For those of you who shaves or waxes, ingrowns are probably your biggest nightmare. The only way to prevent ingrowns is regular exfoliation but there are also treatments out there to help with the problem. Sephora sells a product called Tend Skin ($20-35) that claims to improve the appearance of razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and redness caused by hair removal and below is a recipe of a homemade version of it that I found online. I have tried it on myself and trust me it WORKS – my bumps were gone overnight!
Ingredients
* 26 Uncoated Aspirin
* 5.5oz 70% Alcohol
* 2.5oz Witch Hazel
* 1 Measuring Cup/bottle
* 2 Bottles used to shake mixtures
* 1 8oz or more Spray Bottle/Container to keep finished product
Step By Step Instructions
1. Pour the alcohol into one bottle.
2. Drop 18 uncoated aspirins into the alcohol. Cap bottle and shake.
3. Pour the witch hazel into the second bottle.
4. Drop 8 uncoated aspirins into the witch hazel. Cap bottle and shake.
5. Wait about 30 minutes to a whole day for the aspirins to dissolve in the liquids. Shake periodically to help dissolve aspirin and mix. Note: Not all of the aspirin will dissolve but that is okay.
6. Now combine both the alcohol and witch hazel mixtures together into one bottle. Make sure you shake well before you pour them out so you also get the aspirin residue into the new bottle.
7. Apply to affected areas as needed.
Directions: Use 1-2 times a day. Reduce usage if you experience dryness or flaking or irritation. DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ASPIRIN. Make sure you shake well before each use.
45 Comments
I made the homemade version too. really works. I would get really bad ingrown hair on my legs and pits sometimes and it’s the only thing that help.
good stuff!
I’m sorry if this sounds like a dumb question, but how would you apply it?
um what’s witch hazel? and where can i get it?
you can either soak it onto a cotton pad and apply or just spray it onto the area.
witch hazel is an astringent liniment obtained from the leaves and bark of the witch hazel plant. you should be able to find it right by the first aid section at any drugstore.
So you’re supposed to drop all 18 asprin tablets in the alcohol, and then fetch out 8 aspirin and then drop it in the witch hazel? Or drop 10 into the alcohol and 8 into the witch hazel?
aspirin as in the medicine? antithrombotic? sorry.. just want to make sure 🙂 and yeah how many aspirins in all? thanks so much!
yup aspirin as in the kind of aspirin you can find in drugstores. basically, you use 18 uncoated aspirins with the alcohol then another 8 aspirins with the witch hazel.
hi! i juz came across dis site! 🙂 i wanna try the home made version too! may i noe where i can get smthg tt’s 70% alcohol? the rest of the ingredient i can get @ watsons! 🙂 tks!
I accidentally bought the coated aspirin. O___O
I tried the whole thing, but it didn’t work at all. heh…maybe it’s cause of the aspirin? What is the difference between coated and uncoated?
Can u suggest a brand and type of aspirin that works best?
Thanks!
I accidentally bought the coated aspirin!! I tried it anyways, but the remedy didn’t work at all! Maybe it’s cause of the aspirin?
What is the difference between coated and uncoated aspirin…like what effects are different?
Also, can u please recommend me the most effective brand and type of aspirin to use for this remedy?
Thanks!
Any generic brand of aspirin will do – just make sure they are uncoated.
Sorry to ask on a topic posted so long ago but I was wondering how long this mixture would keep for. Also, is 70% alcohol just like normal rubbing alcohol you find in drug stores?
Thanks
I have had mine for 9 months (this stuff takes forever to use up!) and it still works fine. I guess what you could do is check the expiry dates on the alcohol/aspirin/witch hazel if there is one and use it until then.
And yes it is just regular rubbing alcohol.
omgosh thank you so much! i’ve been having that problem and it’s a major pain…. i’ll have to try it soon!
hey. how do u have dotless (due to shaving) clean pits besides shaving, waxing and going to beauty shop for permanent hair removal??
do you apply it onto your skin right after shaving, or can you apply it any time during the day?
Don’t apply this right after you shave/wax – your skin will be too sensitive and it will sting. Simply wait a few hours or do it in the morning/after you shower.
hi can i replace alcohol with hydrogen peroixde b/c alcohol is really drying..
how long do you leave it on your skin? 3 minutes? 10 minutes?
Hi Jennifer, this works like a toner so it will dry up by itself. You don’t have to wash/wipe it off.
This stuff REALLY works, I would shave and get ingrowns and little pimples, it was terrible but I have been using this for a week now and not even the slightest hint of pimples or ingrowns right from the day I shaved. My husband is now using it for his facial hair and it’s fantastic.
