What I Use To Shave My Legs

If you have read my guide to shaving your legs, you might be wondering just what to use when you shave your legs. (I don’t actually use what you saw in the video!)

While I can’t say exactly what to use, I can tell you what has worked for me…

A well-lit bathroom. It’s very easy to miss hairs if you don’t have good lighting, so I like a very well-lit bathroom for leg shaving. (And if you miss hairs, you won’t notice until you leave the bathroom and head outside into the bright sun, where your riding buddies will make fun of you for doing such a poor job shaving.)

Bathtub with running water. Sitting on the edge of a bath tub makes things much easier (and safer) than standing in a shower and balancing on one leg while sliding a razor blade across your skin.

Little plastic container. A little plastic container, such as a Cool Whip container, has a few important uses. First, before shaving, I fill it with warm water and dump that over my legs to get them wet. Second, while shaving, I rinse the hair out of my razor by swishing it around in the container. Third, after shaving, I use the container to dump cold water over my legs.

Gillette Mach3 Turbo razor. Skip the girly razors. While they might come in pretty colors and have wider, more comfortable grips, they just don’t cut the hair as well as a mens razor. I’ve been using the Gillette Mach3 for years (along with the 5-blade Gillette Fusion shown above,) although if you like the Shick Quattro or whatever they have now, that probably works too.

I’d also avoid those cheap disposable razors.

Cheap bodywash. No need for true shaving cream for this job. I prefer to lather up with a nice bodywash, which creates a smooth lather that goes a long way. I’ve been doing it this way for years and I’ve had no problems with razor burn. Plus, bodywash is cheap, especially if you get a store brand.

I’m partial to scents like vanilla and mango, which might sound girly, but they smell pretty good. If you go with something like “alpine fresh” you’ll just smell like cheap cologne!

Lubriderm skin lotion. My Nivea aftershave balm is too expensive to use on my legs, and I don’t think they need it anyway. I’ve had good luck with skin lotions instead, and I’m quite partial to this Lubriderm skin nourishing lotion with shea and cocoa butters. It goes on smooth and doesn’t leave a residue.

And that’s all you need. You probably have most of this stuff anyway.

There you have it. Go ahead and stock up on whatever you need, refresh your memory with my leg shaving guide for cyclists, and then shave!

(Or, if you’re puzzled, read why cyclists shave their legs in the first place.)