Some may think that body hair in women is a pretty big deal, yet everyone knows that it’s completely natural in men as well as in women. In the early 1900’s, the fashion and beauty industry started pressuring women into hair removal: starting from the armpits and extended the trend down to the legs. Throughout the years, society made women without a perfectly waxed or shaved body, feel shameful about their natural body hair; some women even reported to have been shamed for being “dirty” while not shaved, resulting in low self-esteem. We shouldn’t feel bad about being a woman and having body hair as its how nature intended it, unfortunately, most of us can’t help but feel this way (thanks societal pressure).
The point is, no matter how bad we might feel about our body hair, we aren’t always able to be closely shaved (and that’s completely fine by the way); whether by lack of time or laziness, we find ourselves many times a year wanting to do something, or wear something but unable to do so, simply because we aren’t “ready” meaning, “waxed”. We know that waxing at home takes a crazy amount of time, and makes us contort our body in many different ways, and that sometimes, our waxing appointment just hasn’t come early enough (or come at all). Now, I’m a pro laser and a frequent wax-er, which officially makes me feel very strongly against depilatory creams and sprays (and even more about razors) for various different reasons (explained below), but I must admit to their convenience: a spontaneous meetup at the beach with your friends, a last minute doctor appointment, a hot date, or your baby weekly swimming lessons at the public pool; a quick 10 minutes depilatory cream session and we end up with smooth legs. We’re not always ready, and I have to say that a hair removal spray can come in very handy. But is it safe for you, how doest it work, is it natural, how does it affect your skin, and the strength of your hair? We’ve gathered all the answers and are here to respond to all your questions on this controversial, yet practical beauty product.
How Does It Work?
For a better understanding of the pros and cons, and the answers to your questions in this article, you need to know how depilatory creams and sprays work.
Your hair is made of 95% of keratin, which is the final protein created by thousands of amino acids bonding together by chains. Keratin is naturally highly resistant, but depending on the natural fibrous structure, meaning, the link between the amino acids might differ from a person to another and even from one hair to another: some are resistant, some are extraordinarily resistant.
So you guessed it, depilatory creams and sprays have for purpose to break down the keratin structure aka the hair. The product is made of chemicals formulated to literally melt the hair just below the surface of the skin, making the hair removal creams and sprays the “better” option to shaving, which only slices through the hair just above the level of the skin (the epidermis).
Photo via Pinterest, Source Unknown.
Easy To Use
Creams and sprays are the easier way to get rid of your body hair.
Waxing, epilating, threading, home lasers, tweezing and even shaving all require at least some degree of practice to perfect, while creams will only take you between 4 to 10 minutes and no practice at all. Apply the cream, wait, and wipe away the hair - magic!
Pain Free
Comprehensively, some women will be sold with this one. Clearly, the biggest advantage that creams and sprays have over almost all of the other hair removal technics is that there is no pain whatsoever involved (assuming that your skin doesn’t respond badly to the chemicals of the product).
Low Cost
Hair removal isn’t only painful, it has a real cost. If you’re a frequent visitor of beauty salons for waxing sessions, you know how expensive this can be. Depending on your beauty (hair removal) budget, depilatory creams and sprays might be a good alternative - compared to razors. A less than $10 cream is likely to last you a good 2 treatments (legs, arms, under arms and bikini line).
Convenience
This is by far, the most convenient option when it comes to hair removal. It’s such an easy process it can be done in the shower, or just before, and requires little to no effort.
Needs Extreme Caution
While it might be quick and easy to remove the hair you wish to get rid of, this technic will work effectively on all types of hair. As explained above, the product is formulated to dissolve keratin (95% of your hair structure), if your precious, long ponytail accidentally touches the cream, it will dissolve too. Never forget to tie your hair up in a high bun if you wish to keep your length!
Skin Reactions
Depilatory creams and sprays are made of very strong chemicals, which are likely to cause severe skin reactions including rashes, burns, blisters, irritation, itchiness, cracked skin, oozing and crusting - not fun. No matter how annoying it may seem, never skip the skin test on hair removal products.
Ephemeral
This option might seem appealing if you’re on a budget, but let’s think about it: creams/sprays dissolve your hair starting just below the surface of your skin, leaving you with smooth skin for no more than 1-2 days, and giving you another 2-3 days (at best) before your hair shows again. Therefore, using a technic that’ll remove your hair from the root will last considerably longer, saving you time, and can come close to your total spend in the long run.
Strong Smell
They’ve been working so hard to make the smell better over the years, but there’s no disguising the fact that these creams give off a dreadful smell, that will last on your body for a few hours as well as in your bathroom.
1. Photo via Boheme Goods, 2. Photo via Harper’s Bazaar Australia, 3. Photo via The Cool Hour.
Are Depilatory Creams Safe?
Most websites (promoting hair removal cream and spray products) will tell you that as any other beauty product, you might have an allergic reaction, and that you should always do a patch test before using the product, but that it is “safe” to use. The truth is no matter how many natural ingredients they may add to their final products, the base is a big mix of abrasive chemicals. So no, it isn’t safe. Even if your skin doesn’t react too badly to the product and you don’t see any difference (beside your hair being gone), your skin, which is one of the most important and the largest organ of your body will be attacked by such products, making the use of depilatory creams or sprays unhealthy, and should remain occasional.
Will My Hair Grow Back Thicker?
Over time, regular and repeated waxing makes body hair grow back thinner. At first, knowing this, I too, thought that like shaving, using depilatory cream will throw my years of waxing away. But after making some research on this question, this is what I can tell you. Beside laser hair removal, waxing remains the best option as it takes most of the hair root out. The worst option will be shaving, cutting the hair on the surface of the skin, giving it the strength to grow thicker and darker: it’s like getting a trim for healthier head-hair. Depilatory creams may not reach the root of the hair, they breakdown the hair down to underneath the surface of your skin, but also weaken the roots (without removing it); resulting in deteriorating your hair from the root.
Which Ethical And Natural Brand(s) For Depilatory Creams/Sprays?
There are a very few brands that do not test on animals, but the fact is, if you’re after all natural and organic ingredients in your hair removal spray, I can save you all the trouble, you won’t be able to find one, at least for now. To this day, the only known option to dissolve keratin is a mix of chemicals, in which they add natural soothing ingredients such as Aloe Vera.
I personally use the waxing technic to remove my body hair, but from time to time (about twice a year), I find myself in need of a last minute waxing session which takes at least an hour and a half, an appointment, and a lot of money, and is when I decide to get my depilatory cream out. When I do, I use the Sally Hensen Depilatory Cream, which is one of the rare brands selling hair removal creams that doesn’t test on animals; it’s also the closest to a “safe” product, but remains unsafe and unnatural as it’s composed of many chemicals mixed together.
The most famous brands for hair removal are Veet and Nair, don’t let yourself be tricked by their supposedly “safe” and “natural” marketing, they might work, but are made of very harsh chemicals and both test on animals.
