When it comes to skincare, I always focused primarily on my face. With so much concentration on eliminating those pesky blackheads or trying out acne-eliminating products, my lack of care in the bodycare department eventually reared its ugly head in the form of little red bumps ALL over my legs. These bumps are created from ingrown hairs that grow in the wrong direction (grow inside the skin instead of outside) after shaving incorrectly or not moisturizing properly after a shave. After seeing these bumps pop out of NOWHERE all of a sudden, I started MASS researching how to get rid of these unwanted and embarrassing bumps once and for all.

Today’s blog post is based off of a compilation of research I did from online articles and Pinterest hacks in addition to products that I’ve personally tried out. My objective with this post is to compile the ultimate guide filled with tips and tricks that have personally worked for me when it came to turning my bumpy looking chicken thighs into the slender, smoother looking legs that you typically see in magazine photos.

So if you want to ditch that dry bumpy leg look and pave the way to smoother legs, let’s go over the basics of what i’ve recently learned!

1. Swapping my fragrance-packed moisturizers for fragrance-free moisturizers.

This is where a little bit of sacrifice goes a long way. Yep, this meant saying buh-bye to my vanilla scented lotions and hello to fragrance-free moisturizers. This swap was not the end of the world, but it does make me a bit sad to know that I won’t get to smell a fresh vanilla scent lathered all over my body before I head to bed. According to various online sources I’ve read, these articles mention that fragrance can cause allergic reactions or skin inflammation, which ultimately ages and damages the skin.

However, having smooth legs make me SO MUCH happier than using a good smelling moisturizer and it is definitely worth the tradeoff. For a month now, I’ve been using the Cerave Moisturizing Cream for normal to dry skin and I’m currently on my second jar! After just one week of using this product, I felt a HUGE positive difference in the softness of my legs and can definitely vouch that it works. All in all, I plan to be a long-time customer of this brand due to its high quality performance and affordability.

Buy the Cerave Moisturizing Cream (16 oz.) linked here.

*Note: I highly recommend buying this product with the dispenser head so that you can pump product into your hands. The first time I tried out this product, I used the jar with the screw-on lid and we all know that bacteria gets into your moisturizer every time that you dip your hands into a skincare jar/container (even if you wash your hands). Let’s keep things bacteria-free and mess-free by investing in the dispenser head product instead ;)

The legs I want to have back in my photos, LOL. Photo taken in January 2020. Hi Muffie!

2. Ditching shaving creams for coconut oil.

Combine the two actions of my jaw dropping to the floor and my eyes widening like a deer in headlights and that’s my accurate reaction towards using coconut oil to shave my legs for the very first time. Using coconut oil as a shaving cream totally BLOWS MY MIND and I swear this shaving hack is underrated. If anything, this is definitely a shaving hack I want to SPREAD THE WORD about to you guys because it truly works.

When you massage coconut oil into your legs before you shave, it serves as both an exfoliator and an extremely oily “hydrator” to prep your skin before shaving. Whenever it’s a shaving day, I apply coconut oil on my legs and massage gently in a circular motion. Not gonna lie, this popular kitchen ingredient works better than any shaving cream that I’ve ever tried in the market.

There are also five other things you want to keep in mind while shaving:

Exfoliate before you shave (More details in Tip #3).
Open up your pores with warm water before you start shaving to get a deeper and more effective shave. If you need to shampoo and condition your hair in the shower, do this first before you shave!
Shave in short strokes. Wash any hair stuck in your razor before shaving again. If your razor is clogged with hair, you will not get an effective shave!
Toss out your razor head anywhere between one to three shaving sessions. In all honesty, I started tossing out my razor head after every shave. Since my ultimate goal is to get rid of my bumps (and not prolong my strawberry legs condition), I want to do everything that I possibly can to avoid using a dull blade - and that means replacing my razor head after every use. Keep in mind that overused, dull, or rusted blades lead to ineffective shaving, more bumps, and ingrown hairs!
Pat your legs dry and do not RUB when you get out of the shower. Since your skin will be super sensitive after shaving, patting your skin gently will leave your skin less irritated.

