Over the years, I’ve shaved my legs with a variety of shaving gels from Gillette, Nivea, and Edge, as well as regular body wash, and I actually prefer the body wash. (And the body wash is cheap, so that’s cool.)

I’ve never used anything fancy, but I certainly wouldn’t pass up the chance to try something nice. Which is why I’m testing something called Day Away shaving lotion right now.

Day Away is “exfoliating shaving cream” which exfoliates your skin and promises a closer shave, keeping your legs smoother, longer.

Yes, the stuff is for girls, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great for cyclists, swimmers, and triathletes!

The Ingredients

What good is expensive shaving cream if it doesn’t list exotic ingredients that seem to make your legs smoother just from reading the names?

Just check the first ingredient: “Herbal Infusion of Echinacea Purperea, Lemon Balm, Olive Leaf, Elder Flower and Berries, Lemon Peel, Goldenseal and Ginger in Water.” There’s also Olive Oil, Hydrolyzed Oats, Aloe Vera, and Green Tea, just to choose my favorites.

There were a couple regular ingredients, such as “Benzyl Alcohol,” but nothing that freaked me out.

Shaving with Day Away

As cool as the ingredients are, the point of this stuff is to give me a better shave (which means I can shave less often,) so let’s see if it delivers…

The First Shave

I start out sitting on the edge of the bath tub and wet my legs, like usual. The directions say to “massage deeply into skin,” so I take a dollop and massage it into my right leg. It feels a lot like an exfoliating face scrub, with the rough, sandy stuff to clean off any dead skin.

Note: the picture to the left is a glob of Day Away on my leg, before being massaged into my skin.

Now things get interesting because this lotion practically disappears! It was kind of scary because I’m used to a thick layer of foam on top of my skin. With this, it looked like shaving bare skin!

Note: the picture above is what Day Away looks like when massaged into my leg. You can just barely see the white granules.

But I trust Day Away, and you know what, the razor just glides across. It’s scary the whole time, but somehow this lotion creates some sort of coating on your legs that lets the razor glide effortlessly and remove the hair. (Sort of like Dumonde Tech lube, which seems like it isn’t even on the chain, but if you trust it, it works marvelously.)

I ran into a slight problem though. I was shaving my legs in a dimly lit bathroom, and without a layer of shaving cream, I was “flying blind” so to speak. I like shaving cream because it gives me guidelines. If the leg is bare, I shave it. If there is still shaving cream there, I need to shave that section.

With this, you kind of go by memory (since your legs look the same whether shaved or not.)

I tried to go by feel, but that was another dead end. Those exfoliating granules stay stuck to your legs, so you can’t tell whether you’re feeling sand or stubble!

Despite the lighting situation, I finish my right leg and then do my left. Same story – it looks scary but then the razor glides effortlessly.

Even on the sensitive skin of my hamstrings, where I would typically get razor burn, this stuff worked marvelously. (I really didn’t think that would happen, but I underestimated this stuff!)

The rinse – oh boy, this takes just as long as shaving did! I had to rinse each leg about five times because those exfoliating granules do not want to rinse off! (In all fairness, any exfoliating scrub will take just as long. It just seems tough because I’m accustomed to rinsing off the small surface area of my face, not my entire legs.)

Eventually the granules do come off and I towel dry my legs.

Time for the smoothness test… As mad as I was about the inconveniences of using this stuff (can’t see it, scary, long rinse,) my eyes lit up when I rubbed my legs! On the sections where I managed to shave, my legs were so, so smooth!

Without a doubt, this is the smoothest my legs have ever been. I can’t say how much better they are, perhaps just 1% smoother than they are when I used body wash, but I swear they’re smoother.

Unfortunately, I had missed some sections due to the bad lighting. For most people this will probably be a very minor inconvenience. But I only have one tiny light in my bathroom, so the lighting where I shave is awful. I always miss huge sections even with regular shaving cream, because I simply can’t see the hair! (I’d do just as well with a blindfold.)

Shaving Under The Light!

To make sure I was doing a fair test of Day Away, I had another light installed in the bathroom, right above where I shave! Now I can see!!

The light made a huge difference. Once I had the light, I was able to see where I had shaved and where I had not. Shaving went much quicker after the new light was installed, and all the problems I encountered the first time became history.

