Having facial hair as a woman can be a little embarrassing and have an undesired effect on self-esteem. We strongly believe that you shouldn’t have to lose the peachy fuzz, but if you want to, you’ll be glad to know that with facial hair removal cream the process can be simple, quick, and relatively pain-free! All you need is to know what you’re looking for.
There are many options out there, from established brands such as Veet, Avon and Nair, but how do you know which will be best for your skin? In our buying guide below, we’re going to tackle some of the tricky questions, like what side effects may occur, if you can use them on sensitive skin, and if they will really banish coarse hair. All our recommendations are available from trusted online sources like Amazon and eBay.
Quick List - Top Facial Hair Removal Creams
A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. We are constantly creating new content to provide the best shopping experience from choosing ‘cosmetics’ to ‘food and drink’, ‘home appliances’ to ‘kids and baby’ products, reaching users all across the United Kingdom.
Table of Contents
Anyone who has ever tried a hair removal cream that has failed before will attest to the pattern that occurs: we become excited when we order the product, we receive it, slap it on, get irritated skin, wash it off early and unfortunately we're still hairy. This guide is going to show you how to break that cycle.
Have you ever had trouble with a certain cosmetic that hasn’t affected your girlfriends who've used the same product? This is probably a good indication that your skin needs a little more love, and you should be looking to pick up an option that is designed for sensitive skin.
For facial hair removers, look for ones that say things like "sensitive skin" or "extra gentle" on the box. Otherwise, you may want to consider those that come with soothing balms to use after the hair removal. We also recommend doing a patch test before use, which we'll describe in more detail at the bottom of the article.
What type of hair you have will massively affect what type of depilatories will work well, because unfortunately, some of them will only work to remove fine hair.
When removing coarse hair, you will find that it may take a little extra effort and a little more patience - still nothing like the amount of time it takes to wax or shave though! Luckily for you identifying which will work on robust hair couldn’t be easier, as we will be making it obvious in our specification table, which you can find underneath each product.
These creams, by definition, are chemicals – we’re essentially trying to melt our facial hair! However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t options out there that provide extra benefits, due to their inclusion of natural ingredients.
Some of our favourites to look out for are meadowfoam oil, which is known to lock in moisture and has a reputation as a good anti-inflammatory, cocoa butter or other plant oils (like argan oil and shea butter) that also have excellent moisturising qualities and aloe vera that will help with soothing the skin and prevention of any redness. Vitamin E is another addition that provides useful antioxidants that fight inflammation.
If you are known to be a little sensitive to strong smells, then you are certainly going to want to look for a product that offers an added fragrance. But be aware that added fragrance can mean added irritation!
By nature, these creams can be extremely pungent, but some brands have made the effort to make it much more bearable for us by adding a scent, and we applaud them for that. From traditional apricot oil and 'fresh' to the unconventional use of 'vegetable origins' to deter rank smells, make sure you find one that will ease you through your remedy.
Hair removal creams generally take between 4-8 minutes to work, although some can be left on for up to 15! The application time is a good indicator as to how strong the cream can be. Those with shorter times will often be harsher but better at tackling more robust hair.
On the other hand, those that can be left on for 8 minutes or over will be much better for those with delicate skin, but will only really work on fairer hair. It's important to stick to these guidelines to avoid any unwanted injuries, and for reference they will be in our specification table as well as the product descriptions online.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Avon Skin So Soft Fresh & Smooth | ![]() | If You Want Those Pesky Hairs Gone Fast... | |
2 | Veet Face Hair Removal Kit - Sensitive Skin | ![]() | An Effective Cream From a Trustworthy Brand | |
3 | Surgi Hair Removal Cream | ![]() | Infused With Aloe Vera and Cucumber for Ultimate Comfort | |
4 | Bielenda Vanity Sugar Hair Removal Cream | ![]() | Fast Working With Honey for Soothing | |
5 | Nair Upper Lip Kit | ![]() | A Precision Tip Makes for Easy Application | |
6 | Boots Smooth Care Hair Remover Cream | ![]() | A Depilatory for the Delicate Areas | |
7 | GiGi Hair Removal Cream for Face with Calming Balm | ![]() | A Bunch of Natural Ingredients for Sensitive Skin | |
8 | Sally Hansen Hair Removal Kit With Lotion | ![]() | Combat Peachy Fuzz With Willow Herb and Pumpkin Seeds | |
9 | Pansly Hair Off Hair Removal | ![]() | An Easy-to-Use Spray for the Whole Body | |
10 | Remove Hair Removal Cream | ![]() | A Budget-Friendly Option That Will Do the Job |
This product from Avon has a unique formula that burns through that hair in a rapid 2.5 minutes, making it easily the fastest hair removal cream there is. It also comes in a tiny little bottle, which means it's perfect for the carry-on, or the purse in case an emergency de-hair situation arises!
This cream also contains the wonderful meadowfoam oil which is perfect for those with dry or sensitive skin, as this has exceptional qualities which help lock in moisture and leave your skin looking smooth and refreshed. The fact that this cream can be used by anyone, from those with tender skin to those with the most robust hair, means it's worthy of taking our top spot!
What sort of people would we be, if we wrote this list and didn't include the old trusty Veet? This version is aimed at those with sensitive skin in the facial region. It's a dermatologically tested product, so you don't need to worry about being an experiment. It comes with a lovely scent thanks to Veet's 'silk and fresh fragrance technology'.
This cream works extremely close to the roots, even on short hair, and will provide you with smoothness for up to a week. It contains aloe and vitamin E as well, which are both known for their soothing properties.
This is a top-selling facial hair removing cream in the US for a reason: it works. It gently removes hair in around 5-8 minutes leaving you fresh-faced and full of confidence. The cream is infused with aloe vera and cucumber to give you the most comforting experience possible to combat the harsh effects of this kind of cream.
