What are Depilatory Creams and how do they Work?

A cream that simply removes hair without the hassle of shaving or having to clench your teeth through a wax, can seem too good to be true. The science behind them has been long perfected and depilatory creams offer a quick, convenient and safe way to remove unwanted hair at home.

The way that depilatory creams work, is that they break down the keratin structure – the proteins, of the hair. This effectively thins and dissolves the base of the hairs, to the point where they are weak enough to be broken off when the cream is wiped away. The creams typically contain a number of alkaline chemicals, formulated to break down these proteins, but also to be safe for your skin. Different skins have different levels of sensitivity of course, so it’s important to get the right one for you, and to test an amount of the cream on a small patch of skin before you attempt to remove hair over a larger area.

Using depilatory creams rather than shaving provides you with a number of benefits.

Stubble Free for Longer

Depilatory creams dissolve the hair just below the surface of the skin, unlike shaving, which slices through the hair just above the level of the skin. This means that you can remain stubble free for up to four days.

Softer, Finer Hairs

With shaving, the fact that the hairs are cut through, means that the ends are left squared off. The process of the hairs being dissolved gives the hair that remains a tapered end, which feels softer to the touch. Over time, you may even notice that your hair is actually growing back finer than it was – not quite as fine as you may find with waxing of course, but definitely a noticeable improvement!  

Quick and Pain Free

This is possibly the most obvious and important benefit of depilatory creams. It’s such an easy process, it can be done in the shower, or just before, and requires little effort. Because you’re not dealing with blades, the risk of pain is minimized, and razor bumps can be a thing of the past.

So if being stubble free, with finer hairs, with a minimum of fuss and pain, all seem like the benefits that you could be looking for, then put down the razor and try a depilatory cream instead, to see the benefits for yourself.