Hey, I am excited to hear about this — and I love that you’ve given us a recipe.
I have always wondered how anyone can shave or wax the bikini area at all because of the irritation and ingrowns. I have tried both shaving and waxing, and I think pretty much every single hair in that vicinity becomes ingrown because the hair grows in at rather extreme angles.
Exfoliation doesn’t help much because the hairs can be totally UNDER the skin, growing sidewise and generally wreaking havoc. Does anyone know if the mixture help with that kind of thing?
so i cant find uncoated aspirin ANYWHERE….seriously i’ve checked rite aid, kinneys, and walmart and none of these places have it. Can i use chewable aspirin??? and if i can use chewable aspirin does it matter if it comes in a flavor??
thanks a lot
Foxxy
btw i absloutely LOVE your blog
keep up the excellent work
🙂
I just tried this out today. I couldn’t find any uncoated aspirin and when I asked the pharmacist, they told me that it’s practically nonexistent because of how it would upset the stomach without a coating.
So…I compromised and bought the lightly coated aspirin. Just sprintz’d the stuff on me and when it dried, I could see white powder! haha the aspirin went through the sprintz tube and opening apparently. I have really bad bumps and ingrown hair, so we’ll see if this is the cure I’ve been looking for!
did it work? how long did it take? i have been using this remedy with lighltly coated aspirin for a couple days with no results 🙁
Can I use this after I’ve gotten a brazilian wax? I’d probably use it the day after or something because I’m sure the area would still be sensitive…
Has anybody used this after they’ve been waxed “down there”???
That’s what I use every time I get a Brazilian and I’ve had no problems with it.
Is there a specific brand of 70% alcohol? Where can I get that?
As for the aspirin, there are some that are 500mg and some only 75mg, does it make a difference?
Hi, Phyllis, is there a specific brand for the 70% alcohol? I asked the pharmacist here and she said they have no such thing.
As for the aspirin, some are 500mg (such as Bayers), and others are 75mg. Does it make a difference? Will the 500mg one be too harsh on the skin?
sorry for the late response: just about all rubbing alcohol sold at the store is 70%isopropyl alchol.
I don’t think that hydrogen peroxide is a good substitute because it is completely different from alcohol. it might react with the aspirin in a way that won’t be good for you.
Don’t use coated or flavored aspirin. Why? that coating and flavoring is just another chemical that will be going in the mix. solution? try to scrape the coating off.
Use the regular size aspirin (75 mgs, I think).
For those of you suffering from ingrowns& too lazy to run to the store to buy the alcohol, witch hazel, uncoated aspirin, plastic spray bottles, there’s another solution!
I was itching like mad after my brazilian started coming in& I didn’t have time to run to the store so I googled home remedies& i found this:
—>Table salt dissolved in water. Soaked on cotton ball. Rub on. Let dry. Wash off.
I did it for 2 days& success!:D Next time, as soon as I’m done the brazilian I’m doing this.
hi,
sorry, to write to such an old post – hope that sometime someone is still dropping by.
i have a question about witch hazel: since i’m not living in the us, i googled the latin name and got hamamelis.
the thing is, there’s nothing with just “hamamelis” in our drug stores. but there’re tons of stuff *with* it.
so what am i expected to buy? which other ingredients in the mixture are ok?
since the recipe says to “pour” the witch hazel, at least i guess i should take something liquid, right?
love,
fukiburi
Hello, I just have a question: like fukiburi, I can’t find witch hazel where I live (Korea), so would it be okay to either leave it out entirely or substitute it with some other ingredient?
Thank you!
iv been using this for a while and it works great. for those of you having problems finding uncoated aspirin walmart has a brand called smart health 200 for 2.04. if you cant find uncoated you can buy coated place them in a plastic bag and bust them up with a hammer also use 325mg aspirin, you also dont have to mix the witch hazel and alcohol separately. get a container pour 5.5 oz of the alcohol into it. put 26 uncoated aspirin in next followed by 2.5 oz of the witch hazel. this will dissolve the aspirin in about 30 minutes. to use apply with cotton ball or pad. do not get near eyes no use if allergic to aspirin.
I was searching the web for this lost recipe and this popped up. thanks! my mom discovered this recipe back in the 1960’s in the newspaper and afer mixing up the first batch, we always had a bottle in the house. we used it mostly for muscle aches and pains.
Love your site? I have a question though. I made a batch and the stuff stinks! Is that normal? I noticed that the bottle of witch hazel I used expired the month I made the solution, so not sure if that’s a factor. And do you leave it on and go out, or do you eventually wash it off? Can you moisturize with it on your skin? I just feel like the smell lingers on my skin, but if this is not normal, then it must be the witch hazel. Thank you!
