9 Best Bikini Line Exfoliators to Prevent Ingrown Hair and Razor Bumps

We awarded Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant a Glamour Beauty Award for its how it smooths and clears rough facial skin without disrupting its skin barrier. Did you know it's great for the bikini line, too? “It contains salicylic acid at a concentration of 2%, which is excellent for preventing razor bumps,” says Rachel Westbay, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical in New York City. “This low of an amount rarely causes irritation or dryness in a cleanser but can often be more drying if left on the skin in a cream. However, the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid mitigates this by way of containing green tea, an antioxidant that soothes and minimizes irritation.” The company makes a leave-on lotion version of the toner as well, which Dr. Chang recommends.

• Type: Chemical exfoliator
• Form: Liquid toner
• Key ingredients: 2% salicylic acid, green tea, chamomile
• How to use: Pat a small amount of the toner onto a cotton ball and then onto clean skin all over or as a spot treatment. Apply it in tandem with a moisturizer and follow with sunscreen.

I went through a phase of waxing my bikini line (and suffering terrible ingrown hairs) and bought this product at the spa. Eventually, the Brazilian bikini waxing turned into occasional shaving, and still, I use this. What’s different about it is that you apply it to dry not wet skin. It has a slightly gel-like consistency and features fruit enzymes instead of chemicals. “These enzymes can help separate the overlying dead skin cells that clog and dull from the fresh, newer, healthy cells beneath,” says Dr. Shainhouse. I let the gel sit for a minute or so, and then rub it in circles. The dead skin satisfyingly rolls up and dissolves away—and there’s none of the burning or abrasion that I’ve experienced with other exfoliators.

• Type: Enyzyme exfoliator
• Form: Nonabrasive gel
• Key ingredients: Pineapple extract, aloe, willow bark extract, coconut oil
• How to use: Apply a thin layer on clean, dry (important) skin, let sit for a minute, then massage it in circles, and rinse. Use before waxing and after two to three times per week.

I started using this exfoliating scrub on the recommendation of a facialist because all others tended to tear up my face—and I have kept using it for years. Its rice-based particles are so, so fine and turn into a frothy paste when you add water. I was excited to learn from Dr. Westbay that it's delicate enough to make for a suitable bikini scrub that doesn't irritate the bikini line. Its green tea, gingko, and colloidal oatmeal tone down redness and razor burn, and I usually follow with a light moisturizer like Fur’s Pubic Hair Treatment Oil for hydration.

• Type: Physical exfoliator
• Form: Micro-scrub cleanser
• Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, green tea, colloidal oatmeal
• How to use: Mix a half teaspoon of the powder into a paste with wet hands, then apply in circular motions along the bikini line for a minute. Rinse and apply a light, unscented moisturizer (see above).

Similar to deodorant, this lightweight, nonsticky topical serum glides onto skin through its rollerball—there’s no need to touch the formula at all. “It’s simple to apply and contains multiple AHAs and BHAs (salicylic acid, gylcolic acid, willow bark) that exfoliate the skin,” says Dr. Shainhouse. Meanwhile, niacinamide, centella, and allantoin bring down swelling and inflammation from body hair removal—great for especially sensitive skin.

• Type: Chemical exfoliator
• Form: Topical roll-on serum
• Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, glycolic acid, niacinamide, green tea
• How to use: Roll onto clean, dry skin that’s been waxed or shaved two to three times per week and allow it to fully dry. Use with sunscreen.

First Aid Beauty’s scrub is acts like the combination of a chemical peel and physical exfoliator in one. “It contains pumice buffing beads, as well as glycolic and lactic acids, that exfoliate chemically and physically,” says Dr. Westbay. “It's gentle yet effective for sensitive areas.” Dr. Chang likes it because its 10% AHAs also hydrate the skin, so you’re less likely to have blemishes—and it can help as a treatment for keratosis pilaris (KP), the small, hard bumps sometimes found along the bikini line.

• Type: Chemical exfoliator, physical scrub
• Form: Scrub cleanser
• Key ingredients: Glycolic and lactic acids
• How to use: Massage into wet skin two to three times a week and follow with a moisturizer.

Dermatologists recommend this lotion (in conjunction with its accompanying body wash) for anyone with KP. It’s packed with 17.5% glycolic acid, which exfoliates dry, dead skin. It can help smooth bumpy skin all over the body, brighten, and prevent ingrowns, says Dr. Shainhouse.

• Type: Chemical exfoliator
• Form: Body lotion
• Key ingredients: Glycolic acid
• How to use: Use the Glytone exfoliating body wash, then massage the lotion onto any part of your body that needs hydration.

If you struggle with discoloration around your bikini line, consider Skinfix’s face cleanser. Dr. Westbay calls it a “powerhouse” because its formula of BHAs and AHAs combat hyperpigmentation (PIH) and minimize excess sebum. Niacinamide reduce redness and inflammation, and azelaic acid fades PIH and post-acne scars.

• Type: Chemical exfoliator
• Form: Face wash
• Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, niacinamide, azelaic acid
• How to use: Lather a pea-size amount with wet hands, massage in circular motions into areas that are oily and breakout-prone, rinse.