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Should you exfoliate before or after shaving?
Neither on the same day. Exfoliating and shaving both remove layers of the stratum corneum. Doing both in one session compounds irritation rather than cleaning the skin twice.
A razor is itself a form of physical exfoliation. Following it with an acid or scrub in the same routine is usually too much for most skin.
The common pattern that works for most people: exfoliate on non-shave days only. If you shave daily, choose the two or three days a week when irritation is lowest and do your exfoliant then, with a buffer before or after the shave.
Worth watching
- Whether your redness scores rise in the 24 hours after shaving
- Whether sensitivity spikes on days you layer exfoliation on top
- Which specific zones react most (neck and jawline are the usual culprits)
The Stella take
If irritation is the pattern you're trying to change, the order of operations matters more than the product. An exfoliant on a non-shave day is doing a different job to the same exfoliant on a shave day.
Tool
Shave Check — tap your steps and see the irritation patterns →
More on shaving
Appearance-level observations, not therapeutic advice. Not a medical device.