By Natalie Arroyo Camacho, Contributing Writer

There are many ways to remove hair from the human body. You can shave. You can get laser hair removal or pluck it with tweezers. And you can wax it off. Perhaps one of the more painful hair removal options? A bikini wax, also called a Brazilian wax. During a bikini wax session, a licensed professional will apply hot wax to the sides of your pubis and then cover it up with a piece of cloth. Once the hair has stuck to the wax and the wax has stuck to the cloth, the person waxing you will quickly tear off the cloth. 

Since the whole point of getting a bikini wax is to keep your bikini line smooth, it’s important to care for your bikini area after a waxing session. Moreover, bikini wax aftercare can help keep you avoid irritations, bumps, and ingrown hairs. But what are the best bikini wax aftercare practices? Well, that’s precisely what we go into here.

Bikini Wax Aftercare

In my experience, folks think that getting a bikini wax is good enough and that they don’t have to take special care of the area thereafter. However, it’s not the best idea to ignore the bikini area after hair removal. 

First of all, you need to make sure you’re soothing the skin — which just went through a pretty painful experience. Secondly, you don’t want to welcome ingrown hairs. Lastly, the area that we’re talking about is one of the most sensitive on the body. Doesn’t it make sense that you’d want to treat it well in general?

What To Expect After a Bikini Wax

Plainly put, we can each have a very different post-wax experience. For the most part, though, freshly waxed skin will look a little something like this: redness on the waxed areas, a bit of discoloration in the pubic area, and/or small bumps immediately after the bikini wax session. It’s important to note that this happens to most people, and it should be less noticeable after 24 hours.

If you have sensitive skin, however, it’s possible that you’ll still see these irritations up to 48 hours after your waxing service. And that, my friends, is why it’s so crucial to give yourself the right type of bikini wax aftercare. Below, we’ll get into some general steps to address waxing care at home as well as the best post-bikini wax products.

After Bikini Wax Care At Home

Stay away from direct sunlight

I realize that most of us get a bikini wax because we have plans to be in direct sunlight. However, the skin is very raw up to 48 hours post-bikini wax. Try to plan your waxing sessions a few days before you plan to sunbathe. That way, you’re not allowing the sun to wreak havoc on your skin after waxing—at least not immediately.

Let your skin breathe 

Said another way, this tip encourages you to wear loose clothing as opposed to tight garments. That’s because wearing snugger clothes may lead to breakouts or ingrown hairs in the bikini area. This may also happen if you’re doing hardcore exercise, as that causes friction, sweat, and the growth of bacteria in hair follicles. Letting your skin breathe is one of the best ways of preventing ingrown hairs.

Wait to exfoliate

This goes back to the fact that your skin is pretty raw post-wax. Exfoliating is my go-to when trying to remove dead skin from anywhere in my body. However, when you exfoliate after a bikini wax, you’re likely further tenderizing the sensitive area.  

Moisturize the area

This is probably the most important tip because it’ll ensure that there’s no scarring and it’ll help minimize redness and dryness. Since your skin is tender from the wax, applying moisture to the bikini area is beneficial in helping it regenerate.

The 7 Best Post-Bikini Wax Products

Paula’s Choice Ultra-Rich Soothing Body Butter

Around these parts, we are huge fans of Paula’s Choice. This body butter is a lush blend of plant oils and shea butter, so it helps to soften the skin. It’s also great for bikini wax aftercare because it’s formulated with sensitive skin in mind.

Available at Amazon ($22) | Also available at Paula’s Choice

Éminence Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Body Lotion

This pick from Éminence is a perfect treatment following a bikini wax. That’s because it’s highly moisturizing and sinks into the skin almost immediately. There is, of course, hyaluronic acid in this product—which adds hydration to all the moisture.

Available at Dermstore ($39) | Also available at Éminence

Topicals High Roller Ingrown Hair Tonic with AHA and BHA

This product is fantastic in aiding hair to grow properly instead of inwards, like you’d see with ingrown hair. It’s also great that this product can be easily rolled on. Other highlights for this product: it’s vegan and good for redness, acne, and uneven texture. Since this does contain AHA and BHA, which are exfoliating acids, you should wait a few days before applying this to your bikini area.

Available at Sephora ($26) | Also available at Amazon

Fur Ingrown Eliminator Serum

This serum from Fur is perfect for ensuring healthy hair growth. What I love most is that Fur is a company that aims to “hydrate skin, soften hair, and eradicate ingrown [hair] from head to toe.” What’s more is that this serum also soothes irritation and gets rid of small bumps. 

Available at Ulta ($36) | Also available at Amazon and Macy’s

CeraVe Healing Ointment

I’ve been writing about beauty for the better part of five years. In that time, I can confidently say that I’ve not found a better, more versatile product than CeraVe Healing Ointment. It’s a great occlusive, meaning it locks in moisture, and it helps regenerate skin because it contains ceramides. Both of those facts make it a great product for bikini wax aftercare.

Available at Ulta ($11) | Also available at Amazon

DERMA E Tea Tree And Vitamin E Relief Cream

As its name indicates, this pick contains tea tree oil—which is great for keeping the hair follicles clean and reducing the risk of ingrown hairs. One thing to note about tea tree oil, though, is that it has quite a strong smell. I’m a big fan of its scent, but it may be overwhelming for folks who have sensitive noses.

Available at Amazon ($15) | Also available at Derma E

Jurlique Calendula Redness Rescue Restorative Treatment Serum

When you purchase the Jurlique Calendula Redness Rescue Restorative Treatment Serum, you’ll get an alcohol-free, lightweight, and beautifully scented product that’s easy to apply. Because of the calendula and other botanicals, this serum will calm, hydrate, and clarify the skin. And who doesn’t want that for their bikini area?

Available at Amazon ($38)

Natalie Arroyo Camacho is a first-gen Mexican American writer from the San Fernando Valley. She’s written for Byrdie, Refinery29, Teen Vogue, and Well+Good. She’s also the founding editor of Viva the Valley.