Definition
Depilatory creams are based on a chemical method to remove body hair. Hair removal with depilatory cream is a depilation method. This means that only the part of the hair that is visibly outside the skin is removed.
Thus, the application of depilatory cream is painless, but the hair grows back relatively quickly. There are different preparations on the market, which can be used on different parts of the body. Frequently with depilatory cream treated body regions are for example the legs, armpits, chest or the intimate area. You can read more about depilation in general here: Depilation – The different possibilities.
What do you need depilatory creams for?
Depilatory cream is used to remove body hair from various parts of the body and thus represents an alternative to shaving. According to today’s ideal of beauty, many women want a thorough hair removal, especially of the legs, armpits and the intimate area. Also among men, the removal of body hair (especially on the chest, back and armpits, as well as in the genital area) is enjoying increasing popularity.
Depilatory cream can be used here similar to the classic shave, in that it painlessly removes the visible parts of the hair. In this point it differs from depilation methods like epilation or waxing. Here the entire hair including the root is removed, so that the application is felt as painful.
How does a depilatory cream work?
Depilatory cream is an agent with which body hair can be removed chemically. There are preparations available in the form of creams, lotions or in the form of foam products, which can be purchased in drugstores. These are applied to the part of the body to be depilated (e.g. legs) and left on the skin for a few minutes, depending on the product.
Afterwards the product is scraped off with the removed hairs with a plastic spatula (often included in the package of the depilatory cream). Afterwards the skin must be rinsed thoroughly with clear water. The active ingredients in the depilatory cream are often compounds of thioglycolic acid or thiolactic acid, which have an alkaline (basic) pH value.
They are able to dissolve the keratin (main component of the hair) and thus separate the hair. In doing so, the hair root remains and only that part of the hair is removed which is outside the skin surface. On the one hand, this enables painless hair removal, but on the other hand, the hair grows back relatively quickly. Often the product contains additional fragrances to cover the unpleasant chemical odor, as well as caring ingredients (e.g. oils).
