A lot of us have experienced strawberry legs - small, dark, or pink-colored spots that appear on the legs after a shower and shave. At the very least, they can make you think twice before you put on a pair of shorts or a dress - at their worst, they can definitely impact your confidence.
Luckily, this isn’t just something that you have to deal with. Here's how to get rid of strawberry legs - and strawberry skin everywhere else too.
What Are Strawberry Legs?
Strawberry legs is a common term used for dark pores on legs, open comedones, enlarged pores or hair follicles that are filled with sebum, debris, and bacteria mixed with air and melanin. They’re like small blackheads up and down your legs, and they darken when the pores are opened and exposed to air (aka when you shave).
What Causes Strawberry Legs?
Strawberry skin condition generally appears due to a combination of factors. Strawberry leg's causes include:
- Improper shaving technique: Shaving with old, dull razors or without shaving cream can have more of an impact than you think. Razor burn is a major cause of strawberry legs, and a close shave can cause contributing skin agitation.
- Clogged pores on legs: You don’t just get breakouts and skin congestion on your face. Clogged pores can happen all over your body, particularly if you don’t exfoliate and moisturize regularly. This can turn into open comedones that darken when exposed to air.
- Keratosis pilaris: This is a condition caused by a buildup of keratin (the protein that makes up hair) blocking hair follicles and creating a dry patch or a bump that looks like strawberry skin.
- Folliculitis: This is simply an inflammation of the hair follicles, and it can occur from shaving, skin irritation, ingrown hairs, or other factors.
How to Fix Strawberry Legs
Keep in mind, strawberry skin legs are different from razor bumps and ingrown hairs - though the latter two can certainly contribute to the overall appearance.
Luckily, it’s not usually a super common or persistent problem. Instead, it’s a seasonal concern that plagues only about 10-15% of the population. But that doesn’t make strawberry bumps any less of a buzzkill if and when they do pop up.
Here’s how to get rid of strawberry skin - and prevent it from happening in the first place.
1. Dry-Brush and Exfoliate
A contributing factor to strawberry legs is ingrown hair, particularly if you have thicker body hair. Ingrown hairs usually develop when the hair is broken off sharply and when there’s a buildup of excess dead skin that’s keeping that hair from growing properly. So how to prevent strawberry legs before they even start? By dry brushing and exfoliation.
Dry Brushing
Dry brushing, as the name suggests, is when you take a brush with thick bristles - like this body brush - and gently buff your skin in small, circular motions.
In addition to helping ease the appearance of strawberry legs, regular dry brushing can also stimulate circulation, help treat dry skin, and even lessen the appearance of cellulite.
Physical Exfoliation
Do some gentle exfoliation for strawberry legs in the shower. Exfoliants free of synthetics, harsh abrasives, microbeads, alcohol, and overly-harsh acids and full of hydrating, skin-soothing ingredients are best.
Now, doing this back-to-back may wind up over-exfoliating your skin, so we recommend that you only use scrubs for strawberry legs on alternate days or simply stick to the strategy that you like best.
Do it With
Zen Out of Ten Face Scrub
This product is great for natural leg scrub for strawberry legs. Our Zen Out of Ten Face Scrub is made with Vitamin, jojoba, and antioxidants which is the best leg scrub for strawberry legs. It contains gentle exfoliants and moisturizing ingredients that can help to unclog hair follicles and reduce the appearance of dark spots on the legs.
Welcome to the Scrub
Our product is best for strawberry leg's treatment with natural cane sugar that buffs away dry and dead skin. We added an antioxidant vitamin E to Welcome to the Scrub to protect the skin from environmental irritants.
Hometown Honey Bar Soap
Try this Hometown Honey Bar Soap made with extracts from oatmeal and goat milk, making it one of the best products for strawberry legs. The oatmeal soap melts and locks into the skin to form moisture to keep your skin nourished and youthful.
Chemical Exfoliation
For smoother, brighter skin, you need salicylic acid for strawberry legs. The salicylic acid acts like a cleaning crew on your skin by applying daily cream or lotion from our listed products to remove debris and black dots from your skin and clogged pores. These products are salicylic and glycolic acid extract that dissolves the keratin plugs without causing further skin irritation.
Do it With
Quality Control Acne Spot Treatment
Our Quality Control Acne Spot Treatment contains salicylic acid to cure strawberry legs. This strawberry leg's cure is made from 2% salicylic acid and witch hazel for skin, to clear up pimples, blemishes, and blackheads. Apply this product to the affected strawberry skin and allow it to work its magic.
Soulmate Brightening Treatment
This is one of the best products for strawberry leg's treatment. You can use Soulmate Brightening Treatment to cure strawberry legs and renew your skin’s complexion, clearing up black spots. It’s the best face moisturizer and brightening cream combo to replenish dry, tired skin with deep hydration.
2. Focus on Moisturizing
Make sure you always have a ton of moisturizing, hydrating strawberry leg's products involved before, during, and after your shave. First, that means spending a few minutes in the shower before you shave to soften the hair on your legs.
Next, do not skip the shaving cream. Bonus points if there are some antibacterial ingredients - like tea tree oil or lavender - to decrease the bacteria on the surface of the skin. Finally, make sure you moisturize while your skin is still damp. This should be a fragrance-free, clean formula to avoid possible irritation - and you can even use a formula with some lactic acid (or other AHAs) if you need that extra oomph.
