How to get rid of ingrown hairs, razor bumps and smelly pits.

They're the pits. Ingrown hairs, razor bumps, dark underarms, and body odour. Here's how glycolic acid helps with all of the above — and the new deodorant that takes it further.

What are ingrown hairs and razor bumps?

When a hair curves back into the skin as it grows — after shaving, waxing, tweezing, or even laser hair removal — that's an ingrown hair. They're common, annoying, and very treatable.

What to look for:

• Itching, stinging, or redness around hair follicles
• Small raised bumps where you remove hair
• Bumps filled with pus
• Darker skin around the affected area (hyperpigmentation)

Razor bumps are closely related — sometimes they're the same thing (a hair trapped under the skin), and sometimes they're caused by shaving with a dull blade or without proper lubrication, which leaves skin irritated and rough.

How does glycolic acid help with ingrowns and razor bumps?

Ingrown hairs happen when dead skin cells and sebum block the hair follicle, trapping the hair underneath. Glycolic acid is a chemical exfoliant that dissolves that blockage — clearing the path so the hair can grow out naturally.

My Glycolic Body Scrub combines glycolic acid with pumice to give you both chemical and physical exfoliation in one step. The glycolic breaks down the dead cell buildup, the pumice helps physically free the trapped hair, and together they reduce the inflammation and redness that come with it.

Use it two to three times a week on areas prone to ingrowns — underarms, legs, bikini line — especially in the days after shaving or waxing.

The pits: hyperpigmentation and odour

Two common underarm concerns that don't get talked about enough: darkening skin and body odour.

Hyperpigmentation

Dark underarms are incredibly common and usually caused by friction, shaving, or a condition called acanthosis nigricans — where skin in folds of the body (armpits, groin, back of the neck, inner elbows and knees) becomes darker than the surrounding area. Glycolic acid is one of the most effective ingredients for evening this out — it chemically exfoliates the surface layer of skin where hyperpigmentation is strongest, and with consistent use reveals fresher, more even skin underneath.

When you use the Glycolic Body Scrub under your arms, leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing. Let it do its thing. For a deeper read on this, check out how glycolic acid helps with hyperpigmentation.

Body odour

Body odour happens when bacteria breaks down the sweat on your skin. Glycolic acid helps here too — it inhibits bacteria growth in the underarm area, which means less odour throughout the day. If you prefer a natural deodorant approach, scrubbing with glycolic first is one of the best things you can do before applying it.

And now I've taken it a step further. My new AHA Deodorant combines glycolic acid with odour-fighting actives to tackle both the cause and the symptom at once. It fights bacteria, exfoliates the dead skin buildup that contributes to darkening, and keeps things fresh — without blocking your pores. It's the upgrade your underarms have been waiting for.

Hot tip: the Glycolic Body Scrub also removes garlic smell from your fingers after cooking. You're welcome.

x frank