Spring is officially here (although the weather doesn’t seem to agree). Which means it’s (hopefully) almost time to say goodbye to the tights, as legs across the country make their annual summertime appearances. Unfortunately, legs can’t shave themselves (if only), but with a little bit of effort, achieving and maintaining silky smooth pins is surprisingly easy. Here’s how to get smooth legs that look and feel flawless.

1) Exfoliate your legs before shaving

This tends to be a rather neglected step in the leg-shaving process, but if you’re aiming for pinnacle smoothness, it’s a step that shouldn’t be missed.

A smooth shave leads to smooth legs, so you’ll want to keep any friction to a minimum. Exfoliating removes any dead skin cells that could potentially cause problems by clogging up the razor. It also helps to lift the hairs away from the skin. This means you get a closer cut, and there’s less chance of ending up with ingrown hairs.

When it comes to body exfoliation, coffee scrub is our weapon of choice here at grüum HQ. The natural particles are brilliant for banishing dead skin cells, plus the caffeine can help temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite. Hello smooth legs!

Without being too heavy-handed, apply the scrub to your skin in an upwards circular motion. Remember, this should be done before shaving and never after, as this can upset the skin.

2) Choose the right time to shave

We’d always recommend shaving in the shower or bath, but it’s best to wait until the end before you reach for the razor.

When hair is softer it’s much easier to cut, and hot water is brilliant for making this happen.

This is more of a bonus point, but for the smoothest result, we’d recommend shaving your legs at night time rather than the morning. This is because as you sleep, your legs will warm up and swell slightly. When this happens, any small hairs you may have missed will return to their follicles and look less prominent. Plus, there’s nothing like the feeling of smooth legs against fresh bed sheets… heaven!

3) Keep your razor blades fresh

If you’re trying to get smooth legs, the last thing you should be doing is shaving with an old razor blade. It doesn’t matter how well you do everything else, using an old blade literally isn’t going to cut it!

It’s so common for leg-shavers to overlook the importance of regular blade changes, but the difference it can make to your shave is phenomenal. Shaving with a blunt razor causes all kinds of problems and is a major cause of razor bumps.

Razor blade cartridges tend to stay sharp for around 5 to 7 shaves, but it’s not just about sharpness. Even for infrequent shavers, used razor blades should never be kept for longer than a month to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Many of us are culprits for leaving razors in the shower/bath, but these damp abodes are a paradise for rust and bacteria. To maximise the life of your razor, keep it somewhere dry, like the bathroom cabinet.

4) Use proper protection

We’ve all been tempted by the lull of shower gel or soap as a substitute for proper shaving lubrication. It looks kind of the same, it’s pretty slippery, so it must do the job fine, right? Unfortunately not…

As they’re meant for cleaning, shower gels and soaps tend to dry out the skin too much for shaving, which can lead to scaliness later on. Certainly not what you need when you’re trying to get smooth legs.

Shower gels also tend to be a much thinner formulation than shave gel or cream, so there isn’t much protection between your skin and the blade.

Opt for a moisturising shaving gel or cream, ideally with natural ingredients. Avoid anything that contains alcohol like the plague, and don’t bother with the stuff in a can either. The foaminess of those products is usually a result of harsh chemicals that can damage the skin.

If you’ve got a bit of time, let the product sit on your legs for a few minutes before you start shaving to really soften those hairs.

5) Gently does it

It can be tempting to press down extra hard with your razor in an attempt to get a closer result. This is a rather common misconception and does a lot more harm than good.

To get smooth legs that are free from any bumps or redness, keep your passes as light as possible. We’d recommend using short passes, and try and avoid going over the same area more than once. If you keep finding yourself having to do this, it’s probably time for a blade change.

Whether you should shave up or down the leg is a debatable subject. Where the hair is coarse (like faces, and downstairs regions), we’d always recommend shaving with the grain (the direction the hair naturally grows) in order to minimize irritation. Leg hair, on the other hand, tends to be a bit softer, so this rule isn’t as paramount. It’s worth trying both directions, and seeing which you prefer. Just make sure you stick to vertical strokes.

Rubbing and scrubbing can lead to redness, so once you’re done, pat your legs dry with a towel.

6) Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise

One of the most important steps to getting and maintaining silky smooth legs is to make sure you keep on top of your moisturising game.

You should always finish your shave with a good layer of gentle moisturising body lotion, but for the smoothest results, you should keep this up in between shaves too.

We’d recommend moisturising your legs every day, so try and get in the habit of doing so after every shower/bath.

If possible, try and avoid shaving every day. This will give your legs a bit of time to recover, and you’ll be less likely to experience any irritation.