I am a low-maintenance beauty and skincare girl. I want results with minimum hassle and discomfort, and who can blame me? When it comes to shaving, I’m fortunate that my legs and underarms don’t give me much trouble with ingrown hairs, but my bikini line is a different story. For years, it’s been a struggle between really not wanting to go get a wax or sugaring treatment (painful and I have to make an appointment and leave my house? Plus, I still get irritation for a couple days and will have to repeat the process in a few weeks? Pass.) and being unhappy with visible, painful red bumps throwing off my cute bathing suit moments. I’ve tried several razor bump treatment and prevention products, and they worked decently, but they were by no means a miracle solution. So when I saw a fellow shopping editor recommend a post-shave serum by Megababe, a brand I already loved, I was excited — and let me tell you, it’s the closest thing to a miracle fix I’ve encountered.
Megababe Après Shave Ingrown Treatment, $13.97
I use this product right after shaving my bikini line and drying my skin, and the frequency and severity of my ingrown hairs has decreased dramatically. This stuff really stops them from developing, and it feels soothing without much sting. I absolutely notice (and feel) a difference if I forget to use it after shaving. While this can also help heal bumps after they pop up, it’s better as a preventative. This past summer, I was thrilled to have minimal blemishes along my thighs as I showed off a new bikini and to not have to deal with the cost, time and literal pain that waxes would have been. I felt more comfortable and confident, so this will be a must-bring on every warm weather trip going forward. I use it year-round whenever I shave down there. While I haven’t needed to use it on my legs or armpits, I’m sure it would be just as effective in those areas if I did.
Megababe’s roll-on serum is free of artificial fragrances and uses some of the same go-to ingredients you’d use to treat acne. That makes sense, since razor bumps, aka ingrown hairs, are caused by hair growing the wrong way into your skin, which is especially likely if a hair follicle becomes clogged with dead skin. This formula uses salicylic acid and apple fruit extract to bust those dead skin cells, glycerin to soften skin so it’s easier for hair to break through properly and anti-inflammatory witch hazel to calm irritation. FYI, it also contains alcohol, but I don’t mind — I’m not sensitive to it and want to keep that area clean and infection-free.
Besides the clever, dermatologist- and gynecologist-approved formula, Megababe is also a thoughtful, standout brand in other ways. The roll-on design of Après Shave beats the (also less effective) wasteful wipes and messy oils I’d previously used by a mile, plus the pink packaging with the little hedgehog mascot in a beret and sunglasses on the back is adorable. Megababe’s whole line is clean, vegan and cruelty-free. The brand’s founder is body-positive influencer Katie Sturino, who, in addition to being a great Instagram follow, is outspoken about destigmatizing the little body woes we all have like ingrown hairs, sweat and chafing. Her brand has made dealing with those things a little more, dare I say it, fun.
I’m not the only die-hard fan of this product — many of the Amazon reviewers describe similar experiences and claim this product as the best solution to razor bumps they’ve found. They also speak to its effectiveness on different areas of the body. One reviewer writes “It saves my underarms from bumps every [time] I shave and helps with the itchiness I get when shaving.” Another calls it “perfect for travel” and claims it helped heal small scars on their legs.
If you’re frustrated by bumps and irritation every time you shave or just sick of getting waxes, I absolutely recommend giving Après Shave a try. Your most sensitive skin areas — and your cutest swimsuit — will thank you.
