I ran out of shaving cream in the shower yesterday morning. I despise having to use regular old soap or even body wash to shave my legs, since it's not creamy enough, doesn't lather quite right, and doesn't offer any line of demarcation to follow along as I shave. However, I accidentally uncovered a shower beauty hack by shaving my legs with sugar scrub.
Being a beauty writer, I, of course, have six sugar scrubs of all scents, formulas, and packaging varieties in my shower, so I can exfoliate the knees and elbows properly. I use them once a week — OK, maybe once every two weeks, since I am not always super duper vigilant about it. I don't like to "over-exfo," since that could defeat the entire purpose.
When I was mid-shower and discovered I was shaving cream-less, I didn't want to hop out and run down the hall to my beauty stock/utility closet to grab a new shaving cream, thereby soaking the floor or ultimately slipping and falling on my ass. I decided, "Screw it, let me use what's at my disposal."
Josie Maran Argan Sugar Balm Body Scrub, $30, Amazon
I scooped out some of Josie Maran's Argan Sugar Balm Body Scrub, which I believe is no longer available, but that point is moot since any sugar scrub will do. Most leave a slick, post-scrub residue and that's what I was looking for. I proceeded to slough away on one leg.
J.R. Watkins Sugar & Shea Body Scrub, $7, Amazon
I used J.R. Watkins Sugar and Shea Body Scrub on the other. I'm not kidding; I had several choices for scrubs, as opposed to shaving creams, so I used them.
I know, I know. Using a crunchy scrub to shave sounds cray cray in theory, since the sugar grit would get caught in the razor blade, making it dull and/or rendering it useless. But my legs tend to get a little dry in winter and need some TLC, which a sugar scrub provides, thanks to the exfoliation and the oils, which further moisturize the parched skin of my ankles. So I saw this as a win-win.
And once the sugar granules were rubbed in and then lightly rinsed off, I was left with a slick of conditioning oil on my leg, so I grabbed my razor and slowly and methodically shaved my legs. The multi-blade instrument glided effortlessly up and down my legs. It was almost like using shaving cream and the end result was samesies.
After I got out of the shower and used my normal moisturizer, annoying winter leg skin was banished. My legs were smooth and didn't itch at all during the day.
The only drawbacks were having to rinse my shower a bit extra because of the thin layer of sugar that accumulated on the tub floor and doubly rinsing the razor blades, to get the gunk out. Both were small prices to pay, though.
Again, this was a hack, one that I recommend you try. I couldn't do a sugar scrub shave daily, since I don't want to strip my skin with too much exfoliation and I'd have to by stock in Schick razors.
But in a pinch and once a week is great. It's like doing a weekly, heavy duty conditioning mask for hair… only for legs.
Images: Giphy (2); QVC (1); J.R. Watkins (1)
