Waxing is an ever-popular hair removal method, and products for use at home have improved over the years as demand has risen.
There are many varieties now on the market, from hot wax that needs warming to super easy pre-waxed strips that you can take on your travels and use anywhere with no fuss or bother.
Natural sugaring products are also on the market, and although they are strictly speaking not actually wax, they work in the same way and produce the same results and so we have included some within this review.
Waxing at home can be tricky, but the legs are just about the easiest to start with as they are easily accessible and less sensitive than some other areas.
Which Product Should You Buy?
Wax |
Quality |
Price |
Rating |
---|---|---|---|
Sugar Strip Ease Hair Remover |
A+ |
$$ |
Best Buy |
Hot Legs Salon Quality Cool Gel Wax |
A |
$$ |
|
Parissa Wax Strips for Legs and Body |
A |
$ |
|
Veet Ready to Use Wax Strip Kit |
A |
$ |
|
Sally Hansen Lavender Spa Wax Kit |
A |
$ |
|
Moom Express Natural Wax Strips |
A |
$ |
Leg Waxing Best Buy
For my "best buy" I have picked Sugar Strip Ease Hair Remover.
I really like this product because it is 100% naturally produced, containing just sugar syrup and water, and certified as cruelty-free.
It is simple to use (can be warmed in the microwave) and suitable for use on all almost all parts of the body, with 15 reusable strips that are a good size for waxing the legs.
The lovely, almost honey-like scent makes it very pleasant to use and I found it to be effective at removing leg hair.
Retailing at around $20 for a 9 oz jar, it is not the cheapest product we have reviewed, but overall it is my favourite and it represents pretty good value for money (there is sufficient product for several treatments).
Spatulas are provided and any residue can be easily washed away with water.
Hot Legs Salon Quality Cool Gel Wax is another good quality, value for money product, retailing at a very reasonable $17 for a good sized,12.4 oz (350g)pot.
Designed to be used cold, there is no need to warm it first, it is soft and spreadable and ready to use straight away, to make things super-easy.
There are 6 reusable cloth strips included as well as a wooden spatula, slanted at each end to make it easy to spread the gel following the contour of the legs.
The product is sugar-based and, as with Sugar Strip Ease above, any residue can be removed simply with water.
The Veet Ready to Use Wax Strip Kit is one of the best value-for-money products we have reviewed, at around $8 for 40 strips plus finishing wipes.
Formulated for use on sensitive skin the product is dye free and promises to be effective on hair as short as 1.5 mm.
The strips are good size for treating legs, and they can also be used on other parts of the body, but not on the face.
Veet produce a separate wax strip kit for facial use as part of their large and popular hair removal range.
Also included with the product is a bottle of delicately fragranced post treatment oil for removing any wax residue.
Full Reviews of Each Product
Sugar Strip Ease Hair Remover
Sugar Strip Easeour purposes
The strips are a good size for leg treatments, measuring 7cms x 20cms.
There are 15 strips provided with the product, and they can be washed clean with water for re-use.
There are 3 spatulas included, 2 large and one small.
The sugar wax can simply be heated in the microwave and then when it has reached the right consistency, it is easily spread thinly over the treatment area and a strip is smoothed down firmly over the top.
The strip is then zipped off quickly, against the direction of hair's growth as close to the skin as possible, in one swift movement.
We have carried out a separate full review, which includes an instruction video.
Parissa Wax Strips for Legs and Body
This product consists of 20 double-sided pre-waxed strips (40 in total), with the waxed area measuring 140mm x 55mm.
The wax is sandwiched between 2 clear plastic strips.
To use, you simply warm between your hands until the wax softens and the sheets can be easily pulled apart to give 2 ready to use wax strips.
The transparent strips make it easy to see the area you are waxing, which I liked.
The 8ml bottle of Azulene oil included is perfect for removing wax residue from the skin post-treatment and can be applied with a cotton wool pad.
The best thing about pre-waxed strips are their simplicity, and the fact that they can be easily packed for use anywhere.
Sally Hansen Lavender Spa Wax Kit
Straight away on opening the lid, you notice the vivid colour, which I must admit I am not too keen on.
However, the faint lavender scent is pleasant and mild and the wax is simple to heat in the microwave to a soft, pliable consistency.
There are plenty of the 197mm x 74mm strips - 20 in all, although it is a good idea to purchase some extras, plus there are 8 wooden application spatulas included.
I found that the wax did harden up again quite quickly, so it was necessary to re-heat a few times during treatment, but it was effective and removed hair first time.
Not as simple to use as the pre-waxed strips and a little more messy - you need to be careful to avoid getting the wax on clothing, carpets etc., but a good strong wax, that will remove coarse hair.
The Azulene oil provided is good for removing residue wax after treatment and, although only a small bottle, a little goes a long way.
Waxing at Home - Top Tips
Waxing at home is a great option for if you are on a budget and has the additional advantages of convenience and privacy.
However, there is a method to waxing for best results, and there are many choices of product available on the market, so there will likely be some trial and error involved initially.
In our opinion the products reviewed above are some of the best and most effective we have found, but no matter how good the product, you need to master the method and so we have outlined below some key points for you: