Shaving is a daily routine for many consumers, but can end in painful, pesky razor bumps and irritated, itchy skin. Even worse than the immediate pain, consistent razor bumps can turn into scars if not treated in a proper and timely manner.

Regardless of the severity of the razor bumps, there’s one skincare ingredient that can help treat this annoying, inflamed condition – glycolic acid. Renowned by dermatologists and skincare experts alike, this workhorse Alpha Hydroxy Acid is the key to treating and soothing painful razor bumps.

Razor bumps form when a recently cut or shaved hair curls and grows backwards into the skin.  Essentially performing a U-turn, this ingrown hair then creates a bump underneath the skin – putting the “bump” in razor bumps.

The body then reacts to these ingrown hairs as foreign agents and sends a signal to the skin to become red and inflamed, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.

While shaving is the primary cause of razor bumps, there are other culprits. Waxing, sugaring (another popular form of hair removal), or pores that naturally clog more easily can also cause razor bumps. Additionally, consumers with curly hair are more likely to suffer from a higher frequency of razor bump outbreaks, as curlier hairs are more apt to curve back into the skin after they are cut or shaved.

While razor bumps are a temporary condition, the bumps can be painful, itchy, and embarrassing, especially when on the face or other easy to spot areas. Especially irritating symptoms of razor bumps include:

• The trademark small red bumps (often with an appearance similar to acne)
• Tender skin
• Itchiness
• Redness
• A burning, hot sensation around the bumps
• Skin inflammation

Luckily for consumers seeking relief to the itchy, annoying symptoms of razor bumps, glycolic acid lotions for the skin can offer fast, effective solutions in mere days.

Glycolic acid is the perfect skincare ingredient for fighting razor bumps for two critical reasons:

• First, glycolic acid expertly exfoliates the dead skin cells off the surface of the skin, reducing inflammation around the razor bump.
• Secondly, glycolic acid based skincare products can actually help to free the trapped ingrown hair from within the skin, ending the razor bump outbreak once and for all.

Skin covered in razor bumps is often red, inflamed, and otherwise irritated. Glycolic acid helps quickly remedy these symptoms by dissolving the bonds holding skin cells together. By exfoliating off the outermost layer of skin cells on the bumps, glycolic acid triggers skin repair and renewal, thus promoting a faster healing time for sufferers.

Additionally, glycolic acid is a superb razor bump fighter because it can actually help to remove the ingrown hair from within the skin. Glycolic acid is the smallest of all the Alpha Hydroxy Acids, and can most effectively penetrate the skin cell. By reducing the buildup of dead skin and inflammation surrounding the problem hair, glycolic acid can help to remove the ingrown hair – and remove the actual source of the razor bump.

Glycolic acid is also especially effective for treating pseudofolliculitis barbae, the razor bumps that appear in the beard area.  

According to research published in Cutis, during a study on the efficacy of glycolic acid lotion on pseudofolliculitis barbae, glycolic acid reduced razor bumps by almost 60%. Additionally, the glycolic acid lotion treatment reduced overall skin irritation in participants, allowing them to shave more easily and painlessly.

For consumers who have to shave every day, incorporating a glycolic acid toner or lotion into their skincare routine could be an effective preventative measure towards reducing razor bumps long term.

Razor bumps are a frequent and annoying occurrence for many consumers, but don’t have to be. Formulators can create efficacious solutions to this bumpy skincare problem through the powers of glycolic acid, the invaluable razor bump banisher.

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