U probably just smell the witch hazel because it has a strong smell like alcohol but at the same time it’s gonna smell like a weird plant.
Why can’t you crush the aspirins and then add to the liquids? You could use the handle of a knife, mortar and pestle, grinder, pill crusher, etc. I made the concoction using BC Powders, but unsure if I got the ratios correct, so plan on starting over.
hydrogen peroxide can be a substitute for witch hazel. They are both an astringent.
Thanks Nikki for the tip 🙂
Great site, i’m going to make a batch right now, my first. I have been using Tend Skin for almost 20 years, so i’m really excited to try this. I just thought i might respond to some of the quest./comments etc… even though they were so long ago, i just found you so i’m sure others will in the future too. I hope this is helpful.
I am going to use uncoted aspirin, i think i will break/crush them to help it along. Other than that, i am going to follow Phyllis’ recipe.
Alex – that is cool u have been using it for aches & pains…it actually started out as an oral/facial pain reliever, & the patients noticed the extra ”bonus”!
Witch Hazel is an astringent, ”for relief of minor cuts/abrasions” etc. it’s bottle is usually similar to alcohol & hydrogen peroxide. It’s usually a clear liquid, AND it does have an ”odd” smell. Lol possibly what everyone is commenting about.
Regular Aspirin is usually 325 mg. Baby or ”daily” chewable is 81mg. I don’t know which one the recipe calls for, but i am going to try the 325mg. (I wonder if orange chewable would make it smell better? Lol)
FOR UNCOATED ASPIRIN
We have a couple of stores here (so Calif), 99cent Store, & Big Lots. Both discounted and often discontinued items. Go to 99c store and buy em up if they have it.
Try to find the uncoated. I don’t think the coating will do much to help…it is supposed to coat your stomach, & seems like it will ”muck” it up.
TO APPLY. i used to use cotton, but now i use my hand/fingers, i have a sqeeze top, it spreads very easy, and doesn’t end up in the waste basket (of course i’m writing all this about tend skin) but hoping it’s gonna be the same.)
You leave it on. the original dries quick. I think i usually put on my lotion, trying to avoid where i’m going to put tendskin, & apply after lotion.
I have used it ”down there” after a brazilian and everything. It can sting a bit if you get too close or on “openings” if you catch my drift, but fan/blow (lol) and it quickly dissipates.
The alcohol i have is 70%….think most are.
Well i have taken up too much space, i apologize. I hope i haven’t over stepped…
Thanks so much for your blog!!
I bought the roll on bottle from tend skin ( I tried to find a refillable roll-on bottle elsewhere but couldn’t) and just refill with my own homemade mix using this recipe. Works awesome and no mess!!!!
NOT a copy, but an “inspired by”, with lower acetylsalicylic content and higher irritant factor (alcohol sans glycerine and propylene glycol), lower surface tension (drips).
To COPY (patent original formula, not current version with its changes):
91% isopropyl OTC, 8 oz = 225ml
Vegetable Glycerin food grade 0.5 oz = 14 ml <=== ecig VG carrier, common in smokeshops
Propylene Glycol food grade 1.5 oz = 42 ml <=== ecig PG carrier
Aspirin uncoated to 15% (of 281ml ~= 280g….42g = 84 tabs *500mg = 129 tabs * 325mg)
Aspirin should be the 99¢ -store type, with the ONLY inactive ingredient listed corn starch (to be filtered out). VG and PG shoukd be pure food grade ingredients, NOT premixed vape with nicotine and flavours.
Crush all aspirin tabs FIRST. Then douse in alcohol 91%. Stir a little and LET SETTLE. Don't – DO NOT! – try to keep sludge in solution, carefully pour off solution and dump sludge of insolube corn starch. Can filter thru coffee filters or smthn for clarity if you so wish, but do not chill to precipitate. Aspirin is 1:5 soluble in alcohol at room temperature, making your 15% solution in 91% (capable of pulling ~18%) almost saturated, so you would start to lose active ingredient quickly at lower temps.
Now, mix PG and VG into filtered aspirin/91%isopropanol solution. Stir.
DONE. 10 oz. Original Tend Skin. ~72% alcohol by volume, 5% glycerine, 15% propylene glycol
15% acetylsalicylic acid dissolved.
May become cloudy if exposed to cold. Return to room temperature, shake well. WARNING: irritant, extremely flammable. Do not smoke, cook etc after applying until dry.
Hi I pls can I get the doses in maybe teaspoons or tablespoons. Not familiar with the.oz measurements. Thanks