.
On non-shave days, in the shower:
Step 1: Cleanse with a gentle skin-brightening soap.
The skin in this area is prone to getting dark spots, especially when you deal with ingrown hairs. Using a skin-brightening soap really helps combat dark spots, which helps the bikini line to appear clearer, even if there is hair. I use this soap for my bikini line and my whole body - it just makes your skin nice and bright!
Step 2: Exfoliate with a gentle exfoliating scrub.
Start exfoliating the bikini line with regularity. Just like with my skincare routines, I worked up to exfoliating daily with a very gentle exfoliant. I cannot stress enough how important it is to work up to regular use. If you’re not currently exfoliating your bikini line, start with just once a week. Slowly work up to twice a week, and so on. Twice a week may be all you need! Everyone’s skin is different. Avoid heavily-fragranced scrubs and stick to ones that have AHA, BHA, and/or PHA liquid exfoliants. I love this scrub that has pumice and jojoba esters to have some “grit” for extra exfoliation. Why exfoliate? It removes all the dead skin cells that can get trapped under the surface with lotions, sweat, and sunscreen. If those cells stay trapped they form… you guessed it: red bumps and ingrown hairs.
On non-shave days after the shower:
Step 3: Pat the area dry with a clean towel.
Key words: pat and clean. You don’t want to be ferocious with your drying technique. Just lightly pat the area until dry. Your towel has to be super clean as well. Using the same towel all week really ups the chances that it may harbor bacteria, which ups the chances that you’ll get irritated, red bumps and ingrown hairs. Plus, how lovely is it to have a fresh, plush, clean towel waiting for you after every shower? You’re not a frat boy with navy blue sheets and no headboard. You are a gorgeous, shimmering hot girl who glows up every day.
Step 4: Treat the bikini line with a gentle AHA treatment.
Once your bikini line is dry, treat the area with a gentle AHA product. I’ve had great success with two products: one option is to swipe an ingrown hair pad on the whole bikini line. Another option is to spray an AHA solution on the area. Both work great for me. You only need one product for this step, but I consider it a non-negotiable. After using your product of choice, let the bikini line air dry. While it’s drying, I usually take that time to put lotion on the rest of my body (otherwise, you’re just kinda hanging out in your bathroom in Goddess Pose for a few minutes, which, if that’s your thing, go for it, girl!).
Step 5: Moisturize the bikini line with a soothing oil.
This step is also non-negotiable. I didn’t realize how important it was until I was on this quest for a clear bikini line. I remember in high school, I got invited to a pool party, shaved in haste, threw on some (likely Cucumber Melon Bath and Body Works) lotion and my bathing suit, and my poor bikini line was ON FIRE. My high school brain was like “Okay, lotion + bikini line = catastrophe” and I never moisturized that area again. Bless my heart. We have to treat the bikini line just like it’s sensitive skin. That’s it. It still needs to be moisturized, especially after all the exfoliating. Not moisturizing causes the skin to produce extra oil, as it’s trying to moisturize itself. And that’s when we run into issues. I struggled to find a fragrance-free lotion that I liked and that’s when I learned about oiling the bikini line. *cue angelic music* Using a calming, anti-inflammatory oil was a game-changer for me. There are some products out there, including this very expensive oil that will work for this purpose. Because these products run on the super expensive end and I will always do what I can to fight the Pink Tax, I decided to make my own DIY calming bikini line oil, and it has turned into my holy grail.
Here’s the recipe to screenshot, if you’re into DIYing your own:
1 tsp Jojoba Oil
1/2 tbsp Tamanu Oil
1/2 tbsp Grapeseed Oil
1/2 tsp Cyperus Oil
5 drops Vitamin E Oil
Optional: 2 drops of Lavender Essential Oil and 1 drop of Chamomile Essential Oil
Jojoba oil balances the skin, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is fast-absorbing, which is why it is used in many beauty products. Tamanu oil is healing, antimicrobial, and calms irritation and redness. Grapeseed oil is super light, has antimicrobial properties, and smooths skin. Cyperus (also called Nutgrass) oil helps reduce hair regrowth and is a mild anti-inflammatory. Vitamin E oil is a known antioxidant that supports skin healing. Lavender is extra soothing, antimicrobial, and gives a tiny bit of non-irritating scent. And Chamomile is deeply calming and reduces redness. I mix all of the oils into a glass amber bottle with a dropper and apply it to my skin as my last step. It’s wayyy more affordable and has become one of my favorite steps in the process, because it works so well.
On shave days, in the shower:
Step 1: Cleanse with a gentle skin-brightening soap.
Just like non-shave days, cleanse the area with a skin-brightening soap.
Step 2: Exfoliate with a gentle exfoliating scrub.
Also just like non-shave days, exfoliate the bikini line with a very gentle exfoliant. Remember that exfoliating removes all the dead skin cells that can get trapped under the surface with lotions, sweat, and sunscreen, which causes irritation.
Step 3: Slowly and methodically shave the bikini line.
Here are the non-negotiable rules for shaving the bikini line:
- Allow a few minutes in warm water to relax the hair follicles.
- Then, step away from the stream of water to begin the process.
- Apply a shaving cream or shaving oil to the area. I like this cream and this oil, but it doesn’t really matter what you use here; just use something made for shaving, and not body wash.
- Pick up a brand new, cheap, disposable twin-blade razor. I’m not joking. I love 4- or 5-blade razors for my legs, but for the bikini line, a straight-out-of-the-package cheap twin blade razor is best. For starters, it gives you the sharpest razor experience, which is key to a clean shave. Additionally, the twin blades do not pull at the skin like 4- or 5-blade razors do. Skin pulling causes the hairs to get trapped just under the skin’s surface, which means they are more likely to become ingrown. Just trust me on this. I don’t make the rules! I just know it works! I bought a big pack of these razors in bulk and use them once and then dispose of them. We don’t want bacteria hanging out on a used blade.
- Start shaving slowly. Now is not the time to be hasty! Shave horizontally, moving the blade away from your body, rinsing the blade each time you swipe. Then shave horizontally again, moving the blade toward your body. This will likely get all of the hair removed, but if you need additional passes, then you can go vertically, moving upwards.
- Gently rinse and leave the area alone as you finish up your shower.
On shave days after the shower:
Step 4: Pat the area dry with a clean towel.
Again, the key words are pat and clean. Be gentle with yourself!
Step 5: Treat the bikini line with an antibiotic ointment.
This may seem unorthodox, but putting on an antibiotic ointment like Bacitracin works really well on just-shaved bikini lines. It helps heal and soothe the skin right from the start and has not failed me yet! You don’t want to use this daily, as it has trace amounts of antibiotics (daily use could increase intolerance to antibiotics over time), but occasionally, just on shave-days, it’s magical. Of course, if you have a sensitivity to Bacitracin, you should not use it. If you’re not sure if you’re sensitive to it, you will want to do a spot-test before applying to your bikini line.
Consistently doing the steps above is key to keeping the bikini line irritation-free, all year long. Neglecting the area all winter and then ripping all your hair out with a rough shave or wax right before you need to wear a bathing suit is a surefire way to anger the skin. Giving the bikini line just a little more attention every day as part of your shower routine is all it needs to thrive.
To your continued glow,
- L
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