Growing up, my friends largely learned their beauty hacks from their older sisters. I, myself, was sister-less, but I did belong to a cheerleading team full of older girls with wisdom to share. And one day at practice when I was 15, I learned the one trick I would carry with me until this very day: shaving your legs with conditioner instead of shaving cream. It made the hair softer, some senior told me, and I never went back to the fluffy, aerosol formulas that clogged my razors again. 

Over the years, I’ve tried — in vain — to find a body wash that could prep my legs for a smooth shave just as efficiently, as using up my conditioner twice felt wasteful (and expensive.) But even some of the more high-end body cleaners I’ve tested don’t provide the same glide, and just result in razor burn and ingrown hairs. And if you have sensitive skin or are particularly ingrown-prone, you know that repeatedly shaving over these irritated areas can extrapolate the issue. One new body-care launch, though, has made me a convert: the Soft Services Comfort Cleanse Ultra Soothing Shower Gel. 

I’m already a fan of the brand’s exfoliating products. Its ketosis pilaris-fighting Buffing Bar lives perpetually in my shower, so I was excited for a soothing formula to follow it up with. 

“We knew we needed a daily body cleanser to complement our targeted treatments for people with combination body skin,” explains Annie Kreighbaum, cofounder of Soft Services. “One that is insanely effective at removing grime, but that [provides] hydration, is fragrance-free, and  safe for sensitive skin.” Cosmetic chemist Ginger King agrees that even those who have reactive skin can safely use this wash.

“They used mild surfactants — ingredients that help to remove debris from skin — and [made it] fragrance-free, which will help people with sensitive skin issues,” she says. Beyond simply cleansing the skin, Kreighbaum says that shaving was top-of-mind during the product development stage. 

“We knew that having an ultra-soothing razor glide is so important to preventing many of the skin concerns we address, like ingrown hair and inflammation due to razor burn,” Kreighbaum says. The team was able to tweak the thickness of the water-gel to best cling to skin during shaving once it found nailed the right ratio for its hydrating and cleansing ingredients.