What Is the Best Ingrown Hair Serum After Waxing?
By Tawnya Fornerod, founder of Just The Strip and a licensed esthetician of almost 25 years who owns multiple waxing studios.
The best ingrown hair serum after waxing is the one matched to your skin that you apply to clean skin right after every wax, sugar or shave and then every day between appointments, which is why we make two: Truth Serum, our acid free serum built on botanicals, for sensitive skin, the face and brows, and during pregnancy and nursing, and Smooth Operator, our serum with salicylic, glycolic and lactic acids plus camphor, glycerin and vitamin E, for stubborn ingrowns on the body. Both help prevent ingrown hairs by keeping the follicle calm and clear so each hair can grow through the surface, and both finish beautifully with a few drops of Nourishing Oil. You will find them as Truth Serum and Smooth Operator, and pros can stock both at half of retail in PRO 3 packs.
After almost 25 years in this industry and more waxing services in our studios than I could ever count, I can tell you that the ingrown hair serum that works best is the one used every single day, and that is just as true for the men and women at home who shave as often as they wax.
What makes an ingrown hair serum work after waxing?
Ingrown hairs form when a hair curls back or grows sideways under the skin, usually because the follicle is irritated or blocked. In the first minutes after a wax, sugar or shave, the follicle is open and most likely to trap a hair, so the very first application matters so much. A wonderful ingrown hair serum after waxing goes on the moment the service is finished, keeps the follicle comfortable and clear between appointments, and is made for your skin and for where you remove hair, which is exactly why so many studios keep Truth Serum and Smooth Operator side by side and choose for each client.
Truth Serum, the acid free ingrown hair serum built on botanicals
Truth Serum is our gentle, acid free ingrown hair serum, created for sensitive and reactive skin, for facial and brow waxing, and for anyone who wants everything an ingrown hair serum does without exfoliating acids. Witch hazel calms the skin, golden chamomile soothes the look of redness, and purslane and aloe hydrate, so skin feels comfortable from the moment the service is finished. It has no added fragrance, it comes in a 100 ml glass spray bottle, and it is the serum we recommend during pregnancy and nursing and for anyone with an aspirin allergy, so please check with your doctor if you have specific concerns.
Spray it onto clean skin, massage it in until it absorbs, and get dressed with nothing to wait for. Use it once or twice a day between appointments, and because it is so gentle, you can reapply it through the day whenever skin feels irritated. It is lovely on the upper lip, chin, brows and jawline after a facial wax, kept away from the eyes themselves.
Smooth Operator, the Dreamsicle roll on ingrown hair serum for stubborn ingrowns
Smooth Operator is the serum Just The Strip was built on, the very first product we made, and it is the stronger choice for stubborn ingrowns and razor bumps when skin tolerates acids well. Three acids work together beautifully, with salicylic acid reaching down into the follicle to clear it while glycolic and lactic acids smooth the surface of the skin so hair can grow through cleanly. Camphor, glycerin and vitamin E calm and hydrate at the same time, which is why it is gentle enough to apply the moment the service is finished.
Our 50 ml Dreamsicle roll on carries the serum in our orange vanilla scent, the one clients pick up because it smells so good, and the same serum comes in a 100 ml roll on in our regular scent and a 100 ml glass pump bottle. Smooth a thin layer onto clean skin right after waxing, sugaring or shaving, let it dry fully before dressing, and then use it once a day between appointments, skipping other chemical exfoliants and abrasive scrubs on the same area. Smooth Operator contains salicylic acid, so anyone who is pregnant or nursing or has an aspirin allergy should reach for Truth Serum instead.
Which ingrown hair serum is best if you shave as often as you wax?
