Hello, hello! Today I'm going to talk about a hair removal product.
There is this sandpaper like hair removal product gaining popularity. Supposedly it really hit it off in Europe and made it's way across the pond to the U.S. There are a few brand names for it but I know it as Smooth Away.
It can be found in most "as seen on t.v. isles or in the feminine beauty products section in most stores. Basically it comes these mittens with sandpaper like pads that stick on to them. You gently rub it on the desired area until the hair is buffered away.
Our of curiosity I bought this about a year or so ago from CVS (Longs Drugs). I probably spent around $10. There is a similar brand I found recently on Walgreens.com that's $4.59 you can see it here.
So I tried it and found from my own experience that to a certain extent it does work. It takes a bit of time to sit and gently buffer yourself rather than taking a minute or two to shave in the shower. You are basically rubbing yourself with very fine sandpaper but it's sandpaper none the less. So take it easy.
You want to make sure that your skin is dried and clean of dirt of dead skin before using. I liked to use it when I didn't want to hop in the shower or was just really bored. It's definitely not something to rush with especially with delicate skin. It works great on thinner, finer hair but thicker hair takes a bit more time and effort. I tried it on my arms and it worked okay but keep in mind that you are only removing the very external part of the hair to regrowth is fairly quick unlike waxing. It is painless but rubbing skin always has a chance of skin irritations. Be sure to treat your skin afterwards and daily. Moisturize with lotions and oils, vitamin up and if you live in a sunny place like I do, protect your skin from the sun.
Also from a perspective of a henna artist, this would be good idea for getting more camera ready body canvases. Though it isn't totally impossible to do a temporary tattoo on a hairy client (like the photo below), it is a bit easier and more pleasing to the eyes to have a smooth canvas rather than a hairy situation. Especially for the consistantcy and staining power of Jagua. For Ceritian situations, it's a more immediate fix for a temporary tattoo artist out on the job.
For those of you who don't know, like henna, Jagua is a natural based body staining material. It is made from the unrippend fruit of a tree native to South America, Carribean and southern Mexico.
When applied you leave the design alone until it completely dries. It goes from puffy and gel like to flat. You then peel off or wash off the design. You want to get all of it off thuroughly. I recommend doing it in the shower to be sure it all comes off and there isn't any lingering. If it is remoistened it will stain and you will not see it until it fully oxidizes. On skin it only stains the very top few layers so after the layers skin sheds naturally and from exfoliation. That being said, if it stains other objects it may be permanent. At first you don't see a thing but within 24 hours and just like magic the design will darken to a blue black color. There have been many times my clients have come back with blue smudges everywhere. With Jagua you have to be very careful.
You can read more about the plants and materials for henna and Jagua in my pervious blog post prior to this one.
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