Say goodbye to annoying, unwanted fuzz with the best home waxing kits and strips
If you have unwanted hair, the best home waxing kits are an excellent choice for removing it and getting long-term smoothness. Whether its whisking off a few stragglers on your upper lip, shaping your eyebrows, de-fuzzing your legs or manscaping your entire torso, the advantages of waxing in the comfort of your own home are plentiful.
With at-home waxing kits, you can achieve a salon-smooth finish whenever you want and theres no travel time or waiting for an appointment. Better still, you dont have to bare your bits to anyone and you can wince, grimace and blurt out expletives as you pull off the strips without causing offence.
Home waxing isnt any less painful, of course, but we do have some tips to help minimise the discomfort. And afterwards, you can relax at home, leaving your newly smooth skin free of potentially irritating clothing. This selection of home waxing kits, suitable for everyone, will enable you to achieve a salon-smooth finish, for all areas of the body.
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Best home waxing kit: At a glance
- Best mess-free home waxing kit: Sugar Coated | 11
- Best home waxing kit for small areas: Nair Wax Face Strips | 1.50
- Best simple home waxing kit: Nads Natural Sugar Wax Kit | 10
- Best wax warmer waxing kit: Grace & Stella Wax Warmer Kit | 22
How to choose the best home waxing kit for you
Why should you choose wax?
It can be daunting to try out a new hair removal process for the first time especially with waxing since its renowned for being painful. However, as waxing removes hairs from the root you get super-smooth skin that can last for up to four weeks. Regrowth feels less prickly because new hairs have tapered tips, whereas shaving means blunt, stubbly regrowth. All in all, if you want a long-term hair removal process that will leave you smoother for longer, waxing is a safe bet.
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What types of home waxing kit can you buy?
Cold wax: This is usually sold as pre-spread disposable strips and used for small areas such as womens upper lips, bikini lines, or eyebrows. These strips are some of the cheapest options available but arent amazing for covering large areas.
Hot wax: With this wax, the wax must be heated before use in a microwave or by immersing the container in very hot water until its texture resembles runny honey. You can also buy electric wax warmers, but youll pay more for the convenience.
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Soft hot wax: This has to be heated as above, but remains soft throughout use. Its best for larger areas, such as the legs or chest. Melt it, then use the spatula to spread on a small amount in the direction of growth. Press on a fabric strip, then pull off in the opposite direction.
Hot waxing kits typically include spatulas to spread the wax (usually wooden the more, the better), washable fabric strips, and post-wax soothing cream or oil wipes to remove residue.
Hard hot wax (stripless hot wax): This wax hardens in place as it cools, then you pull it off. It adheres to the hairs, not the skin, so its less painful, and is best for smaller, more sensitive areas, such as the bikini line.
Sugar wax: A mix of sugar, water and lemon juice. This method has been used since ancient Egyptian times and can be hot or cold. Sugaring, as its known, is perceived as less painful than waxing because it sticks only to the hairs, making it better for sensitive skin. Apply the sugar mixture against the direction of hair growth, and remove it in the opposite direction. Because sugar is water-soluble, cleaning up is easy too.
How can you make waxing easier?
Like most long-term hair removal, waxing is always going to come with a little bit of pain. However, if you follow the advice below, youll make the process as painless as possible while guaranteeing the best results.
- Follow the instructions of your specific home waxing kit to the letter.
- Exfoliate 24 hours beforehand to remove dead skin cells and release any ingrowing hairs check out our pick of the best body scrubs for our favourite exfoliants.
- Wash the area thoroughly with soap and hot water before waxing, and dry the skin well. This will open the follicles, making it easier for hairs to be pulled out.
- Sprinkle on a bit of talcum powder to help the wax to stick to hairs, not skin.
- Practise on larger areas, such as the legs, before doing smaller, trickier places with skin folds, such as the pubic area or armpits.
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The best home waxing kits to buy in 2023
1. Nair Wax Face strips for sensitive skin: Best home waxing kit for small areas
Price1.50 | Check price
Nair has a long history of hair removal, launching in 1940 with its depilatory cream and then bringing out its first wax product in 1990. Its wax has come quite a way since then, and these strips are ideal for small areas such as the face and toes. Theyre easy to use: slightly press between your palms, then apply in the direction of hair growth before pulling away.
Because the wax is cold, it sticks a little less effectively to the hairs than the hot stuff, so you may have to reapply to an area to catch all of them fortunately, Nair includes a wipe with camomile extract and vitamin E to clean up any residue. This repeated application can make the area a little tender, so it pays to spend a bit of time reading up on the most effective technique. On the whole, though, these strips are affordable and straightforward.
Key details Number of wax strips: 16; Wax type: Cold; Area/s: Face, eyebrow, other small areas; Suitable for vegans: Yes
Check price at Wilko
2. Nads Nose Wax for Men & Women: Best home waxing kit for nose hairs
Price14 | Check price
If a visit to a traditional barber isnt an option, this does the job in a place thats difficult to tidy up, except with a nasal trimmer or scissors. Waxing gives a longer-lasting result too and doesnt need such a steady hand.
Smother the bulbous end of the applicator with the melted wax, which includes almond oil, aloe vera, camomile oil and beeswax among the ingredients, and insert into your nostril. Leave the wax to set for one minute then pull out the applicator in one swift movement. Surprisingly, it isnt as eyewatering as youd expect, and certainly much less painful than tweezing.
You can also use the flat end of the double-ended applicator for waxing the outside of the nose or between the brows as well. Moreover, there are several moustache-protecting stencils in the pack, so theres no need to worry about losing that tache in the process.
Key details Wax weight: 45g; Number of applicators: 8 (4 applications); Wax type: Hot; Area/s: Nostrils, tip of nose, between brows; Suitable for vegans: No
Check price at Boots
3. Grace & Stella Wax Warmer Kit: Best one-pot heated waxing kit
Price when reviewed: 22 | Check price at Grace and Stella
In a pretty peach-coloured box is a heating pot, as well as four packets of wax beads original, lavender, chocolate and camomile which contain beeswax as well as resin. This kit is incredibly easy to use: simply pour in the wax, set the temperature and stir occasionally until melted. An automatic cut-out prevents overheating, which is a nice additional safety feature.
As this is a hard hot wax, it cools quickly once out of the pot, and takes a bit of practice to apply the right thickness, so expect a bit of trial and error if youre new to this style of waxing. Cleaning up is easier than application. The wax comes off quickly and if theres any left over at the end, you can leave it to set in the pot, ready to re-melt next time.
Key details Wax weight: 400g; Number of applicators: 10; Wax type: Hard hot; Area/s: Everywhere; Suitable for vegans: No
Check price at Grace and Stella
4. Sugar Coated: Best mess-free home waxing kit
Price11 | Check price
Sugar Coateds simple sugar and water mixture is a pleasure to use. It gives off a delicious caramel smell when heated in the microwave and is easy to apply in a suitably thin layer to the chest and legs, spreading more easily than cold wax.
As it contains just sugar and water, the mix is water-soluble, meaning its easy to clean up any residue on the skin with soap and water. Better still, the reusable cloth strips, which you can cut to size for smaller areas, are easy to clean as well. A nice inclusive touch is the variety of hair types depicted in the instruction leaflet.
Key details Wax weight: 250g; Number of applicators: 3 (2 large, 1 small); Number of strips: 15; Wax type: Hot sugar; Area/s: Legs, upper lip, bikini line, underarm; Suitable for vegans: Yes
Sugar Coated Hair Removal Wax Kit for Full Body Waxing, Sugar Wax for Hair Removal, Vegan Friendly Sugar Wax, Organic Sugar Wax, 1 x 250g
14.99 (6.00 / 100 g) Check price
5. Nads Natural Sugar Wax Kit: Best simple home waxing kit
Price10 | Check price
Theres no need to heat this cold sugar wax, which is already like runny honey in consistency. Simply apply it in the direction of hair growth, press on one of the 100% cotton fabric strips included in the kit and quickly pull it off.
Applying a thin enough layer took a few attempts, and the stretchy, sticky, sugary strands between the skin and the spatula were a little hard to control initially. However, pulling off the strips was noticeably less painful than standard waxing and this soluble blend washes off easily from both the fabric strips and spatula for reuse. Once youve got the knack, this is an ideal alternative to hot waxing.
Key details Wax weight: 170g; Number of applicators: 6; Number of strips: 10; Wax type: Cold sugar; Area/s: Face, body, arms, bikini line, legs; Suitable for vegans: Yes
Nad's 100% Natural Sugar Wax Kit, Vegan, Hypoallergenic, No-heat Formula Waxing Sugar Paste, Includes 6 Wooden Spatulas, 10 Reusable 100% Cotton Strips, 1 Pre-wax Cleansing Soap & Sugar Wax 170g
10.99 (6.46 / 100 g) Check price
6. No Mo-Bush: Best home waxing kit for bikini lines
Price when reviewed: 12 | Check priceRevolve
From the makers of No Mo-Stache, credited with creating the worlds first portable waxing kit, is this No-Mo bikini-line kit. The disposable, peel-apart strips are just the right size to apply one on each side of the bikini line and the main ingredient is colophonium, a resin derived from pine trees no beeswax here.
Like other disposable cold wax strips, we found No-Mo easy to use. Simply warm the paper between the palms, then apply in position, rubbing in the direction of hair growth. The wax distribution was also pleasingly even on both sides, something that can be a problem with disposable wax sheets. We like that the tin comes with two sachets of post-wax aloe cream, though this sadly isnt enough for every use.
Key details Number of strips: 8; Wax type: Cold; Area/s: Bikini line; Suitable for vegans: Yes
