Let’s talk underarms: Hacks to keep them healthy

It’s true. Your underarms need attention too. Taking proper care of your underarms is an easy addition to your beauty routine, as you often already apply certain habits to the rest of your skin and body anyway.

It is time we did the same for our underarms, don’t you think?

Here are some basic habits you could commit to instilling in your day-to-day self-care routine to keep your underarms healthy and feeling fresh, ultimately boosting your confidence and comfort.

Underarms 101

Due to the shape of the human’s underarm and the way the skin folds in that area, one should always take extra care when it comes to cleansing.

An important (and often neglected) part of the cleansing routine includes drying your underarms properly. Remember that there is less airflow under your arms, which means the area is unlikely to dry by itself.

Too much moisture under your arms coupled with a bit of warmth often create the ideal conditions for bacteria to grow, inevitably leading to unwanted bodily odours.

Hydration

Your underarms are part of your body’s skin and therefore, it’s an area that also requires moisturisation.

Use a light moisturiser on your underarms in the evening to allow the skin to absorb the hydration.

In the morning, a quick cleanse will remove any residue and prepare the underarms for your favourite perfumed roll-on like those from Playgirl, and a body spray that will help you smell lovely and feel great all day.

Choose your products carefully

When choosing products to use under your arms, it often comes down to one thing: Odour.

There are, however, other factors to keep in mind too. You need to find products that are soft on your skin; something that will not irritate your skin or dry it out.

Be attentive to how a product feels on your skin when you apply it under your arms, as well as how your skin reacts to it.

Be gentle with your underarms

If you choose to remove the hair under your arms by shaving, do it gently.

Firstly, make sure that you’ve recently cleansed the area by using warm water and that the skin is warm and lathered.

If you are prone to ingrown hairs, consider covering the area with moisturiser the night before to ensure that you have a smooth shave the next morning.

Also remember to change your razor blades regularly.

Sugaring is a good alternative to shaving.

The process removes the hair follicles, which allows you to be hair-free for longer when it comes to your underarms.

Hairvolution in Brooklyn, Pretoria explains that the treatment uses a combination of sugar, lemon and hot water to remove unwanted hair from the root without pulling at the skin.

Sugaring is a much more natural approach compared to waxing, which includes all kinds of chemical ingredients like resins and preservatives which might have an effect on your skin. It also puts less strain on your skin, as the paste is removed in the same direction than the direction in which your hair grows.

With waxing, the follicles might break, causing ingrown hairs due to removal against the grain.

READ: What to look out for when buying environmentally friendly beauty products

Exfoliate

You might be surprised, but just like the rest of your skin, your underarms also benefit from regular exfoliation.

It removes dead skin, assists with the unclogging of pores, and reduces oil build-up under your arms.

If you use a scrub or exfoliating product, just remember to rinse the rea carefully before cleansing and drying.