alisam's Journal

Let's face it, hair removal sucks in every way possible. It cost money, it hurts (especially if you wax) and worst of all it usually isn't environmentally friendly. So, for over a year, I have searched for the perfect way to get rid of hair in an eco-friendly way (other than not shaving at all) and then a few days ago I came across a new environmentally friendly hair removal product I had to try.

So far I have tried Preserve razor. Preserve razor handles are made of recyclable material and they can be recycled again after the end of use but the razor heads themselves are not recyclable and it still requires some sort of lather or lotion to shave.

Personally waxing works better for me because it irritates my skin less then shaving does. Still waxing requires wax, wax strips, a lot of time, pain resistance and sometimes, depending on the type of wax you are using, the use of the microwave. In the end, the wax, wax strips, the top layer of your skin and your hair are all thrown away and end up in the landfill.

I have considered laser hair removal as an option, but frankly who can afford it and who knows what kind of long terms effects laser treatment will do to your body anyway?

The good news is that companies like Sally Hansen are taking a foot in the right direction. In the stores today Sally has a waxing kit with biodegradable wax strips called Naturally Bare Honey Wax Hair Remover for Face. What I love best about the product is it is irritants-free, fragrance-free, has no added color and is 100% water rinsable so that the wax washes away with ease. In other words no special expensive oil needed to wash off any wax residue.

Here's how it works: You can microwave the wax it if you wish, or use it at room temperature. I used it at room temperature because I don't like using the microwave and I didn't want to risk burning myself either.

Then you use the Popsicle stick to spread the wax on the area you wish to wax, you rip off a rectangular strip and you place it over the wax. Then as usual you pull away opposite the directing you spread on the wax.

Did it work well for me? Well, I could write an essay on the subject. The pleasant smelling wax does wash off very easily, easily off the skin and off the strips. The wax isn't sticky at all and this makes it my ideal type of wax.

Did it remove hair? Yes, but not as well as I would have liked. I used the product on my face first and then tested how it worked on my inner thigh (just to compare. I know it's for the face). I found it did not work as well on my face as it did on my thigh. One reason for this may have been that I found it more difficult to correctly position the strips on my face than on my thigh.

As for the strips themselves, I thought I would become accustomed to their plastic -like feel or their crinkly sound, but I found myself wishing over and over again that they were more cloth like in texture, though I fear in doing this it would compromise the biodegradability of the strips. There has to be a solution for this down the road. On a positive note I liked the size the strips came in and how washable and reusable they are and yes, I could see hair through the clear strips.