This post is brought to you by Us Weekly’s Shop With Us team. The Shop With Us team aims to highlight products and services our readers might find interesting and useful, such as wedding-guest outfits, purses, plus-size swimsuits, women's sneakers, bridal shapewear, and perfect gift ideas for everyone in your life. Product and service selection, however, is in no way intended to constitute an endorsement by either Us Weekly or of any celebrity mentioned in the post.
The Shop With Us team may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. In addition, Us Weekly receives compensation from the manufacturer of the products we write about when you click on a link and then purchase the product featured in an article. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product or service is featured or recommended. Shop With Us operates independently from the advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback at ShopWithUs@usmagazine.com. Happy shopping!
We don’t know anyone that actually likes getting a bikini wax. They’re effective, sure, but they can also be expensive and painful — not to mention awkward. On the flip side, DIYing it and opting for at-home hair removal can be tricky. That’s why Shop With Us talked to Shobha Tummala, Founder and CEO of Shobha, a hair removal boutique in New York City and Washington D.C., about the best way to get rid of hair down there in the comfort of your own bathroom. Her first tip? Foregoing waxing altogether and opting for sugaring instead.
Unfamiliar with the technique? Tummala explained that instead of using wax to grip the hairs, sugaring uses a gel made out of sugar, lemon, and water. According to Tummala, sugaring is better for home use, especially for novices, for several reasons. The first is that is washes off easily, whereas with wax you need some sort of oil to remove the wax and any residue.
“Sugaring gel is much easier to use for novices is that it is less sticky,” Tummala says. “So, you can go over an area couple of times if you miss hairs or don’t pull properly and get everything off the first time.”
She points out that doing this with waxing will irritate the skin. Sugaring is also generally less painful than waxing because it tugs less on the skin. As an all-natural substance, there are online tutorials for making your own sugaring gel, or you could buy a kit online. Shobha’s sugaring kit ($30), for example, contains only sugar, lemon juice, water, and glycerin.
Sugaring and waxing aren’t for everyone and many women prefer to stick to their trusty razor. While this method is perfectly fine, there is a risk that it will cause more irritation to the skin than other methods if you’re not careful. Tummala explains that the skin gets irritated with shaving because it is cutting hair against the grain below the skins surface.
“Try going with the grain instead,” she advises. “It may take longer, but you’ll have a happier bikini line as a result.”
But whatever hair removal method you choose, the skin around your bikini line is likely more sensitive than other areas of the body. That’s why it’s important to care for the skin there carefully. Tummala recommends cleansing the skin and exfoliating daily between hair removal sessions with an exfoliating scrub (we love this one by Kate Somerville) or Shobha’s own exfoliating cloth ($30.24) made of all-natural fibers. But if you already have existing bumps and ingrown hairs, a topical treatment like an ingrown relief lotion ($16.49, was $22) can be very helpful when used consistently.
“For the best results, apply after showering when the skin is still moist to ensure optimal absorption of the lotion by the skin,” Tummala says.
Tummala also recognizes that everyone has different levels of skin sensitivity. Those with extremely sensitive skin will probably experience redness after hair removal. So, Tummala recommends an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or other soothing lotion, oil, or other treatment. “We apply Shobha Rosewater Calming Gel after all hair removal treatments,” she says, “which tightens the pores and naturally reduces irritation.”
Whatever method you use, whether wax or sugar, at home or in a salon, make sure you keep your skin hydrated and happy.
Check out more of our picks and deals here!