It also comes with the Surgi-Soothe cream which should be applied after the use of the hair removal salve and will help calm any irritation that you may have. Overall, this is a great price for a great product.
This special formula is made up of minerals and sugars which help to calm skin. Acacia honey as one of these sugar sources, which has been proven to have a soothing, anti-inflammatory effect. This cream acts fast, usually taking around 5 minutes.
It is easy to apply and can be used on other delicate and intimate areas around the body. The large volume means it will last and last, making this option incredibly good value for money.
This tube from Nair is designed for applying precisely, whilst also being extremely easy to use. This cream is effective super quickly too, taking around 3 minutes usually, and certainly never more than 5. Coming in around £5 this is also one of our cheaper options on the ranking.
Some people, however, have mentioned that although this cream is targeted towards sensitive skin it has still negatively affected them, so if you're wanting to be overly cautious it might be worth giving this a miss.
This product from Boots specialises in those delicate regions. It will remove the hair from the face or bikini line gently and leave you feeling smooth. It has a lovely scent that will cover the sometimes powerful smells that come along with depilatories. It also contains almond oil, which contains the benefits of vitamin E.
The only downside is that this product comes in quite a small packet, so won't last for very many uses. It has a few reviews that say the formula can be quite harsh, even though it's designed for sensitive skin, so it's important to do the test with this one.
GiGi has put the whole rainforest in here! Okay, not quite, but there are a lot of natural ingredients. Firstly, it has papaya enzymes, which over time will weaken hair follicles and prevent regrowth. Secondly, it has cucumber and honey extract which can help to soothe sensitive skin. Lastly, it has aloe vera that helps create a smooth and pain-free removal.
It's worth mentioning that this cream takes around 8 minutes, which is on the longer side compared to others - and that's for fair hair. Some reviewers also found the smell a little much. So if 8 minutes of stink is too much for silky smooth chops, you're best off looking elsewhere.
Sally Hansen has been looking after women for over 50 years, and here she has you covered again with this cream that comes with an added lotion. This product not only clears away that peachy fuzz, but because it contains the ingredients willow herb and pumpkin seeds, it will also combat the reappearance of hair-growth over time. Win-win!
A couple of notes, however: firstly this product is not going to work for those with coarse hair, and as the cream is a bit on the harsher side it's not advisable to go a couple of rounds. Also, because of this harshness, it's not particularly pleasant for those with more gentle skin.
This cream has got you covered. It can be used on all your delicate and not so delicate parts and guarantees to remove hair close to the root (just give it a little more time). It will leave you feeling velvety soft afterwards, with no worries of burns or cuts.
The spray mechanism will make it easier to cover larger areas of the body, but it might give you less control over areas where you have to be more specific, like the face. Also, the smell has been known to be quite strong, so beware if you have a sensitive nose!
It might not contain all of the fancy natural ingredients that other hair removal creams can offer, but this cream promises ingredients that are gentle on the skin. This one is specifically designed for those with sensitive skin in mind, so although it can deal with coarse hairs, it won't be too tough.
This product has some reviews which state it is not as effective at removing hairs as people might have liked, which could indicate that - though this might be more affordable than other creams on this list - it is not as good.
Essentially, hair removal creams are creams that save you the time of shaving or the pain of waxing – yet provide the same results. The science behind depilatory creams has long since been perfected; they work by thinning the hair to a point where it dissolves at the base. You just gently apply, wait the allotted time, and then as you wipe the product away, the hairs that have been weakened will break off.
The creams tend to contain alkaline chemicals that are strong enough to wear away the hair but are safe enough for your skin. Of course, different skins have different levels of sensitivity so it’s important that you find the product that is right for you.
When shopping for a product, before deciding on your final purchase you may want to have a good look at the reviews and see whether customers found it too harsh for their skin type, or perfect for getting rid of those annoying hairs.
When using these facial creams there is the possibility of side effects. These can widely vary depending on person to person and include such symptoms as; skin irritation or pain, allergic reactions, chemical burns, darkening of the skin and scarring and ingrown hairs, to name just a few.
Some of these sound frightening, but it’s essential to remember that the majority are temporary and rare. Regardless, to avoid these happening, we recommend testing the product you purchase just to be safe. Apply on a small patch of skin (usually behind the ear, on the thighs or inside of your wrist) and leave it for 24-48 hours. If nothing comes up, you're good to go. If, however, you have a reaction, it would be best to avoid further use.
If you have serious problems such as an allergic reaction or dermatitis, we recommend that you contact your GP.
While hair removal creams are easy and quick to use, for some with sensitive skin the worry about using chemicals may be too much. Don't give up on smooth, hairless skin just yet - there are many other hair removals available out there for both the face and body! Take a look at some of our other recommendations.
Whether you're just looking to save time, or you're trying to save your skin from the savage world of shaving, we hope you have found our buying guide and ranking useful. Remember we think you look beautiful just the way you are, but if this is a road you want to go down, then we hope you find the right option for you.
Author: Lewis Clark
No. 1: Avon |Skin So Soft Fresh & Smooth
No. 2: Veet|Face Hair Removal Kit - Sensitive Skin
No. 3: Surgi|Hair Removal Cream
No. 4: Bielenda|Vanity Sugar Hair Removal Cream
No. 5: Nair|Upper Lip Kit
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
Automotive
Baby Products
Beauty
Books
Business, Industry & Science
Computers & Accessories
DIY, Garden & Tools
Electronics & Photo
Fashion
Grocery
Health & Personal Care
Home & Kitchen
Large Appliances
Musical Instruments & DJ
PC & Video Games
Pet Supplies
Sports & Outdoors
Stationery & Office Products
Toys & Games