After using this coconut oil hack and hopping out of the shower, my legs still feel SMOOTH AND SOFT AF and not DRY for once! But, you don’t want to stop here. Right after drying off, you want to moisturize your legs with a hydrating moisturizer while your pores are still open.

3. Exfoliate to remove dead skin cells from the surface of your legs before shaving.

It’s pretty embarrassing to admit, but I have truly neglected all forms of self-care for my legs when it comes to moisturizing and exfoliating properly. As a sad attempt to combat my dry, ashy legs, I purchased a dry brush years ago that was recommended by my favorite Chriselle Lim. Honestly, I never got myself to use this dry brush more than a few times per year - mostly because of the fact that the experience was unpleasant, uncomfortable, and no fun at all. Perhaps I’m not a dry brush gal, but using the dry brush just always hurt my legs and seemed to more bad than good for me!

However, I recently browsed for beauty products on Amazon (having Amazon Prime legit takes all my money, LOL) and I discovered an exfoliating brush that you can use in wet or dry environments, which makes the exfoliating process a lot more versatile. Since this specific exfoliator received a lot of positive reviews on Amazon, I thought it was worth a try!

Buy the Exfoliating Brush linked here.

4. If you have strawberry legs, try moisturizing twice per day - once in the morning and once after you shower.

I didn’t know that the coined term “strawberry legs” actually existed on the internet until I experienced similar symptoms myself. The phrase “strawberry legs” translates to legs that take on the bumpy, rough exterior of a strawberry.

If you looked at my legs now, you will see huge patches of red bumps all over my knees and in random areas of my legs where I’ve suffered skin inflammation for years due to having improper shaving techniques and an overall lack of bodycare. To catch my legs up to speed, I have decided to start moisturizing twice per day to ensure that my legs always stay hydrated. By moisturizing my legs twice per day, I have experienced nothing but positive results so far.

However, you want to also ensure that you are not moisturizing TOO often, as this can lead to clogged pores. If your legs are generally soft or smooth, applying moisturizer once per day should work fine. If you feel that your legs are dry, bumpy, or parched, try moisturizing twice per day and see if you notice any improvement.

At the end of the day, do what works or feels best for you because every body is different!

5. Personally, I avoid sugar scrubs and use salt scrubs instead. Or, I use coconut oil!

As much as I love the scent and function of sugar scrubs, let’s not forget the trail of ants that I found crawling around my bathtub when I hopped into the shower one day. In all honesty, I prefer salt scrubs over sugar scrubs, as salt scrubs perform a similar function and help exfoliate dead skin cells without the invasion of ants.

For years now, I was an avid salt scrub user until I recently discovered the magical benefits of coconut oil, but if you want a bomb salt scrub product recommendation below, I’ve listed my go-to fave below!

Buy the Dr. Teal’s Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub linked here.

6. Swapping my fragrance-packed body washes for fragrance-free body washes.

Similarly to Tip #1, I ditched all products with an added artificial fragrance since I’m on the road to smoother legs! I’ve seen a LOT of good reviews from previous customers on the Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash and since I’m a huge product review enthusiast, I thought I’d give this baby a try! I love how it’s affordable and comes in a giant size!

Buy the Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash linked here.

I hope that these tips and hacks come in handy the next time you hop in the shower, shave, or moisturize your legs. In all honesty, it’s been only one month since I’ve implemented these new tips (ex: used these products on a daily basis, implemented these new techniques, etc.) and although I don’t SEE a difference yet, I definitely FEEL a difference.

Not only do my legs feel the softest they’ve ever felt, but I also believe that I’m on the right path to healthier, smoother legs. In terms of appearance, I will be honest and say that I still see bumps on my legs, but I can almost guarantee that I’ll be able to combat or reverse the effects of my bumpy, dry legs within a few more months.

Do you have any shaving or moisturizing hacks that I didn’t share? Are you dealing with rough or bumpy skin as well?

Talk to me in the comments below - let’s chat!