A hairy situation.

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.

I have seen postings online via Pinterest about DIY sand paper hair remover. It's pretty much using VERY fine sand paper. Heres one from eHow Style. eHow Style - How to Remove Hair With Sand Paper

For more pics check out my >>>  Body Art Gallery

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. 

Henna & Jagua Information - 

Materials used for safe & fun Temporary Tattoo's

Henna & Jagua Information - Materials used for safe & fun Temporary Tattoo's

*Check out my art website to see some before and after photos of Henna and Jagua under my Body Art Gallery. Click on the link>>> Ashley Antolin Art Website 

Henna ( Lawsonia Inermis )

​
"Henna (Lawsonia inermis, also called henna tree) or Hina is a flowering plant, the sole species in the genus Lawsonia in the family Lythraceae.​ 
​
The name is also used for natural dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes. Henna has been used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool.
​
Additionally, the name is misused for chemical skin dyes, such as black henna, which are NOT derived from the plant. Black henna is NOT real henna. NEVER get black henna. It is dangerous, it can cause an allergic reaction and  burn scars into the skin.
​
Real henna is safe, organic and painless. Henna only stains brownish colors ranging from orange, brown to red.​ Henna paste is made with powdered henna leaves, usually green, brown or dark brown almost black in color.
​
Henna paste is usually applied on the skin using a plastic cone or a paint brush, but sometimes a small metal-tipped jacquard bottle. After about 15–20 minutes, the mud will dry and begin to crack, and during this time, a mixture of lemon juice and white sugar can be applied over the henna design to re-moisten the henna mud so that the henna will stain darker. The painted area can also be wrapped with tissue, plastic, or medical tape to lock in body heat, creating a more intense colour on the skin. The wrap (not a traditional method and also optional), is worn for 3 to 6 hours, or sometimes overnight and then removed. ​
​​
When first removed, the henna design is pale to dark orange in colour and gradually darkens through oxidation, over the course of 24 to 72 hours. The final color is reddish brown and can last anywhere from one to three weeks depending on the quality and type of henna paste applied, as well as where it was applied on the body (thicker skin stains darker and longer than thin skin). Moisturizing with natural oils, such as olive, sesame seed, or coconut, will also help extend the lifetime of the stain. Skin exfoliation causes the henna tattoo to fade."
 

Jagua ( Genipa Americana )

 
 

"Genipa americana is a species of Genipa, native to northern South America (south to Peru), the Caribbean and southern Mexico, growing in rainforests. It is commonly called Genipapo or Huito; the alternate name Jagua may refer to other species of Genipa as well. To the Inca, it was known as hawa or wituq. In the British islands of the West Indies, it was called the marmalade box. It is a small tree growing to 15 m tall. 
​

Jagua is a temporary form of skin decoration resulting from the application of an extract of the fruit Genipa americana.
​
Genipa americana is cultivated for its edible fruit, which are made into drinks, jelly, sherbert and used in ice cream. South American Indians bathe their legs in the clear liquid obtained from the fruit. The liquid has an astingent effect. When the liquid oxidizes, it stains the skin blue/black. These stains are permanent, but only color the top few layers of skin, and thus disappear after about a fortnight, when the skin is naturally shed. As South Americans Indians went into battle, they used to paint themselves with Genipa juice and annatto.
​
The juice of the immature fruit is clear, but induces a chemical reaction on the human skin resulting in a tattoo-like dark blue. Used by rainforest natives as body-painting color.
The term jagua tattoo is inaccurate, because tattoos are defined as permanent surgical insertion of pigments underneath the skin, as opposed to pigments resting on the surface as is the case with mehndi and jagua tattoos.


While henna tattoos are associated with Indian, African and Middle Eastern cultures, jagua is associated with indigenous Indians of the Amazon region.
​
Depending on a variety of factors, the stain on the skin lasts one to two weeks, fading gradually as the skin exfoliates."
​
​
Source of information - Wikipedia.com
Pictures from Google Image Search

*Check out my art website to see some before and after photos of Henna and Jagua under my Body Art Gallery. Click on the link>>>Ashley Antolin Art Website

 ​