In her review, Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann recommends completely wetting the bar first so you don’t encounter any scratchiness. Overall, she says this is the easiest, most low-maintenance keratosis pilaris remedy she’s come across—high praise.
- Key ingredients: shea butter, aloe leaf juice, spirulina, jojoba oil, glycerin
- Who it’s for: people with keratosis pilaris, ingrown hairs, strawberry skin, or all of the above
Best Exfoliating Pads: First Aid Beauty Ingrown Hair Pads
First Aid Beauty
Ingrown Hair Pads
Why it’s worth it: We’re not shy about our love for pre-soaked pads like First Aid Beauty’s Ingrown Hair Pads, which take the guesswork out of using too much or too little product. Each compostable pad is saturated with a gentle, effective blend of glycolic and salicylic acids to exfoliate skin and help prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Witch hazel tones skin, aloe soothes, and the alcohol-free formula is safe for sensitive areas like the bikini line, underarms, and legs. They’re even safe to use on your face and neck after shaving or waxing, and plenty of sensitive-skinned reviewers confirm that this product doesn’t irritate their skin.
- Key ingredients: glycolic acid, salicylic acid, witch hazel, aloe
- Who it’s for: people with sensitive skin
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you treat ingrown hairs?
Chemical exfoliators like glycolic or salicylic acid are very useful in treating ingrown hairs in your armpits, around your pubic area, and all over the rest of your body as well. “These exfoliators dissolve connections between cells on the surface of the skin to prevent hairs from becoming trapped,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist.
We recommend keeping an eye out for products that contain these two acids to help minimize inflammation and redness in the affected area. Additionally, you may also want to treat your skin with a gentle moisturizer or body lotion afterward.
How do you prevent ingrown hairs in the long run?
To prevent ingrown hairs, Dr. Zeichner says to consider using exfoliating cleansers to remove dead cells from the surface of the skin. “Doing this before hair removal will lower the risk of the hairs becoming trapped,” he explains.
You may also want to swap your razor for a single-bladed one. Pennsylvania-based board-certified dermatologist Erum Ilyas, MD, previously shared with Allure, “With a single blade, the likelihood of ingrown hairs is reduced.” She recommended hydrating the skin with shaving cream and shaving in the same direction as the hair growth for your first pass. Then, you can apply more shaving cream and go against the direction of your hair growth for a closer shave. Ilyas also noted that it’s important to go slowly and apply only light pressure while you’re shaving.
If ingrown hairs are a serious problem even with a diligent skin-care and shaving routine, consider options like laser hair removal, which targets pigmented hair follicles and is less likely to result in irritated skin caused by ingrown hairs.
Of course, there’s no rule saying you have to remove your hair at all. If getting painful ingrown hairs simply isn’t worth it to you, you can forego shaving or waxing and let your hair exist in its natural state.
Can I pop an ingrown hair?
No! Sorry, we know it’s tempting to dig that hair out, especially if you’re trying to get rid of it before heading to your hookup’s house or on a beach vacation. But medical experts, including New York-based dermatologist Marie Hayag, MD, are clear on their stances: “Do not extract ingrown hairs, as picking at them can cause infections,” she previously told Allure.
Luckily, many of the solutions highlighted here work quickly, so your ingrown hair will be a distant memory by the time you’re sipping a drink on the beach.
Meet the experts
- Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
- Erum Ilyas, MD, a Pennsylvania-based board-certified dermatologist
- Marie Hayag, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
- Geeta Yadav, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Facet Dermatology based in Toronto, Canada
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best ingrown hair treatments, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
