Much like short shorts and itsy-bitsy bikinis, razor burn inevitably makes a summer appearance each and every year. What gives? Believe it or not, the cause of those dreaded red bumps is much more simple than you might think — it all comes down to shaving more often. “Ingrown hairs AKA razor bumps are created when a hair that is shaved just below the skin surface starts to regrow in a direction other than the pore or hair follicle opening,” explains founder of Miami Skin Institute, S. Manjula Jegasothy M.D. “And when trapped under the skin, an ingrown hair starts becoming inflamed, creating a red bump, which often resembles a pimple.” Before you go trying to pop these pimple-esque bumps, read on. Unlike zits, ingrown hairs don’t contain fluid and therefore can’t be popped — not that you should even if it were possible. That’s a big no-no in the world of healthy skincare.
While factors such as the way you shave (always go in the direction of the hair growth, not against) and how much you exfoliate and moisturize (do both often… well-hydrated hair is less likely to cause ingrowns) come into play, there are still plenty of products out there to help. Here are dermatologist-approved Brit + Co picks for the ones that do it best.
HydroPeptide 5X Power Peel
“When it comes to preventing razor bumps, the best thing you can do to prep your skin for shaving is to exfoliate. This removes dead skin cells to allow for a closer shave and promote healthy cell turnover,” says Amy McLain, master aesthetician and esthetics director of education at Kenneth’s Hair Salons & Day Spas. She relies on HydroPeptide’s daily resurfacing pads since they contain gentle acids (like glycolic, salicylic, and lactic) that exfoliate without over-drying. Plus, they’re individually packaged, making them great for when you’re on the go.
TendSkin Solution
Cortizone 10 Anti-Itch Creme ($6): If you have ingrown hairs already, by all means do not try to pull them out. “Not only will this create more inflammation, but it can cause them to become worse, persist longer, and perhaps even scar,” says Jegasothy. “Try treating them instead with a combination of TendSkin salicylic acid solution (which is also good to use while shaving) and Cortizone 10.” If the bumps are infected (possible signs are that they’re very painful or have greenish crusts or ooze), then Jegasothy recommends adding a topical antibiotic such as Polysporin.
<span class="m_2010746426082703148MsoHyperlink"><span class="il">Oui</span> <span class="il">Shave</span> </span>Rose Gold Safety Razor
After dealing with one too many razor burns, Oui Shave founder Karen Young invented this smart razor designed specifically for women. It has one stainless steel blade instead of a combo of dull and sharp blades, which increase the likelihood for razor burn.
Oui Shave Neroli Shave Oil
Another one of Young’s must-haves for fighting the good fight against bumps is a neroli oil. “The best way to deal with razor bumps is to use a soft washcloth soaked in warm water to soften the irritated area for 10 to 15 minutes, then use slow circular motions to gently exfoliate with a salt or sugar scrub, followed by an anti-bacterial oil to calm and soothe the skin while helping to prevent more irritation,” she says.
5. Topical Prescription: “If your symptoms last for more than 2 to 3 weeks, you should see a board-certified dermatologist for prescription topical antibiotics such as Clindamycin, Mupirocin, Biafine or even oral antibiotics if necessary,” says Jegasothy. After all, by that point you could be cured and back on the beach already.
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures