Hair removal methods such as waxing and shaving can be expensive, time-consuming and cause skin irritation, but there are natural solutions that offer comparable results with less pain and no chemicals used.
From sugaring to threading, here are natural solutions for getting rid of unwanted hair with materials you likely already have at home.
Sugaring
Sugaring is an affordable hair removal method made up of three edible and affordable ingredients (sugar, lemon juice and water) used to form a sticky paste which pulls unwanted body hair out. Sugaring may be less painful than waxing with longer lasting results that are made more eco-friendly by using natural products in its production process.
Sugaring paste is applied to clean skin in the direction of hair growth and flicked off in quick bursts, pulling at hair as well as any dead cells from its root and extracting any ingrown hairs, according to Marianna Blyumin-Karasik, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College and co-founder of Precision Skin Institute in Davie, Florida.
Blyumin-Karasik notes that this technique may also reduce future regrowth because hair is plucked directly from its root instead of breaking off at the surface, with less chance for future recurrence due to loss of blood supply to your follicle over time. As your blood supply becomes reduced over time, finer and thinner hair will grow back, eventually decreasing further over time, she states.
Before applying paste, Lozina suggests lightly dusting an area with baby powder to absorb any extra moisture and make the paste more flexible and manageable. This step also reduces any risk of lumps being formed when working with it.
Lozina recommends exfoliating with loofah or sponge prior to trying sugaring as a hair removal method, wearing loose clothing and exfoliating using loofah or sponge before beginning sugaring sessions. She warns against sugaring if your skin is sunburned or irritated and states that longer strands could prove painful when molding the paste around them.
Tweezing
Tweezing can be one of the quickest and easiest ways to remove unwanted hair, whether that means shaping eyebrows or plucking out pesky stubble on knees or chin. Unfortunately, though, tweezing comes with its own set of risks: plucking or tweezing each hair from its root can damage follicles as well as lead to painful ingrown hairs that are difficult to get rid of.
Ingrown hairs form when an unwanted hair pokes through the surface of skin and can lead to redness, itching, inflammation or infection. While you can use a razor to shave off an ingrown hair, digging at it with fingers or nails could damage its follicle and hinder future hair growth.
Electrologists can permanently remove ingrown hairs, but temporary methods like sugaring and shaving are far simpler and safer ways of keeping them at bay. Chemical depilatories contain harmful ingredients which could irritate and even aggravate sensitive skin conditions.
Before reaching for your tweezers, first wash the area that needs tweezing with warm water – this helps relax skin and hair follicles for easier removal. Exfoliation may also help as this encourages hair follicles to point upward, making it easier for you to grab those pesky stray hairs more quickly. Finally, applying facial moisturizer or numbing spray may further alleviate pain or discomfort during this process.
Lemon and Honey Mask
Lemon and honey make for an effective natural hair removal recipe, with honey providing nourishment to the skin while lemon’s acid works to dislodge hair from its roots and remove it. Furthermore, honey’s antibacterial properties help heal any redness caused by hair removal processes as well as any blemishes caused by it.
Make this mask by mixing several tablespoons of honey with two tablespoons of sugar in a saucepan until it forms a candy-like consistency. Apply it directly on the area where unwanted hair exists and let it set and dry, before peeling it away three or four times each week until you see results – though other methods such as shaving and waxing might prove more efficient in getting rid of hair.
Egg masks can also be a natural way to remove facial hair effectively and naturally, providing another effective approach for lifting and lightening peach fuzz. Just mix one egg together with water before applying it all over your face for 15 minutes before rinsing it off and repeating this process!
As another effective hair removal technique, combining onion juice, gram flour and honey into a paste may also work to help eliminate unwanted body hair. Simply combine several tablespoons of each ingredient and apply to areas you want to remove hair – leave to dry for 15-20 minutes then peel away. This method removes hair at its roots while also helping prevent its regrowth – though perhaps less efficient than more sophisticated techniques but could provide an easy alternative if time is an issue.
Cornstarch and Honey Mask
Home remedies such as this one offer an ideal way to combat facial hair growth without resorting to harsh chemicals. It works by increasing blood flow to hair follicles and slowing their rate of production – this solution won’t permanently get rid of facial hair but may reduce its amount over time.
This recipe can be used on the face or other body parts where there is unwanted hair growth, making it simple and cost-effective to create at home. Simply combine one tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of sugar until a paste forms, apply it directly onto skin, let dry completely, peel in opposite direction of hair growth for results you can use three to four times weekly for maximum success.
An effective natural way to get rid of unwanted hair is a corn starch and egg white mask, made up of all natural ingredients that effectively remove hair while exfoliating skin at the same time. It provides an excellent alternative to waxing because it causes less pain while leaving behind no redness and irritation on your skin afterward.
This homemade natural hair removal method can be done on the face or any body part with ease and only requires ingredients you likely already have on hand in your kitchen. Similar to sugaring, but less painful and longer-acting than shaving. Furthermore, it works great on ingrown hairs that may develop with other methods of hair removal; so giving this one a try before investing in waxing strips might help determine if this solution suits you better than any of them!
Rose Water and Lemon Mask
Rose water and lemon masks can be an effective natural hair removal method on both your face and body, with lemon helping lighten dark hair while the gentle ingredients of gram flour and rose water remove it. They’re especially helpful for people with sensitive skin as the ingredients are gentle; apply the paste over desired area and let dry before rubbing off with either your fingers or dark-colored washcloth – do this several times weekly for optimal results!
Sugaring is another effective and painless home hair removal method, applying a lemon-scented paste directly onto the skin and pulling off in the opposite direction of hair growth. Although it might cause some pain, sugaring leaves less damage to your skin than shaving or waxing and lasts 3-4 weeks with results lasting through. Try making up your own recipe at home or purchasing Moom’s kit ($17) which includes soothing ingredients like chamomile and tea tree oil to minimize pain during treatment.
Alternatively, for those who wish to avoid the chemicals and irritation associated with waxing or shaving, other natural options exist such as tweezing or threading that work by plucking hair directly at its source and remove unwanted hair at its root level – perfect for targeting precise areas such as eyebrows or upper lips; while threading works better with larger facial or body areas. Dermatologist Nianda Reid notes:
Make a natural facial hair removal mask by mixing two tablespoons of gram flour, one tablespoon of rose water, and several drops of lemon juice together in a bowl. Apply this mixture directly onto affected areas of your face until it dries completely, then use cloth strips or cotton bands to pull off hair with cloth strips or cotton bands – this should take about 20 minutes and may need repeating several times per week for optimal results.
