Written by Tawnya Fornerod, licensed esthetician and founder of Just The Strip, with almost 25 years in the beauty industry and multiple waxing studios of her own.
The short answer: Good post wax care comes down to keeping freshly waxed skin clean, calm, and free of friction and heat for the first 24 hours, hydrating it every day starting right after your wax, and waiting 24 to 48 hours before you exfoliate. Right after your wax, apply an ingrown hair serum and a few drops of oil. For the first day, skip hot tubs, saunas, workouts, swimming, sun, tanning, scented products, and tight clothing. After 24 to 48 hours, exfoliate gently two or three times a week and keep using your serum and oil once a day until your next appointment.
Why does skin need special care after waxing?
Waxing removes each hair from the root, and it also lifts away a thin layer of dead skin cells. That is why skin feels so smooth afterward, and it is also why it is more sensitive for a day or two. The follicles are open, the protective barrier on the surface is a little thinner than usual, and the skin reacts more easily to heat, sweat, friction, fragrance, and bacteria. A little redness and a few small bumps right after a wax are normal. The right aftercare helps them settle quickly and keeps the regrowing hair from getting trapped under the skin later on.
What should you do right after waxing?
The first few minutes after your wax are the most important, because that is when the follicle is open and most likely to trap a hair.
- Apply an ingrown hair serum to clean skin. Smooth Operator Ingrown Hair Serum clears the follicle with salicylic acid and smooths the surface with glycolic and lactic acids. For sensitive skin, facial waxing, or during pregnancy and nursing, Truth Serum is our acid free serum built on botanicals.
- Let it dry, then add a light oil. Three to five drops of Nourishing Oil hydrate the skin and support the barrier while it settles. Use two or three drops on the face.
- Get dressed in something loose. Soft, breathable cotton is best, especially after a bikini, Brazilian, or underarm wax.
What should you avoid for 24 to 48 hours after waxing?
For the first 24 hours, avoid anything that brings heat, sweat, friction, or harsh ingredients to the waxed area:
- Hot showers and baths, hot tubs, saunas, and steam rooms. A lukewarm shower is fine.
- Intense workouts and anything that makes you sweat heavily.
- Swimming pools, lakes, and the ocean.
- Sun exposure, tanning beds, and self tanner.
- Scented lotions, perfumed soaps, body sprays, and deodorant with fragrance on a freshly waxed underarm.
- Tight leggings, jeans, and underwear that rub the area.
- Touching, picking, or scratching the skin.
For the first 24 to 48 hours, do not exfoliate the waxed area with scrubs, gloves, brushes, or exfoliating acids other than your ingrown hair serum. Freshly waxed skin needs a day or two to settle before you scrub it.
Can you shower after waxing?
Yes. You can shower the same day as your wax, as long as the water is lukewarm rather than hot and you use a gentle, fragrance free cleanser. Simply Pure Body Wash is pH balanced and fragrance free, so it cleans freshly waxed and intimate skin without stinging or drying it out. Pat the area dry with a clean towel instead of rubbing, then apply your serum and oil.
How long after waxing can you work out, swim, or tan?
Wait at least 24 hours before a sweaty workout, swimming, or sun exposure, and 48 hours before a spray tan or self tanner. Sweat and chlorine irritate open follicles, and tanning products can settle unevenly into freshly waxed skin. If you have a vacation or event coming up, schedule your wax two or three days ahead so your skin has time to settle.
When should you start exfoliating after waxing?
Start exfoliating 24 to 48 hours after your wax, then exfoliate two or three times a week until your next appointment. This is the habit that makes the biggest difference for ingrown hairs, because dead skin that builds up over the follicle is one of the main reasons hair curls back under the surface. A Silicone Cactus Bikini Scrubber is gentle enough for the bikini line and underarms, Exfoliating Gloves make it easy in the shower, and a Sugar Body Scrub is lovely on the legs, arms, and outer bikini line. On the days you use an acid serum like Smooth Operator, skip other chemical exfoliants on the same area.
Is it normal to have bumps after waxing?
Yes, small red bumps in the first day or two are a normal reaction of the follicles, and they usually settle within 24 to 48 hours with gentle care. Bumps that show up one to three weeks later, as the hair grows back, are more often ingrown hairs, and a daily ingrown hair serum with regular exfoliation helps prevent them. Our guides to ingrown hairs after a bikini wax and razor bumps go deeper on both.
See your doctor if a bump becomes very painful, hot, or swollen, if redness spreads, or if you notice pus or a fever, since those are signs of infection.
What is the best aftercare routine between waxing appointments?
The routine I send home with every client is three simple steps every day, plus exfoliation a few times a week:
- Cleanse with Simply Pure Body Wash in the shower.
- Treat with Smooth Operator or Truth Serum on clean, dry skin to help prevent ingrown hairs.
- Hydrate with a few drops of Nourishing Oil once the serum dries.
Two or three times a week, starting 24 to 48 hours after your wax, add a gentle exfoliation with a scrubber, gloves, or sugar scrub. Stay on a regular waxing schedule of about every four to six weeks, and let the hair grow between appointments instead of shaving, since shaving restarts the cycle and often leads to more ingrowns. You can shop the full routine in our Waxing Aftercare Products collection.
Post wax care by area
After a bikini or Brazilian wax
Wear loose cotton underwear for the first day, skip sex and tight clothing for 24 hours, and use a pH balanced, fragrance free wash on the area. Start your serum right away, and add a small silicone scrubber made for the bikini line after 24 to 48 hours.
After an underarm wax
Skip deodorant with fragrance or antiperspirant for the first 24 hours if you can, or choose a fragrance free one. Apply your serum and oil, and avoid heavy sweating for the first day.
After a brow, lip, or facial wax
Skip makeup on the waxed area for 12 to 24 hours, avoid facial exfoliants and retinoid products for a few days, and stay out of the sun. Truth Serum is gentle enough for the upper lip, chin, brows, and jawline, and two or three drops of Plain Jane Nourishing Oil keep the skin soft. If you use prescription retinoids or acne medication, always tell your esthetician before a facial wax.
After a leg or body wax
Avoid hot showers and heavy workouts for 24 hours, start exfoliating with gloves or a sugar scrub two or three times a week once 24 to 48 hours have passed, and keep the skin hydrated with oil every day.
Frequently asked questions about post wax care
What should I put on my skin after waxing?
Apply an ingrown hair serum to clean skin right after your wax, let it dry, then add a few drops of a light oil to hydrate. Use a gentle, pH balanced, fragrance free cleanser in the shower, and avoid scented lotions for the first 24 hours.
How long should I wait to exfoliate after waxing?
Wait 24 to 48 hours. After that, exfoliate two or three times a week until your next appointment to keep dead skin from building up over the follicle.
Can I work out after waxing?
Wait at least 24 hours before a sweaty workout. Sweat and friction irritate open follicles and can lead to bumps.
Can I go in the sun or tan after waxing?
Avoid sun and tanning beds for at least 24 hours, and wait 48 hours before a spray tan or self tanner. Freshly waxed skin is more sensitive, and tanning products can go on unevenly.
Why do I get bumps after waxing?
Small red bumps in the first day or two are a normal follicle reaction that usually settles within 48 hours. Bumps that appear weeks later are usually ingrown hairs, which a daily ingrown hair serum and regular exfoliation help prevent.
How often should I use aftercare products between waxes?
Use your body wash, ingrown hair serum, and oil once a day between appointments, and exfoliate two or three times a week starting 24 to 48 hours after your wax.
