Sunny days are ahead, and the body-bearing season is upon us. This means more frequent grooming for ladies and lads of all stripes and persuasions. For most of us, shaving is still the most popular choice for hair removal. Thus shaving comes with its pitfalls: irritated skin, razor bumps and burns, nasty ingrown hairs…You know the spiel. So Jenette and her team are happy to share that we have rounded up the do’s and don’ts for gentle and effective summer grooming, so you don’t have to sweat those irritations any longer.

Some beauties and beaus alike go to completely hairless all the time; shaving, waxing, and lasering their bellies, backs, arms, and toes. Others, like Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon and Miley Cyrus, prefer to rock their armpit hair like a boss. We are aiming for somewhere in the middle. Think face, underarms, nether regions — the usual suspects.

Naturally, you need a well-made razor. Change it frequently before the blade goes dull and bacteria builds up in the moist area of the shower. Make sure your razor is clean, especially the blade! We like to rinse ours in hot water and spray it with Be Clean — Detoxifying Toner before using it. Just as important as a clean and quality blade is the shaving product you use. We love our Green Tea — Superfood Facial Bar and Just Add Sugar — Cacao Infused Soap Bar not just for our precious face but also for the groin area and armpits. One day, we were sitting in an Epsom salt bath, about to tackle the bikini area, when we thought: Hey, why not use the green tea soap? And oh how wonderful, those inflamed red spots disappeared, as did razor bumps and ingrown hairs. So we recommend our cult-y soap bars for not just alleviating these little vexations but also preventing them!

We also shun shaving creams. Despite claiming to be hydrating, these products are often drying out our skin. Even worse, Aerosol shaving creams can be full of artificial ingredients like formaldehyde, butane, and xylene. Lymph nodes sit close to the skin in the neck, armpit, and groin areas. They are our immune system's first line of defense, and we certainly do not want to use anything toxic and cancer-causing here! Also, many shaving creams contain mineral oils that can clog your pores, increasing the chance of infections and breakouts. Our soap bars are all-natural, extremely healing and plant-based.

The Green Tea — Superfood Facial Bar is ideal for all ages and skin types. It cleanses gently, is more conditioning, and fights redness and inflammation. Just Add Sugar — Cacao Infused Soap Bar is great for oily, acne-prone skin and preventing ingrown hairs! Both deliver plenty of luxurious lather to remove those unwanted hairs with finesse. And a little product goes a long way! Our soap bars are also fantastic for men shaving their face or any part of their body. Our male clients love how the chocolate soap suds up on their whiskers, making hair removal a breeze. 

Post-shave, mist our Be Clean - Detoxifying Toner directly on the hairless area, and then apply a few drops of Be Clean — Detoxifying Elixir to calm, heal and cool the area down. It will also kill bacteria. Alternately, you can use or add a few drops of aloe vera to soothe sensitive skin. Be sure not to forget a clean, reef safe sunscreen at the end of your beauty regimen. Using one with 5-10% zinc on your new skin will also facilitate healing and prevent bacteria buildup!

As a brand devoted to sustainable living and practices, we invite you to drop off your discarded razors in our disposal box on our porch at Our Being in LA spa in Silverlake. Or better yet, get your own, especially if you cannot visit us in Los Angeles. Go to shop.terracycle.com and choose a Zero Waste Box™ for all the refuse you cannot recycle. TerraCycle also offers the Gillette® Recycling Program, which allows you to recycle all razor brands, blades, and plastic packaging.

A note for those who prefer waxing or lasering to good old-fashioned shaving: Please carefully do your research to find a reliable, reputable place that take pre-and post-treatments seriously. And remember to not expose your skin for up to 4 weeks after a laser treatment.