By Tawnya Fornerod, licensed esthetician and founder of Just The Strip. Small batch waxing aftercare from Southern Oregon.
The best post wax aftercare routine is the one your clients will actually follow, and that means three steps, not ten: a gentle body wash, an ingrown hair serum, and a nourishing oil. If you have ever handed a client a long aftercare sheet and watched their eyes glaze over, you already know why simple wins. This is the three step routine we built around that idea, for licensed estheticians who want something easy to recommend and for waxing and sugaring clients who want to protect their results between appointments.
Why does post wax aftercare matter?
Post wax aftercare matters because waxing and sugaring remove hair from the root, which leaves the follicle open and the skin easily irritated for a day or two. Without a routine, clients are far more likely to see ingrown hairs, which are the number one complaint after waxing, along with redness, bumps and breakouts in waxed areas, and marks that linger over time.
Clients who keep up their aftercare have noticeably better skin, and better skin means better waxing results. Better results mean clients who rebook without hesitation and tell everyone they know about their esthetician. It all starts with three products.
Step one: cleanse with Simply Pure Body Wash
The first step of any post wax routine is a cleanse that does not undo your hard work, which is why we made Simply Pure Body Wash sulfate free, paraben free, pH balanced and fragrance free. It cleanses freshly waxed and intimate skin without stripping the barrier, and it layers seamlessly with everything else in the routine because it has no fragrance of its own.
Most body washes are loaded with fragrance and sulfates that sting freshly opened follicles. Simply Pure was designed with waxing and sugaring clients in mind, it is gentle enough to use every day, and it is made for us in the USA. It is a great fit after full body, Brazilian, bikini, leg and underarm waxing.
Step two: treat with an ingrown hair serum
Ingrown hairs are the enemy of smooth skin, and a daily ingrown hair serum is the step that helps keep them from forming. We make two, so every client has a match.
Truth Serum is our acid free ingrown hair serum, built on witch hazel and botanicals to help prevent ingrowns before they start and calm skin that is already irritated. Witch hazel calms the skin and soothes the look of redness, golden chamomile soothes sensitive post wax skin, and purslane and aloe hydrate so freshly waxed skin feels comfortable. Truth Serum contains no salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acid and no added fragrance, which is why it is the ingrown hair serum we recommend during pregnancy and nursing.
Smooth Operator is the stronger choice for stubborn ingrowns and razor bumps, with salicylic, glycolic and lactic acids working together to clear the follicle and smooth the surface so hair can grow through. Smooth Operator contains salicylic acid, so choose Truth Serum if you are pregnant or nursing, have an aspirin allergy, or have very sensitive skin.
Use either serum right after waxing and then daily between appointments to help keep ingrowns from forming in the first place. Both work especially well on the bikini line, underarms and legs, the areas most prone to irritation after hair removal.
Step three: nourish with Nourishing Oils
The third step is where most routines fall short, and it is the one clients say they can feel. After cleansing and treating, a few drops of Nourishing Oil hydrate the skin, support the barrier while it settles, and soften the skin around the follicle, and, used consistently, help future appointments feel more comfortable.
What is inside Nourishing Oils?
Grape seed oil is lightweight and absorbs quickly without clogging pores, which matters on post wax skin where open follicles can congest easily. It is rich in linoleic acid and helps lock in moisture.
Jojoba oil is technically a liquid wax that closely mirrors the skin's own sebum, so it absorbs easily and helps balance moisture without feeling greasy.
Sweet almond oil softens skin beautifully and helps condition the hair and follicle, which contributes to the more comfortable appointments clients love to talk about. Sweet almond oil is a tree nut, so Plain Jane below is the nut free version.
Tea tree leaf oil helps keep the follicle clean while it is open after waxing or sugaring, which is when bumps and breakouts are most likely to start.
Copaiba resin soothes irritation and redness at the surface, exactly what post wax and post sugar skin needs, and helps keep the follicle calm between appointments.
