Homemade Hair Removal Creams – A Guide

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Hair removal usually involves shaving and risking cuts and scrapes or the use of smelly chemical creams that can cause burns if you are not careful to follow the directions. These do not have to be your only options, however, since there are homemade methods that are also effective.

They take some preparation and a bit more work to remove unwanted body hair, but they do work and are made of non-toxic ingredients. Now, we do realize that there are a lot of nonsense cure-alls out there, all sorts of click-bait “weird little trick” links that tell you to put onion slices on your bunions or fried eggs on your eyes to treat bags.

Despite the weirdness, these solutions we list below are simply homemade variants of waxing-like techniques and a popular salon trend in hair removal: sugaring. The results you obtain with sugaring or pastes are similar to what you get with hot wax, but with a notable advantage.

Sugar solutions are not molten, like wax, but will at most be warmed to make them pliable, which means that you cannot accidentally burn yourself while doing a sugaring. Pastes we list here are room-temperature treatments as well.

Considering most of us are not well possessed of salon skills, this whole not getting burned part should be quite appealing. The three recipes below are variants of sugaring solutions, one of which is certainly sure to work for you.

Basic Sugaring Mix

This basic sugaring mix recipe looks like nothing, but it is the same stuff they use in the salon. Whereas it is easier to have someone with experience apply the mix to you and do all the hair removal work, with a bit of practice you can achieve similar results to a salon visit. 

Combine the following ingredients:

  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1/4 cup of lemon juice

Bring the mixture gently to a boil, ensuring it does not burn.

Decant to an airtight container (we recommend a canning jar by Bell or another manufacturer) and allow it to cool completely.

To use: Skin should be clean and dry before you begin. Many beauticians recommend wiping the area with witch hazel and a cotton ball to clean the skin, then following up with baby powder and a soft cloth.

Wearing gloves (dish gloves or disposable examination gloves) pinch a ball of sugaring mix by hand. If the mix is too stiff because the air temperature is cold, warm the mix in the jar gently in a water bath.

This is the same thing you do in canning, so you can purchase a home canning kit with a boiling pot and a rack. Apply the mix by spreading in the opposite direction of hair growth, then remove with the grain by wiping or abruptly wiping the gel off of the skin in the direction of growth.

That is because the hair shaft is caught in the sugar gel and pulled from the follicle, so you need to work in the proper direction. 

Egg White Paste

Homemade hair removal creams

This egg white mix is actually more similar to waxing than sugaring, particularly regarding the technique used at the end for removing the paste and hair. The advantage to this mixture and others on this list is that they are applied at room temperature.

No hot wax that can scar you if left on too long, no mishaps with hot wax getting on more sensitive areas that you wish to avoid (such as your lips, eyelids, and inner parts of your vulva).

Combine the following ingredients: 

  • 1 Egg white
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of cornflour

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl until they form a smooth paste.

To use: Apply the mixture to the skin in the opposite direction of hair growth and allow it to completely dry. When dry, peel the hardened paste off quickly and abruptly, peeling in the opposite direction of hair growth (note that this differs from standard sugaring and is more similar to waxing).

Sweet Lentil Rub

This treatment for hair removal is an old Ayurvedic technique. Sometimes you will see variants of this mix that include turmeric (like ours, below this recipe). 

Combine the following ingredients:

  • 1 large potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups of yellow lentils
  • 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon of honey

Soak the lentils overnight in cold water until they are soft. Drain the water from the lentils and do not rinse them. Mash the lentils with a utensil (like a fork or a spoon).

Alternatively, you can blend them into a slurry in a food processor or a strong blender. Crush the chunks of potato and wring them in either cheesecloth or flour cloth to extract the juice.

You can also use a juicer for this step, if you have one. Combine the potato juice with the lentil paste.

Add in the lemon juice and honey and mix well until a smooth paste is formed.

To use: Apply the paste in the opposite direction of hair growth. Wait for the paste to dry completely, then remove by rubbing in the opposite direction of hair growth.

The hair will come off with the dried paste as you remove it.

Turmeric Cream

Homemade hair removal creams

This is another Ayurvedic recipe for hair removal that uses turmeric and flour to form a paste.

Combine the following ingredients:

  • 1 cup of chickpea flour (same as garbanzo bean flour)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
  • A few drops of milk or cream to dampen the mix

In a mixing bowl, place the flour and sift lightly with a fork. Then, add in the turmeric and stir into the mixture a few drops of cream or milk.

Work the mixture until it forms a smooth and thick paste; you can add milk or cream if the mixture is still too dry.

To use: Spread a thin layer of the paste in the direction of hair growth (note, this is different from the other recipes here). Let the paste dry completely, then wipe away the dried paste with a washcloth by rubbing in the opposite direction of hair growth.