Do you exfoliate before or after shaving?

A lot of guys feel comfortable with shaving their faces. They’ve done it enough times that they’ve worked out their own systems. But, a lot fewer guys feel truly confident about shaving the basement region, if you know what we mean.

We get a lot of questions about this, and we always try to be forthcoming with the advice. Whenever a question comes around enough, we try to make a guide for you.

That’s what’s happening this time around. Most guys understand that they need to exfoliate, but they aren’t sure where it comes in the process. Here’s the definitive answer.

Exfoliate first

Let’s not beat around the bush on this one (Sorry, not sorry for the pun). You want to exfoliate before you shave. There are a few reasons for this.

First, exfoliating helps you to create a smooth surface on your skin. The process of exfoliating pulls dirt, oils, and dead skin cells out of your pores. You’re left with smoother skin as a result (which is one of the main reasons to exfoliate). When your skin is smoother, the razor can glide more freely. You get a better shave with less risk of cuts or discomfort as you go.

There’s another reason to exfoliate first, and it’s that exfoliating after you shave sucks. Have you done it? The razor makes your skin a lot more sensitive. It’s at that point that you want to take an abrasive object and scrub your skin? No thanks.

Exfoliating usually doesn’t cause much skin irritation, but if you do it when your skin is super sensitive from a shave, you’ll see a lot more redness, and you’ll feel a lot more unpleasantness. Consider exfoliating several times a week

Grooming goes better when you do it in the right order

Of course, exfoliating is only one small part of the whole process. Sure, you should exfoliate before you shave, but is that all you need to know? No.

There’s a whole process to shaving, and when you follow it, you get better shaving results and a lot fewer negative side effects. As you can imagine, this is especially important when you shave sensitive parts of your body — like your groin.

If you follow the proper steps, you’ll be a lot happier, and it might surprise you to learn that the first step is not exfoliating.

Shower

You always want to have a clean surface to shave. If you shave without cleaning yourself, you have a much higher risk of getting a skin infection. They may not be common, but they can be completely devastating when they do happen.

The easiest way to get clean is to shower, and that also makes it easy to exfoliate (which is the next step). But, if you don’t want to shower, that’s ok. You can use a washcloth with warm water and soap to just clean the area that you plan to shave to start the process of removing dead skin, dirt and grime, oils, and more.

Exfoliate

When you are cleaning, it’s a good time to exfoliate. Use a good agitator (which is not a rough agitator) and the right formula. Crop Exfoliator™ helps to break up and dissolve organic matter in your pores while the agitator does the heavy lifting.

We strongly recommend going with a loofah. It does the job, but it’s gentle enough that it won’t cause your skin to raise anywhere, which is good for the shave looming over you.

Lubricate

When you are clean and exfoliated, you have a choice. You can get out of the shower to shave, or you can stay there (obviously if you skipped the shower you shouldn’t get in it now). It’s easier for most guys to shave in the shower, but regardless of which route you take, you need a good lubricant.

You’re going to be shaving soon, so you want to apply Crop Gel™ to the region. It will make shaving smoother and safer. It will also help your skin to be fresh and resilient along the way.

Shave

With your properly lubed lower body, you're ready to shave. This is the step where you actually grab The Crop Shaver™ and get to work. Once again, you can be in or out of the shower for this part.

The Crop Shaver™ is going to give you a lot of control. It's designed to navigate the tight spaces down there, so take your time and remove the hair that you don’t want to have around anymore. It will be fine.

Clean

When you’re done shaving, it’s time to clean yourself up. This is one reason why shaving in the shower is so appealing. It’s very easy to rinse away all of the hair clippings and then move on with your life.

If you’re avoiding a shower, this step is more annoying. Your goal is just to get rid of the cut hair. You washed with soap before you shaved, so you should be fine in terms of hygiene. You’re just trying to prevent any chronic itching that might follow you around on shaving day.

Remember skincare

What you do after you shave is arguably the most important part. You want to take care of the skin that you just assaulted with a sharp blade. To prevent razor burn and ingrown hairs, two simple actions will make life better.

First, apply Crop Preserver®. This ball deodorant helps to control moisture and reduce friction throughout the day. That minimizes the threat of irritation and inflammation after you shave.

Second, apply a little Crop Reviver®. This refreshing toner soothes and restores your skin (and it smells great). A light application will help your skin feel good and genuinely recover faster from any damage caused by shaving.

You’re done! When you follow the proper order, your shaving will get closer, smoother results. It is less likely to cause redness or splotches, and you’re keeping irritation at bay. If you add a good set of tools to the equation, you’ll be free to enjoy the fruits of your shaving efforts, and you can find all of the tools you need in the Ultra Smooth Package.