Updated date:

Nov 26, 2019

Home Remedies for Razor Burn

Author:

Alison draws on many years' experience researching natural remedies and products to use for health, home care and cleaning in her articles.

Home remedies and effective treatments for razor burn - plus, how to avoid getting shaving bumps in the first place!
Image purchased from Bigstock (bigstock_Happy_Cleanshaven_Male_Face_Wi_6008589)

Shaving bumps, razor burns, sore spots, razor nicks and cuts and all the associated problems of shaving are not just problems for the guys! Despite all the expensive beauty salon treatments of waxing, laser hair removal, sugaring and more, shaving is still the number one way to remove excess, unwanted body hair for both men and women—as well as removing facial hair for men.

In this article, you will find helpful videos to show you the right way to avoid problems when shaving from now on. But, if you already have sore, irritated skin, there are plenty of home remedies for razor burn—suggestions that will soothe and calm redness and irritation, not to mention helping to hide your embarrassment at having this problem visible on your skin!

11 Top Home Remedies for Soothing Razor Burn

Here are some tried and tested home remedies for razor burn that use ingredients you are likely to have at home. The remedies are listed in alphabetical order, not in any particular order of effectiveness!

Aloe Vera Juice
Apple Cider Vinegar
Aspirin
Cocoa Butter
Cucumber
Ice
Oatmeal
Strawberries
Used Tea Bags
Tea Tree Oil
Vitamin E Oil

If you have any home remedies for shaving bumps that I have not mentioned or tips and tricks for shaving, be sure to share them in the comments section below. Thank you!

If you have an Aloe Vera plant, you can cut off a leaf and wipe the juice onto your skin.
Image by mozo190 from Pixabay

1. Aloe Vera Juice

The juice of the Aloe Vera plant is one of the most effective natural soothing products you could apply to your skin. Cut a leaf from an Aloe Vera plant and wipe this gently over the affected area. Alternatively, buy bottled juice and apply with a cotton bud or pad.¹

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Use natural, raw, apple cider vinegar neat on razor burns. Do this by putting some on a cotton wool ball or pad and applying this direct to your affected skin.

It will sting at first because of the acid in the vinegar, but the natural antibacterial action will soothe the soreness and prevent any secondary infection if you have broken the skin.²

The easiest way to crush an aspirin is to place it between the bowls of two teaspoons as shown and press the spoons together on the kitchen counter top.
Author, Alison Graham

3. Aspirin

Crush an uncoated aspirin between the bowls of two teaspoons as shown in the picture above.
Add just enough warm water to make into a paste and apply it thinly on the affected area.

It will soothe the soreness and take away any burning and redness. You can leave it on for as long as you need to.³

4. Cocoa Butter

This is a product that you may well have at home for use as a moisturizer.

To use on razor burn, melt a little by placing some in a cup and standing this in a bowl of very hot water for a few minutes.
You can apply this melted cocoa butter to your skin with a cotton bud or pad or just with your fingertips.
Leave for as long as you like and either rinse off any surplus or remove with a soft cloth or tissue.

5. Cucumber

You might be surprised to learn that cucumber is a very effective home remedy for razor burn because it contains both Vitamin K and C.

The easiest way is to blitz a large chunk of cucumber in the food processor for a couple of seconds and use a cotton ball or pad to apply to the affected skin. For very small areas, you could just apply a slice of cucumber direct.

Crush Ice In a plastic bag and hit it with a wooden rolling pin if you do not have an ice crusher - messy, but therapeutic!
PublicDomainPictures.net (edited)

6. Ice

Crush some ice, or just use ice cubes.
Wrap the ice in a soft cloth or face flannel and apply as a cold compress to the affected area for instant relief and reduction in redness.

Do not leave the compress on one area of skin for more than ten minutes at a time, and do not repeat the application on the same area for at least half an hour.

Shaving Your Underarms

I use the Gillette Venus for sensitive skin. It is very effective and I never get sore skin, or razor burn! I can usually buy the Gillette Venus Sensitive locally, but I do check on Amazon to see if there is a money-saving special offer!

7. Oatmeal

There are many commercial moisturizers using colloidal oatmeal which is brilliant for soothing and hydrating your skin.

For razor burn on the face, you could make an oatmeal face mask, mixing fine oatmeal with a little natural yogurt and a couple of teaspoons of honey. Apply to your skin for about twenty minutes.
For razor burn on the legs or elsewhere, add oatmeal to your bath and soak for about twenty minutes. Just add about 100 grams of fine oatmeal under the running hot tap. Make sure that the bathwater is not too hot if you choose this method.

8. Strawberries

Mix a few well-mashed ripe strawberries with a teaspoon or two of sour cream or yogurt.
Apply this like a face mask to the affected skin and rinse off after about ten minutes.

The video below will show you how to avoid the unsightly and painful problems of shaving your legs the wrong way!

How to Shave Your Legs the Right Way

Follow the tips in the video below to get a leg shaving 101 guide on how to do it right! If you want to skip the first minute which has nothing to do with actually shaving your legs and is all about the disaster of the first time this girl tried and why she decided to make the video, just skip to the one minute mark - you won't have missed anything!

9. Used Tea Bags

Apply used, cooled tea bags to any area of skin affected by razor burn that is feeling sore or irritated. Natural tannins from the tea will help the healing process and relieve the soreness too. Many ladies find the cool tea bag particularly effective on their bikini line (owch!).

10. Tea Tree Oil

Do not apply this neat on razor burn; it is too strong to use on sore, irritated skin.

The most effective way of using tea tree oil for razor burn is to first add a few drops to a plastic spray bottle.
Add some cooled boiled water and shake well.
Use this mixture to mist your skin.

It is very soothing and has a strong antibacterial action to avoid a bacterial infection.⁴

11. Vitamin E Oil

Many people have vitamin E capsules at home and this makes a quick and effective treatment as it soothes, heals and moisturizes. Just snip the end of a capsule with nail scissors or puncture with a pin and squeeze out the oil. Apply where needed.

Useful Tips on Avoiding Razor Burn in Future

Open your skin pores in a warm shower or bath before shaving
Use a moisturizing shave gel on your skin when shaving
Always try to shave in the direction of the hair
Pat skin dry after shaving with a freshly laundered, soft towel
When shaving your armpits, try to do it at night so that you do not have to apply deodorant or antiperspirant on newly shaved skin as this is a very common cause of irritation.

Follow the advice in the videos provided in this article. These provide helpful guidelines for shaving safely and effectively without irritating your skin. If you do get irritated skin, use one of the effective home remedy ingredients listed. You are likely to have at least one of these available at home and will be able to tackle the problem right away without spending any money! All our tips are designed to help you to have soft, smooth, hair-free skin without shaving bumps or razor burns, if you have tips we haven't mentioned, please let us know.⁵

Sources

¹"How to Get Rid of Razor Bumps With Aloe Vera" 2017. Aloevera.com. Accessed August 06 2017

²"Bye Bye Razor Burn, Hello Apple Cider Vinegar!" October 17th 2012. Andsoitblooms.blogspot.co.uk

³Lisa Paralegal. "How to Use Aspirin for Razor Bumps" 2017.LIVESTRONG.COM. Accessed August 06 2017

⁴"5 Awesome Uses for Tea Tree Oil" 2017, mindbodygreen.com. Accessed August 06 2017

5 "How to Prevent and Treat Razor Burn and Irritation". Gillette.co.uk. Accessed August 06 2017

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.