How to Properly Exfoliate Your Legs

Do you often notice stubborn stubble just a few days after shaving your legs? Or perhaps you've been dealing with ingrown hairs, dryness, or imperfections?

Here's a little secret: Exfoliation is the key if you're aiming for soft, smooth legs. By exfoliating, you can effectively remove dead skin cells, leaving you with the perfect canvas for achieving smooth, stubble-free skin.

Whether it's a physical or a chemical exfoliant, adding this extra step into your body care routine can improve the overall appearance of your skin tone and texture and prepare your legs for hair removal.  

We're here to walk you through how to exfoliate legs and explain why it should be one of your top priorities. 

Benefits of Exfoliating Your Legs 

You likely have a weekly exfoliant you use in your facial skincare routine, but it may not have crossed your mind that you should also be exfoliating your legs. While the rest of the skin on your body may not be as delicate as the skin on your face, it still requires the same level of attention. 

Adding an exfoliant into your body care routine can benefit your legs and the skin on the rest of your body. With the right exfoliant and routine, you can:

Ingrown hairs can be painful to deal with, but a high-quality exfoliant can buff away dead skin cells and reduce the risk of the hair follicles growing back into the skin. 

Everyone wants to achieve soft, smooth legs after they shave their legs. One of the best ways to eliminate stubborn stubble and make shaving more effective is to start with an exfoliant. 

Exfoliants can help even your skin tone and reduce the appearance of dryness and hyperpigmentation. It can also help even your skin tone, eliminating rough or dry patches of skin. 

Out of Shower Techniques 

There are many ways to incorporate an exfoliant into your routine. If you prefer to exfoliate outside of the shower or want to use a chemical exfoliant you already have, here’s the best way to exfoliate your legs outside the shower:

When properly exfoliating your legs, prep is a crucial part of the process. Even though you're using an exfoliant outside the shower, you still want to dampen your legs to ensure you can evenly distribute the product. 

Next, you'll want to start by dabbing your exfoliant of choice onto your legs and gently massaging it in. Depending on the type of exfoliant you use, less is usually more, so always be mindful of how much you apply to avoid unnecessary irritation. 

The Essence is our gentle 3-in-1 exfoliant, toner, and hydrating essence. It's formulated with phytic acid, hyaluronic acid, and wasabi ferment to help gently exfoliate to reveal soft, smoother skin. Apply The Essence using your hands or a cotton pad and swipe it onto your skin. Give your skin time to absorb the formula before moving on to the next step. 

Exfoliating can dry out your skin, so follow up with your favorite moisturizer or body oil to lock in hydration, support the skin barrier, and deliver softer, smoother legs.

Our Body Oil is a fast-absorbing formula designed to help prevent transepidermal water loss and improve the overall appearance of your skin. The soothing botanicals help hydrate, nourish, and protect you from environmental aggressors. During our 12-week user trials, 100% agreed that The Body Oil left their skin feeling intensely hydrated, nourished, and smooth.

We recommend repeating this process once a week.

In-shower Techniques

Many individuals exfoliate their legs in the shower as a prep stage before they shave. With a trusted exfoliant, you can eliminate your risk of ingrown hairs and dead skin cells on your skin's surface, giving you a clean canvas to start shaving. 

Here's the best way to exfoliate your legs in the shower:

Before shaving or exfoliating, prep your legs with a warm shower or bath to open up your pores, soften the skin, and prepare your legs for exfoliation. 

Next, cleanse your skin with your favorite body wash to eliminate dirt, grime, or bacteria in your pores and reduce your risk of irritation. 

The Body Cleanser, our gentle hydrating cleanser, comprises coconut oil, eucalyptus, and other clean actives and soothing scents. The formulation can help nourish the skin while gently removing impurities and grime. During our clinically proven trials, skin hydration increased by 128%, and there was a significant 100% improvement in skin texture.

There are a few ways you can use an exfoliant in the shower. One of the most common ways is with a physical exfoliant or a scrub. Both products work to eliminate dead skin cells from the skin's surface. A dry brush can also help with lymphatic drainage and circulation. 

Once you've washed off your exfoliant, it's time to apply a shaving cream and start shaving. You always want to shave in the direction of hair growth and be extra careful around your knees and ankles. As you shave your legs, you'll want to wash away the excess shaving cream and continue until you've shaved both legs. Before you move on to the next step, double-check both legs for missed spots. 

After you rinse off any residual shaving cream, apply a moisturizer to your legs to lock in hydration and give you smooth, supple legs. We recommend a thicker formula like The Body Cream. During our clinical trials, 100% of participants agreed that The Body Cream left their skin intensely moisturized and hydrated.

How Often You Should Exfoliate Your Legs

One question you may have is how often should you exfoliate your legs. Here are a few things you'll want to consider when learning how to exfoliate legs:

Everyone's skin is different and reacts differently to exfoliants. If you have dry or sensitive skin, limit your exfoliation to once a week or less. However, if you have normal skin, you should be able to exfoliate 2-3 times a week without worrying about irritation.

Exfoliating when you have a fake tan on can be tricky. Even with a gentle exfoliant, your tan may come off if you scrub too hard. The best way to exfoliate when you have a fake tan is to wait until the tan fully sets and to keep your skin well-hydrated. 

There are many different types of exfoliants for legs. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular types:

● Dry Brush: Dry brushes can be great for the shower and stimulate lymphatic drainage. If you don't have sensitive skin, you can use a dry brush around 2-3 times a week. If you use a chemical exfoliant, you'll only want to use it once a week. 

● Exfoliating Gloves: Exfoliating gloves are a type of physical exfoliant made with an abrasive material that helps buff away dead skin cells. You'll want to wet your skin and apply a body cleanser before using the glove on your skin. 

● Sugar or Salt Scrubs: Among the most popular physical exfoliants, the tiny sugar or salt granules are exfoliating agents that reveal softer, smoother skin with every use. 

● Chemical Exfoliants: Chemical exfoliants contain active chemical ingredients like AHAs and BHAs. These are considered less abrasive as physical exfoliants and are a better choice for individuals with skin sensitivities.

Exfoliating can be great for individuals who want soft, supple legs for an upcoming event or special occasion. Whether it's a birthday, a wedding, or a summer vacation at the beach, these are great occasions that can benefit from additional exfoliation.

The Power of Exfoliation of Legs With Augustinus Bader 

The exfoliation of legs is a powerful step of any well-rounded body care routine. Whether trying to achieve smoother, softer legs or buff away dry skin patches - an exfoliant is the perfect add-in you're missing. 

Augustinus Bader has a full line of body care essentials backed by years of science and clinical studies. Our body care products are infused with TFC8 technology to help guide nutrients to your skin to improve the visual appearance of your skin with every use. 

Explore our selection of body care today.