Armpit care is the new skincare – here’s how to solve all of your pit woes this summer
We’ve learnt that scalp care should be treated as an extended form of skincare, and now armpits are set to be given the same treatment. Considering it’s such a sensitive area of the body, most of us probably forget to pay our pits the TLC they need.
Whether you suffer from dryness, irritation or ingrown hairs, it’s often not until it’s too late that we look into why our underarms are suffering. Luckily, there are new breeds of pit-perfect products that promise to soothe, cleanse and purify. Here, we take you through all of the solutions to your underarm issues…
If you suffer from: dryness and irritation
Armpit irritation can range from minor itching and redness to eczema outbreaks. The first thing you want to look at if you’re suffering any form of irritation is your choice of shower gel/ soap and your deodorant. Sometimes those delicate areas can react to chemicals, so in that case you should:
- Opt for fragrance free formulas and/or try a natural deodorant
- Shower or bath in lukewarm (not hot) water
- Try using a soothing oatmeal-based moisturiser at night if you’re getting dry patches
- Invest in shower products for delicate skin that are dermatologist recommended
If you suffer from: odour
Armpit odour is by no means unusual – and if any of us skip a shower or a spritz of deodorant we can fall foul to it – however, if you feel like your underarms never seem to smell particularly fresh, they might benefit from a deep cleanse.
Along with using soap and deodorant twice a day, we recommend trying Pure by Mudmasky Saved by the Scrub for Underarms, usually £20 but from just £4.95 in this month’s Good To Go OK! Beauty Box.
This unique scrub/mask hybrid is specially designed to cleanse and exfoliate the underarm area, while kaolin clay and coffee powder helps to remove odour-causing bacteria. Use whenever you need a pit-me-up.
If you suffer from: ingrown hairs
Many of us shave or wax our underarms, and while they may feel super-smooth at first, sometimes we might find that pesky bumps and ingrown hairs pop up. Instead of hiding your arms all summer long, get to the root of the problem by applying a warm compress to the ingrown hairs for a couple of minutes. This opens up the follicle and should allow you to gently remove the troublesome hair(s) with clean tweezers.
If that doesn’t work, don’t dig at your skin with the tweezers. Instead, try exfoliating the area weekly – again, you can use a product like Mudmasky’s Saved by the Scrub for this – as this gets rid of follicle-blocking dead skin cells
If you’re a shaver and want to stop bumps from occurring in the first place, ensure you’re always using a new, non-rusty razor and a proper shaving cream.