Together these oils soften the skin and the follicle so each waxing or sugaring appointment feels more comfortable than the last, and clients who use Nourishing Oil daily tell us their skin between visits looks and feels noticeably better.
Meet Plain Jane, the nut free Nourishing Oil
Plain Jane is our fragrance free and nut free Nourishing Oil, made with the same grape seed, jojoba, tea tree and copaiba base without the sweet almond oil. It delivers the same nourishing, follicle softening benefits as the original, just without any tree nut ingredients, which makes it the right choice for clients with tree nut allergies, anyone whose skin reacts to almond based products, and estheticians who want one oil they can offer every client safely.
The full routine at a glance
| Step | Product | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cleanse | Simply Pure Body Wash | Daily |
| 2. Treat | Truth Serum or Smooth Operator | Right after waxing, then daily |
| 3. Nourish | Nourishing Oils | Daily, after the serum dries |
Two or three times a week, starting 24 to 48 hours after your wax, add a Sugar Body Scrub to keep dead skin from building up over the follicle. Save this and send it to your clients.
Why we made these products
Just The Strip is not a faceless beauty brand. We are a family owned, esty owned small business founded by Tawnya Fornerod, a licensed esthetician with almost 25 years in waxing who knows firsthand what clients need after their appointments. We know the difference between a product that looks good on a shelf and one that performs on real post wax skin, and that knowledge goes into every formula.
Small batch in Southern Oregon
Many of our products, including our Nourishing Oils, are made by us in small batches in Southern Oregon, and Simply Pure Body Wash is made for us in the USA. That means fresher formulas that are not sitting in a warehouse for years, tighter quality control because we know exactly what goes into every bottle, support for domestic production and real jobs, and accountability, because we stand behind every product we sell.
Why estheticians should retail this routine
Recommending a simple aftercare routine is good skin advice and good business. Clients who care for their skin between visits come back with better skin, which makes your job easier and your results more impressive. They see fewer ingrowns and bumps, which means fewer complaints and more five star reviews, they stay loyal because they connect their results with you, and they refer their friends. Licensed professionals can stock every product in this routine as PRO 3 packs at half of retail, with no application and no login.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best aftercare routine after waxing?
The best aftercare routine after waxing is three simple steps done every day: cleanse with a gentle, pH balanced body wash, apply an ingrown hair serum, and finish with a few drops of nourishing oil. At Just The Strip that is Simply Pure Body Wash, Smooth Operator or Truth Serum, and Nourishing Oil, and it takes about a minute.
How soon after waxing can I use these products?
Simply Pure Body Wash and your ingrown hair serum can be used right after your wax, and Nourishing Oil goes on right after, once the serum has dried. Wait 24 to 48 hours before you use a scrub or exfoliating glove on freshly waxed skin.
Are these products good for sensitive skin?
Yes, this routine was made with sensitive post wax skin in mind. Simply Pure is fragrance free, sulfate free and paraben free, Truth Serum is acid free with no added fragrance, and Plain Jane is our fragrance free and nut free oil. If your skin is very reactive, patch test a small area first.
Can I use Truth Serum during pregnancy?
Yes, Truth Serum is the ingrown hair serum we recommend during pregnancy and nursing, because it contains no salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acid and no added fragrance. If you have specific concerns, check with your doctor.
Is this aftercare routine made for men and women?
Yes, every product in the routine is made for anyone who waxes, sugars, or shaves, on the face and body. Simply Pure, Smooth Operator and Nourishing Oil work just as beautifully on the beard, neck, chest and back as they do on the bikini line and legs.
Where are Just The Strip products made?
Many of our products, including our Nourishing Oils, Pre and Post Waxing Oils, and brow and lash oils, are made by us in small batches in Southern Oregon. Simply Pure Body Wash is made for us in the USA. Truth Serum and Smooth Operator are made for us by manufacturing partners to our formulas, and every product page says where that product is made.
Clean ingredients, a simple routine, and skin your clients will love to show off. Shop the full post wax aftercare routine.
