How To Remove Wax From Your Skin
Sometimes, after a waxing session, removing the leftover wax from your skin could be difficult. This mostly happens if you have excessively dry skin. When your skin lacks moisture, it clings to the wax to take in all its moisture, making the removal process messy. Wax may also stick to your skin if the strip is not pulled fast enough. Here are some tried and tested methods to get rid of the wax residue:
1. Remove Wax With Hot Water Compress
Soak a washcloth in hot (or warm) water and place it on the leftover wax.
Leave it for a minute (this softens the wax).Wipe the wax with the washcloth gently.
2. Remove Wax With Oil
Choose your oil. You may use baby oil, olive oil, any massage oil, or an oil-based lotion.
Take a cotton pad and saturate it with the oil or oil-based lotion.
Place the oil-soaked cotton pad on the wax residue and hold for 30 seconds. Wipe the wax from your skin.
3. Remove Wax With Petroleum Jelly
Take a generous amount of petroleum jelly.
Rub it on the area where you have wax residue.
Let it stay for a few minutes.
Use a clean cotton pad to wipe the petroleum and wax from your skin.
4. Use Alcohol For Removing Wax
There are many ways to remove the wax without using oil. Alcohol is one such ingredient that helps remove wax effectively. Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist, says, “Use a cotton pad and soak it with alcohol. Then, rub the wax residue in a circular motion until it melts or peels off. To avoid skin irritation, apply a moisturizing moisturizer to the affected region.”
If you have alcohol (isopropyl alcohol 70%) at home, dip a cotton pad in it.
Gently rub the cotton pad in a circular motion on the area until the wax dissolves.
Alcohol can be drying for the skin, so follow it up with a moisturizing lotion.
5. Remove Wax Safely With Ice
Take an ice cube and hold it on the wax residue for about 30 seconds.
Wipe the wax with a clean cloth.
6. Remove Wax With Soap And Water
Wet the area with the wax residue.
Apply soap and make a rich lather.
Rinse off, and the wax will be gone.
Quite easy, right? However, if you spare a few minutes to set the stage beforehand, it will save you a lot of time as you wouldn’t be busy cleaning the traces of mess.
Ways To Prevent Wax From Sticking To Your Skin
Before you wax, take some time to do the following things to save your time later.
1. Moisturize Your Skin
Do this especially if you have dry skin. This is because the wax will sink into your skin and cling to it. So, the day before you plan to wax, moisturize your skin well and make sure that it is hydrated. Make sure
Your skin is moisturized but not greasy. Otherwise, the wax will not stick, and it will be difficult to pull out hair.
Avoid using oil-based moisturizers. This is because oil takes longer to sink into your skin.
2. Try Trimming Your Hair
It is easy to wax and pull out your hair if it is about ½ inch long. Hair longer than this often gets tangled up in the wax, making it hard for you to pull it clean, and it will be messy! If you usually get longer body hair (longer than ½ inch),
Trim your body hair to the desired length on the day you plan to wax.
Shave them off a week before waxing so that they grow to the right length.
3. Make Sure The Wax Is Hot And Thin
This makes application easy. Cold wax thickens, and it is a pain to spread it properly. It should be runny before you apply it. The wax should be hot but not so hot that it burns your skin. So, check the temperature by applying a small patch of wax on your skin first.
4. Apply Powder On Your Skin Before Waxing
Making sure that you do not sweat before waxing is essential. Otherwise, the wax sticks to the skin. Sprinkle powder on your skin, spread it well, and then wax your skin. This prevents the wax from sticking to your skin. Also, always remember to pull the wax strip quickly. Doing it slowly not only increases the pain of hair removal but also leaves wax residue on your skin. Why is the wax not coming off my skin? Dr. Chacon says, “Removing residual wax from your skin might be tough after a waxing procedure. This is most likely if you have really dry skin. Also, when your skin is dehydrated, it clings to the wax to absorb all its moisture, making the removal procedure nasty.” What dissolves paraffin wax? “Paraffin wax dissolves in benzene and some others but is insoluble in water, alcohol, and other polar solvents,” according to Dr. Chacon. Does wax dissolve in water? Dr. Anna Chacon opines that wax does not dissolve in water due to the difference in the bonding structures. Does baby oil remove wax from the skin? Yes. Baby oil is a type of mineral oil that can help remove the wax from your skin and keep it hydrated. Does coconut oil remove wax? Yes. You may apply coconut oil to your skin after waxing to loosen and remove the residual wax from your skin. The coconut oil will also protect your skin from infection and keep it hydrated (1). Does vinegar dissolve wax? Yes. Vinegar can help dissolve the wax on your skin. Ensure that you dilute the vinegar with water before application to avoid skin irritation.