Do it With
Coco Cocoa Creme Body Butter
Enjoy the undeniably radiant results of the best skin-brightening moisturizer. The Coco Cocoa Creme Body Butter is the best strawberry leg's cream to restore skin's softness and hydrate to the maximum perfection. You’ll love the natural body butter's light velvety texture sinks in for an immediate, long-lasting, skin-soothing experience.
Island Time Spray Lotion
This product is packed with one of our swift anti-aging ingredients—the perfect strawberry leg's lotion to cure skin, face debris, and pimples. Island Time Spray Lotion contains coconut oil to clear bacteria and fungi properties on your skin.
For Facial Skin
Soothe your legs with mask strawberry skin treatment to exfoliate skin debris and dead cells. Here's how to apply your favorite face mask as a strawberry leg cure.
- Shave your skin hair with a moisturizing shave lotion or cream.
- Use our moisturizing lotion.
- Moisturize your skin daily.
- Shave your skin regularly.
- Use one of our products containing salicylic acid or glycolic acid.
Do it with
No Plans Clay Mask
No Plans Clay Mask works to cure strawberry skin and restore balance to the skin’s complexion. It has a knack for creating soft, smooth, and brighter skin. This product improves your skin drastically with a light scent of rose extract.
3. Change Your Shaving Technique
Other than changing your razor often and making sure to moisturize, some other tips and tricks can help prevent strawberry legs - or as a strawberry leg treatment if you're already dealing with the issue:
- Make sure that your shower is warm but not extra hot. Hot water can dry out the skin and contribute to exfoliation for strawberry legs and skin congestion concerns.
- Invest in a highly-rated razor that can give you a close shave without the drawbacks.
- Shave in the direction of hair growth, not against the grain. For your legs, that means shaving towards your ankles, not your knees.
- Pat skin dry instead of rubbing when you get out of the shower.
- Try a lotion or cream meant as an after-shave or, alternatively, a conditioning and toning face oil.
Do it with
High Society Face Oil
This strawberry skin treatment is next to perfection for your skin glow. High Society Face Oil is not just for high society individuals alone but anyone looking to correct and improve their skin’s softness and smoothness.
Get a New Razor That Is Gentler on Skin
Shaving with an old, dull, or cheap razor is totally one of strawberry leg's causes - along with razor burn and full-blown folliculitis. The dull blades drag against the skin, increasing the chances of the hair curling back in or of skin congestion.
Make sure, then, that you choose a sharp, effective blade and that you change your blade at least every few weeks (depending on how thick your hair is, how you store your blade - out of the shower is better - and how frequently you shave).Use the best razor for strawberry legs.
Choose a shaving kit that will provide the most comfortable shave possible and not snap your hair to cause ingrown hair. Before you shave, apply our 2% salicylic acid lotion to aid comfort.
4. Apply Skin Icing
Body icing is the process of moisturizing your skin with fatty acids that improve the tone and texture of your skin and support free radicals. Here's how to get rid of strawberry skin with body icing:
- Moisturize with our jojoba oil, shea butter, and lanolin product.
- Exfoliate with a clean body scrub.
- Apply products with 2% salicylic acid.
- Use mild, oatmeal soap that won't further irritate your skin, like the Hometown Honey Bar Soap.
- Use the best razor to shave your skin hair.
Do it With
High Society Face Oil
Freeze some water with oil into ice cubes to treat strawberry skin. Our High Society Face Oil will not only treat your skin but will eliminate black spots and improve the skin’s softness and smoothness.
5. Consider Hair Removal
If all else fails and this remains a pressing concern for you, you may want to consider laser hair removal or waxes/strawberry leg's epilator. While these options are more of an investment, they do provide a more permanent solution to these shave-related concerns.
Waxing or Sugaring
When administered to strawberry skin legs, hot wax and sugar wax can help by opening the pores and removing hair from the roots. Using the best razor to shave your skin regularly can slow new hair growth.
Consider an Epilator
While shaving and waxing increases your risk of developing folliculitis, another solution for preventing strawberry legs is by using an epilator. It is an excellent substitute. Although this may sound uncomfortable, this procedure is typically tolerated well and must be repeated every two to three weeks.
Electrolysis or Laser Hair Removal
Electrolysis or Laser Hair Removal targets the dark pores on the legs and stops the hair from growing excessively. Its goal is to slow hair growth by severely damaging hair follicles seriously. However, the effects last longer than the razor-shaving removal methods.
What to Do If Strawberry Legs Got Worse
If you are experiencing a severe strawberry skin condition, regularly exfoliate your skin. This should help get rid of strawberry legs and avoid ingrown hairs. This process should allow new hair to grow through the skin's surface. If the problem persists, this could be a result of some bacteria or infection on your skin. Please see a dermatologist immediately.
Summary
Strawberry skin legs are a frequent sensation, especially when you shave your skin with clogged pores. Remember, not just any razor should be used to shave your skin to avoid skin burns. Try out our products today and get rid of those strawberry skin legs for good. Here’s to flawless, glowing skin!