Note: The picture above is to show how my leg looks where I have shaved and where I have not. Thanks to the good lighting, close-up photo, and week-old stubble, you can tell the difference.

Whether the problems going away is due to the new light or me getting used to this new shaving cream is irrelevant. What matters is that I started getting smooth, hassle-free shaves!

So once I actually got used to this stuff, I realized it was pretty cool.

Day Away Observations

Some things I noticed during my testing:

Scent

Any time you get something girly, you have to watch out for the scent. Luckily, Day Away wasn’t too strong, and it definitely wasn’t bad.

I want to say it’s a small part cream/lotion, large part orange peel. I’d say it’s kind of a fruity or floral scent when you smell the lotion, but it doesn’t leave a scent on your legs once you’re done.

Ease of Shaving

If you have good bathroom lighting, this stuff shouldn’t pose a problem. It might a few tries to get used to, though. Any time you change something (shaving cream included,) there’s an adjustment period.

My first time with this was tough, the second time around was easier, and then it got easier from there.

After three or four uses, I mastered it!

Closeness and Smoothness

My legs are noticeably smoother when using this. Like I said, it might only be a 1% increase in smoothness, but it feels better.

Even after the first shave, I could tell my legs were smoother.

After the fourth shave, my legs were silky smooth. Three days went by and I could just barely feel the stubble coming in. I had to get my eyes within a couple inches of my legs to actually see the stubble!

It makes sense though. Any time you exfoliate before you shave, you remove dead skin cells, allowing the razor to get closer to the fresh skin. So it’s not magic, but it is a great idea.

Razor burn

Typically I’ll get some razor burn around my hamstrings and inner thighs when I shave. I have to be extra careful anywhere above my knee. (And no matter how carefully I do it, I still get razor burn!)

With Day Away, I did get a little razorburn the first time. But after that, razor burn has all but disappeared! I still have to use caution above my knee, but razor burn is a thing of the past!

My final verdict is…

This Day Away lotion has given me the smoothest shave I’ve ever had. Once I got used to using it, it also reduced razorburn and ingrown hairs. So it is certainly good stuff (and I think it’s worth the money just due to the razor burn issue.)

Now, if you’re happy with your current shaving cream, and you’re low on cash, you might want to save the money and put it toward healthier food or important training essentials.

But if you have a bathroom with good lighting, and plenty of cash to spare, I wouldn’t think twice about buying this. It’s a no-brainer! (The 8oz tube should last for months, possibly the entire cycling season since you don’t use that much, so the $15.25 price tag isn’t bad at all.)

Official website: www.ExfoliatingShavingCream.com

Day Away Shaving Lotion is a high-end shaving cream that contains many interesting ingredients (lemon balm, olive leaf, aloe vera, green tea, etc.) that will properly exfoliate your legs for a close, smooth shave.

The closer the shave, the less often you have to shave, so that sounds like a great idea. Sure, it’s for girls, but since we shave our legs too, I think it’s worth a shot!

Day Away was kind enough to send me a tube of this to review, so stay tuned for my full review.

[3/30/2009 update: Published my Day Away review.]

Does it look like a good idea? Yes, anything to decrease the time spent shaving my legs is a good idea.

Is it cheap? Nope, it costs more than your typical soap or shaving cream.

Read more about Day Away shaving cream: at www.ExfoliatingShavingCream.com

Buy online: at www.ExfoliatingShavingCream.com

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All “Product Previews” are simply products I have found that look really cool or interesting. The product has not yet been reviewed, so I’m not advising you to buy or not to buy the product.

If you decided to shave your legs and have completed shaving them, there could be one more question…

i have another question. after im done shaving red bumps appear on the inside of my shins. is this because of the razor im using, shaving cream or lotion?

That’s not uncommon at all. It sounds like a case of “razor burn” which could be caused by… the razor, shaving cream, lotion, shaving technique, and/or the sensitivity of your skin.

It could also be something called folliculitis, which basically means ingrown hairs.

Either way, there are a few things to try that will most likely solve the problem:

1. Shave with the grain.

While shaving against or across the grain of the hair can lead to a closer shave, it can also lead to razor burn if you have sensitive skin.

