Shaving with conditioner (or shower gel) has been one of those 'handy tips' we've all read in wellness magazines to save money on shaving creams. But does it really work?

I'm sorry to say that this isn't a great tip after all. Dermatologist Dr Anita Sturnham says that using a conditional, shower gel, or shampoo instead of a proper shave soap or oil isn’t doing us any good. In fact, she says that these products might make it harder to get a smooth shave, let's take a look why.

‘Shaving has a naturally exfoliating mechanism of action, so you need to use products that are designed to work in synergy with your razor and improve glide, reduce friction, and the risk of irritation and cuts,’ says Dr Anita Sturnham. Conditioners and shower gels actually 'coat' our hairs, making them thicker and therefore more difficult to shave.

Because the hairs are thicker using these kinds of products, they can blunt your razors by clogging them up, increasing your chances of cuts, and you'll end up spending more money replacing the blades more often.

Conclusion

Hey, if you're using a conditioner or shower gel and you're happy with the smoothness of your bod, how often you change your blade, and the amount of nicks, then keep doing what you're doing, no need to panic. Of course, we over here are advocates of clean ingredients. Especially when we're talking about using products on areas of skin with micro-abrasions from shaving as these ingredients have direct access to our bloodstream. So make sure they're clean ingredients, and if you're wanting to save money, a shave soap is a great budget-friendly option.

And if you want to upgrade your shaving game, make sure you exfoliate first to remove dead skin cells and prevent ingrown hairs. Then invest in a good quality shave soap and shave oil, that way there's no need to moisturize post shave, bonus!