The Shave
Shaving is a form of physical exfoliation. When you shave, you are not only removing the hairs from your legs, but you are also removing the dead cells on the surface of your skin. However, this removal of cells is not stripping the moisture from your skin, nor is it disrupting the epidermis' barrier function. This means the actual shaving isn't drying out the skin.
The Shaving Cream
Here's the catch: when you shave, you are most likely using a shaving cream or lotion to prevent irritation. While these lotions do help prevent irritation, they also remove the oils from your legs. These oils help retain the natural moisture of your skin. Since the amount of oil your legs produce is quite small, the removal of them by the shaving cream can be drying. So when you shave your legs in the winter be sure to have an effective moisturizer on hand and use it immediately after shaving.
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