So you always want to shave with the grain of the hair (usually from the knee towards the ankle) instead of against the grain (usually upward from ankle to knee.) This is probably your best bet.

2. Shave smoothly.

Another key to preventing razor burn is simply using the razor as little as possible.

To do so, make sure you’re using long, smooth strokes and not shaving over the same spot twice.

3. New (old) razor.

When I switched to a Gillette Fusion razor (one with five blades,) razor burn became more common. Despite the “more blades the better” approach from companies, I’ve had better luck with the two and three blade systems.

So that is something to consider.

4. New lotion.

It’s possible that a different lotion or after-shave balm, or the addition of a pre-shave oil, will help.

I always had a problem with razor burn until trying Day Away, which alleviated the razor burn on my thighs.

Some “aftershaves” contain alcohol which dries out your skin, so that could be part of the problem. If the red bumps are only in one location and not all over your legs, chances are it’s not any sort of allergic reaction, but it’s worth switching if nothing else helps.

And for further reading, check out this guide to the perfect shave from The Art of Shaving. You can pick up some good tips from their guide (that are helpful even if you don’t buy any of their stuff.)

When a guy decides to trade his hairy, manly legs for a pair of silky smooth athletic legs, many questions arise. Typically it’s “why do guys shave their legs?”

But one question everyone wonders about but (almost) never asks is…

How long should it take a guy to shave his legs?
-Al

I’ve talked about how to shave your legs, but never about how long it should take to shave them.

I never wanted to tackle this issue, because I wonder about it myself. But it’s a good question and worthy of discussion. Although it could very well be one of those questions where there is no right or wrong answer.

If I had to pick one answer, I’d use the vague “as long as it takes to do a good job, but not a second longer.”

I’ve never timed myself, but it does take a while. I like to sit down, listen to music and relax while shaving, probably for 30 minutes. But that’s me. Some people say it only takes 5 minutes to do both legs (which seems a little too fast to me, but it might be possible.)

Some spots are super fast, but then others are slow. For example, the knee and ankle are kind of tricky. And then any spots where you have ripped muscles will take a little longer than the front of your shin, which is probably the easiest spot to do.

It also depends on factors such as…

• how often you shave
• how thick your leg hair is
• how tall you are (leg length)
• how far up you shave
• body fat %
• lighting conditions
• your razor

And other little things!

If you don’t mind missing a few hairs, you can save time. Some people have such thin, light hair, they could miss some big patches and no one would notice.

Lighting is also a big deal, because without good lighting, you’ll miss hairs without knowing it, and end up coming back later after checking your legs under a bright light or sunlight.

The “only shave up to the tan line” is another time-saving strategy, although it might not be a great idea.

Hopefully that sheds a little light on the subject. It’s definitely not an open and shut case!

Anyone out there time themselves for leg shaving or have other thoughts?

Here’s the question on everyone’s minds…

I had a bad case of road rash about a month ago and several of my buddies suggested shaving em. How far up your body do you recommend shaving? I was taping bandages together way up my right butt cheek.

Sincerely,
Cheeky

You are not alone Cheeky. I would bet this question is on everyone’s minds when they consider shaving their legs.

The short answer is, shave everything. But there’s more to it than that, and it really depends why you are shaving your legs in the first place…

If you are shaving mainly to ease the treatment of road rash, then you should go the whole way up your legs. After your knee, your hip/butt region is going to be the worst area for road rash (in most cases.) So it’s kind of pointless to shave your lower legs but not your hips.

One possibility, if you don’t like to shave, is to get the trimmers out. For areas that are covered by your shorts and not likely to get a severe case of road rash, trimming is fine.

If you want massages to feel good, again, shave everything. Your calves, quads, and hamstrings should be nice and smooth. (So in this case, trimming is not such a good idea.)

If your only goal is to look good in your cycling kit, then you can shave your lower legs (up to your tan line) and let the rest go. You’ll look pretty funny without your shorts on, though!

Just remember that your long hairs might stick through your shorts, which would require at least a trim.

Finally, if you’re worried about ticks, shave your whole body. Ticks like to crawl everywhere, so the less hair they have to hide in, the better.

Just remember, whatever region you shave once, you’ll probably want to keep shaving it, because stubble is no fun.