Let’s face it—being a mom is a full-time job with not much wiggle room. You make time for the big things: class projects, after school activities, and your own career. But when it comes to the “me time”, forget it.

So, it’s no wonder that busy moms need help to prevent ingrown hairs after waxing. Ingrown hairs are sometimes caused by dead skin cells blocking a pore that has a hair follicle trying to grow out of it. Since the pore is covered, the follicle cannot protrude from the skin, and instead grows underneath.

So how can a busy mom squeeze in the time to prevent ingrown hairs after waxing? Here are five quick and easy things you can do to accomplish just that!

Clean Before Waxing

Cleaning your skin in warm water and with soap can help prepare it for waxing. Using a good loofah or washcloth can clear away dirt and dead skin cells that can clog your pores and make the follicles harder to pull out. Plus, the warm water softens the skin, making it more pliable and willing to let those hairs go. Don’t make it too hot, though, because hot wax on sensitive skin is exactly as uncomfortable as it sounds!

Perfect Your Technique

The actual wax can go a long way toward preventing ingrown hairs. The most important thing to know about waxing is proper technique. The trick is to observe the direction of the wax pull from your skin, it should be parallel. Not only that, but you need to do it quickly. Speed matters. That’s why it’s usually better to go to a professional. Waxing at home puts you at greater risk for ingrown hairs.

Use Moisturizers and Other Creams

There are great products available to help reduce the appearance of ingrown hairs. Moisturizers can soften your skin and sometimes exfoliate. Some products may even heal inflammation caused by waxing. Watch your skin and get to know what it needs, because every skin type is different. If you start to notice an itching, burning rash, discontinue use of any skin product, including your wax, as you may be allergic.

Exfoliate to Make Your Skin Glow

Sure, this tip should really be done before the wax, but the best way to protect your skin when you’re a busy bee is to exfoliate daily. That can’t be stressed enough. Day in and day out, life leaves grunge on your skin. Dead skin cells separate from your skin every moment, but remain there, even after washing, mixing in with that grunge for a type of “body soup.” Using a good exfoliant scrub clears away the dead skin, allowing the living tissue to get more air and nutrients, and clearing the way for those stubborn hairs to poke out!

Cool It

After your wax, a cold compress applied to your skin can reduce irritation. The hair follicles are yanked out at their roots, and while the reward is smooth, clear skin, the process does cause irritation beneath the skin as well as on the surface. The coolness helps the irritation subside, allowing your pores to open back up. Just a few minutes of holding it on the irritation can reduce it significantly, and also the stinging, burning pain that sometimes accompanies it.

Busy moms hardly have any time for themselves, between their own pursuits and their children’s. Whether shuttling the kids around or juggling work and home, it’s hard for a mom to find the time to really pamper herself. The five tips above take very little time and can be done around your schedule. So use these five easy ways to prevent ingrown hairs after waxing, and enjoy smooth, soft skin after your wax!