Why do we get ingrown hairs
Ever since I started shaving, I've had ingrown hairs. There's a number of reasons that can cause them. Curly hair, thick skin even waxing can cause ingrown hairs. This is because the hair grows back thinner and has a harder time getting through the skin. I have always suffered from big, ugly, painful ingrown hairs. They are such an eye sore and made me feel very uncomfortable and self conscious in certain situations. So, what's actually going on?
In a nut shell, when you shave, you bluntly remove the portion of the hair that is outside the skin. Underneath the skin's layer, there is the hair shaft and follicle, which essentially is the root of the hair. When the hair starts to grow back, if it can't grow through the skin, it will immediately curl back into the body and grow inwards. When that happens the sebaceous gland becomes inflamed causing a red bump. It can also cause oil and bacteria to pool in the sebaceous gland. This will often look like a pimple or white head. Irritation from shaving or a dull, dirty razor can contribute to this as well.
Creating the Blend
My sister, who is an esthetician (see her instagram link below) gave me the idea to make my own scrub and serum to help manage my ingrown hairs. I had recently purchased some essential oils and really had no idea what to do with them. This was a great project to start playing around and get myself familiar with the oils.
I bought some sugar and decided to look up some information on the essential oils. I learned so much about each oil and plant and loved getting creative, trying different blends. The first scrub I made was mainly sugar because I was afraid to use too many oils at once. Playing around with different oils and techniques was alot of fun and after a few years, I perfected the blend to what it is today.
What's in the Bundle?
Spruce Grapeseed Oil:
This homemade oil made with organic grapeseed and harvested spruce branches from my backyard brings a grounded and well rounded balance to the sugar scrub. To me spruce trees are old, wise ancient beings that protect us here on earth. They have a calm, cooling quality to them which in turn calms and soothes the blemish caused by the ingrown hair. Spruce oil has also been known to reduce inflammation and redness.
Tea Tree Oil:
Using tea tree oil was a no brainer. Its properties are very cooling and great for antibacterial use. This is one of 2 oils that were part of the original blend I first created back in 2018. Having Tea Tree in the serum and the sugar gives a double header approach to fighting off ingrown hairs. In the sugar, it zaps the bacteria that likes to pool up in the subaceous gland and in the serum, it soothes the skin against irritation.
Clary Sage:
When I'm working with Clary Sage, I feel how calming the plant is. Just looking at it in the ground, you can see how calming it is. It grows slowly with ease and has thick, fabric like leaves. Rubbing a leaf on my face reminds me of a comfort blanket, much like you have as a child. Sage has been known to have preventative benefits as well when it comes to infections. This is why it's in the sugar scrub, to really get in the skin to break up any infections that could come up with ingrown hairs. It also has antifungal and antibacterial properties according to some studies.
Peppermint:
I chose to use peppermint in the sugar scrub because it has similar properties to tea tree. It is cooling and calming to the touch. It provides relief to the affected area and helps relieve the itching caused by ingrown hairs. There are some studies that show peppermint also helps to ease pain and we all know how painful ingrown hairs can be.
Frankincense:
The mother of all oils. There's a reason why Frankincense was given to baby Jesus, am I right? According to webmd it could even help fight specific cancers! I chose it for this blend because it is so luxurious. When I work with Frankincense, it reminds me of that betadine the doctors use to wash their hands and arms with before surgery. It feels very cleansing. It's thicker than the other oils in the blend and has a great color to it.
Lavender:
Lavender is the second oil that was used in the original blend. I knew lavender would play a special role in these products because of its calming properties. Ingrown hairs can be angry little bumps and lavender is the perfect herb to soothe that. The oil is used in the serum to give that soothing feeling. Dried lavender flowers are added to the scrub to help get into the skin for maximum healing benefits.
Cannabis Lavender Jojoba Oil:
This is a homemade oil from homegrown cannabis and lavender grown in my front yard. The combination of cannabis and lavender is a great carrier oil for the skin because of the calming qualities. Combined with the other essential oils makes for a great complex serum that's sure to settle your skin.
Other tips to help with ingrown hairs:
Switching our your rasors more often will help keep bacteria away from the area. Another thing I've found helpful is to wear more comfy clothes. Sometimes wearing tight clothes can pinch the skin and contribute to ingrown hairs. Lastly, try wearing cotton blend underwear or go commando! Sounds strange but skipping the underwear helps the area to breathe and has helped alot.
Where can you get the Ingrown Bundle?
You can find this product on my website www.crystalsholisticgarden.co Click on the image below to head over and pick some up for yourself. While you're there, take a look at the other products we offer! They make great gifts! I hope you enjoy this product as much as I do and I hope this blog is helpful in some way. If you love it, leave me a 5 star review! And if you got something out of this blog, share it on your favorite social media platform and let me know! I love to hear from you.
Click on the picture below to check out my sister's instagram. She gives the best facials in the south coast of Massachusetts!
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