Do Your Underarms Need Their Own 7-Step Skin Care Routine?

For most people, underarm care begins and ends with soap and deodorant. On BeautyTok, though, that’s just the beginning.

On TikTok, armpit routines are giving one of the least glamorous parts of your body the full skin care treatment. Instead of just deodorant, creators are treating their underarms with everything from chemical exfoliants to serums, lotions, and even overnight masks. The idea? To help revent ingrown hairs, fade hyperpigmentation, and leave skin looking smoother and brighter overall.

The before-and-afters are undeniably satisfying to watch, but they also raise one obvious question: Do your underarms really need the same level of attention as your face? Judging by the comments, not everyone is thrilled about adding yet another step to an already-packed beauty routine. "Ughhh being a girl is soo hard," one user wrote underneath a video that now has over 894K likes, summing up the collective exhaustion.

Ahead, a dermatologist breaks down which parts of the underarm skin care trend are actually worth trying, which ones you can skip, and whether your pits really need a multi-step routine in the first place.

The Lowdown On Underarm Routines

One ingredient has become the unofficial star of armpit routines on TikTok: glycolic acid. The chemical exfoliant has long been a skin care staple, but creators have been swiping it under their arms in hopes of preventing ingrown hairs, smoothing rough texture, and fading hyperpigmentation.

With tank tops and swimsuits in heavy rotation for summer, it's easy to see why the ingredient is having an armpit moment — and according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, glycolic acid is worth the hype. “It’s used to treat a vast array of issues, including ingrown hairs and hyperpigmentation,” he says, noting that those two concerns are the most common ones he sees in his practice.

That doesn’t mean everyone needs to use it though. While ingrown hairs are typically caused by irritation from shaving, hyperpigmentation can develop for a range of reasons and isn’t always preventable. Many of the videos focus on brightening or smoothing the area, but those concerns are cosmetic — not something everyone needs to fix.

That said, glycolic acid isn't something you should jump into without a plan. Because it's an exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), Mudgil recommends easing it into your underarm routine. “The key is starting with a low concentration and working your way up,” he says. “Listen to your skin. If it gets angry, use a lower potency formulation and decrease the frequency of use.” At the start, that might mean reaching for a formula with 5-7% glycolic acid and applying it just a few nights a week. If your skin tolerates it well, you can gradually increase how often you use it.

Do You *Need* An Armpit Routine?

Beyond glycolic acid, underarm routines can get surprisingly elaborate. It's not unusual to see people layering hypochlorous acid sprays, ingrown hair serums, witch hazel, vitamin C creams, sunscreen, moisturizers, and even overnight turmeric masks on the area.

Mudgil, however, isn't convinced that most people need to stock their bathroom shelves for an armpit regimen. Asked what else he recommends for underarm care, his answer was simple: nothing.

If you’re dealing with a specific concern like ongoing hyperpigmentation or frequent ingrown hairs, your best bet is skipping the trial-and-error approach altogether and seeing a dermatologist instead. “They can evaluate your skin and recommend a proper regimen, which may include over-the-counter products, prescription options, or a combination of both,” he adds.

That's because there's no one-size-fits-all approach to underarm care. "It really depends on the specific issue," says Mudgil. For most people, keeping things simple with soap and deodorant is perfectly fine. As he puts it, “Our underarms don’t need a routine.” Save those skin care products for your face, and consider it one less step to worry about.