The 6 Best Aftershaves for Intimate Areas, According to a Grooming Editor

Typically, you won’t want to chase that familiar cooling feeling you can get from lathering an aftershave on your face. However, here, the formula is gentle enough that you can get away with it without irritation or discomfort. Aloe vera and allantoin lead the way, helping soothe and hydrate freshly shaved skin.

Its thicker texture also delivers more moisture than a lightweight lotion without leaving skin greasy. While it’s designed for faces, its fragrance-free and sensitive-skin-friendly formula makes it ideal for the groin. It spreads easily, absorbs quickly, and isn’t quite as thick as CeraVe’s cream (more on that shortly), so it’s safe to use year-round.

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I like using a balm after shaving because the thicker texture feels more moisturizing and soothing than a typical lotion. This is another one not marketed as something for intimate areas, but it works well for me. The Art of Shaving’s Unscented After-Shave Balm spreads easily and absorbs quickly without leaving my skin feeling greasy.

To be clear, this only applies to the unscented balm. Art of Shaving has a few versions of this balm, and all the others sting when I use them on my body—it’s not hard to decipher what the issue is there (read: it’s fragrance). The shea butter, glycerin, and jojoba oil also leave my skin feeling soft, which allows me to wear jeans (versus the baggiest, more gentle pants I can find) on the day I shave down there.

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Now, not every aftershave marketed for sensitive skin will work effectively on your balls—some won’t even be effective on your face. But Nivea Men’s Sensitive Post Shave Balm makes sense for intimate areas because it’s not just fragrance-free but, crucially, also alcohol-free (like most options on this list).

The formula is streamlined, including vitamin E, vitamin B5, and chamomile to calm and hydrate skin after shaving. Like Manscaped, it doesn’t overthink things, simply avoiding anything that irritates sensitive skin while relying on what can best soothe it. When I use this, there’s no burning or lingering dryness, and I can go on with my day without being constantly reminded that I did some below-the-belt management in the morning.

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When it’s muggy out, those heavier creams can struggle to fully absorb into your skin and feel greasy and gross—especially in areas that hold heat like your crotch. On these days, I always turn to this spray. It absorbs fast and never feels clunky on the skin thanks to its watery consistency. The backbone of this spray is its plant-based ingredients, including witch hazel, aloe vera, and shea butter. Together, they calm redness, minimize irritation, and hydrate freshly shaved skin.

Witch hazel isn’t an ingredient I’d typically recommend for sensitive skin, as it can be drying; however, since it’s seemingly a low dose and the formula itself isn’t alcohol-based, it never made my skin burn or break out. Plus, it’s fragrance-free, so there’s really a minimal risk of a reaction. This spray can also be used in addition to balms and creams. If I haven’t shaved in a while and am worried about irritation, I’ll do a couple of sprays before applying my thicker aftershave for added hydration.

Before I had the know-how or budget to get a dedicated pubic aftershave, I’d use my go-to body lotion, which was usually CeraVe. It’s never expensive and always easy to find, plus even before I knew much about skincare, I knew my skin preferred lotions without fragrance. Turns out, I was onto something all those years ago, because this is still a favorite to this day.

The fragrance-free formula is gentle, and while the lotion is one of the thicker options on this list, it doesn’t take as long to absorb as you might think. I don’t often use this in the peak of summer—it’s still a thick cream and will feel goopy in July—but for the cooler months it’s perfect. The ceramides help support the skin barrier, while hyaluronic acid helps hold moisture in the skin, so my skin never feels tight or dry.

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