Both serums work after waxing, sugaring, laser, tweezing and shaving, on the face and body, for men and women, because ingrown hairs form the same way no matter how the hair was removed. If you shave between waxes, simply make your serum part of every shave by smoothing it onto clean skin right after you rinse, letting it dry or absorb, and finishing with a few drops of Nourishing Oil. Smooth Operator is a favorite on the bikini line, underarms, legs, beard and neck, while Truth Serum is the gentle choice for the face and for skin that tends to feel reactive after a razor. Our post on razor bumps and how to help prevent the next ones goes deeper into shaving.
How do you use an ingrown hair serum after waxing at home?
The whole routine takes about a minute and feels like a small gift to yourself. Cleanse with Simply Pure Body Wash, our pH balanced, fragrance free wash, at your next shower and every day after. Apply Truth Serum or Smooth Operator to clean, dry skin and let it absorb or dry, then massage in three to five drops of Nourishing Oil, choosing Plain Jane, which has no added fragrance with a touch of tea tree and copaiba and is nut free, if you want the whole routine nut free. Do this right after your service and once a day between appointments, and keep freshly waxed skin out of the sun for 24 hours. Our guide to post wax care in the first 48 hours covers what to do and avoid in those first days, and if the bikini line is where ingrowns love to show up, our post on ingrown hairs after a bikini wax walks through why they happen and how to help prevent them.
Which ingrown hair serum should pros send home with every client?
For the professionals at the treatment table, the easiest answer is to keep both on your shelf and choose for each guest. Truth Serum goes home with anyone pregnant or nursing, anyone with an aspirin allergy, anyone with sensitive or reactive skin, and every facial or brow waxing client, while Smooth Operator goes home with the guest who has stubborn body ingrowns and tolerates acids well. Our post on choosing between Smooth Operator and Truth Serum compares the two side by side, and what aftercare to sell to your waxing clients shows how the serums fit the full routine.
Licensed pros can stock the Truth Serum 3 pack and the Smooth Operator 3 pack at half of retail, one bottle for the room and two for the shelf, which earns about a 100% return on every bottle that sells. You will find both in For the Pros Only, along with the rest of our Waxing Aftercare Products.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I apply an ingrown hair serum after waxing?
Apply it right away, on clean skin and before you get dressed, because the follicle is open in the first minutes after hair removal and that is when it is most likely to trap a hair. After that, use it every day between appointments, once a day for Smooth Operator and once or twice a day for Truth Serum.
Can I use an ingrown hair serum after shaving?
Yes, Truth Serum and Smooth Operator both work after waxing, sugaring, laser, tweezing and shaving, on the face and body, for men and women. Apply your serum right after you shave and every day in between, because ingrown hairs form the same way no matter how the hair was removed.
Which ingrown hair serum is best for sensitive skin and the face?
Truth Serum is the gentle choice for sensitive and reactive skin and for facial and brow waxing, because it is acid free and built on botanicals, with witch hazel, golden chamomile, purslane and aloe. Keep it away from the eyes themselves.
Which ingrown hair serum do you recommend during pregnancy and nursing?
Truth Serum is the serum we recommend during pregnancy and nursing, because it contains no salicylic, glycolic or lactic acid and no added fragrance. Smooth Operator contains salicylic acid, so please choose Truth Serum if you are pregnant or nursing or have an aspirin allergy, and check with your doctor if you have specific concerns.
Can pros buy Truth Serum and Smooth Operator wholesale?
Yes, licensed waxers, sugarists, estheticians and salon owners can buy both in PRO 3 packs at half of retail, which earns about a 100% return on every bottle that sells from your shelf. There is no application and no login, and we confirm professional status on every 3 pack order before it ships.
Make it a daily ritual
There is something so lovely about a product that becomes part of how you care for yourself, and the right ingrown hair serum turns every wax and every shave into that kind of moment. Shop Truth Serum and Smooth Operator for yourself, and if you are a pro, stock both from For the Pros Only and keep our protocols and price list close in the PRO Resource Center. If you have any question at all, or would like to ask about pro samples, reach out to us at hello@justthestrip.com.
