Post Waxing Care: Why Using Depilatory Lotions Is a Must
May 27, 2019

What Is Pre- and Post-depilatory Care?
These two categories include the practices and products to prepare the skin before and after a waxing treatment. Both estheticians and clients are responsible for applying pre- and post-waxing care if they are to get flawless results. The esthetician's duty is to educate the client about any steps they should take before stepping into the waxing room and after they leave. The client's duty, on the other hand, is to follow the instructions to the letter.
Pre-waxing Care:
These are the necessary steps before a waxing treatment:- Exfoliation: this is done to eliminate dead skin cells and ensure that ingrown hairs are released so they can be removed. But it's not advisable to do it immediately before waxing, but around 24 hours.
- Cleansing: waxing opens the pores, making the skin vulnerable to infection. Therefore, the area you're going to wax needs to be disinfected to avoid any contamination. This can be done with pre-depilatory lotions, which contain antiseptic ingredients.
- Drying: the skin has to be completely dry before the waxing procedure, otherwise, the wax won't adhere properly to the skin. Talcum powder solves this issue.

Post-waxing care:
What you should do after waxing is pretty straightforward:- Cleansing: it consists of eliminating any wax residue and cleaning the area to avoid infection since the pores stay open for a while after the treatment.
- Soothing: waxing is a small trauma on the skin, so it leaves behind some degree of pain, irritation, and discomfort. Post-depilatory lotions usually contain skin-soothing ingredients.
- Protecting: this consists of applying a product that acts as a protective barrier against possible infectious agents right when the skin is vulnerable.
Which Is More Important, Pre- or Post-waxing Care?
Both are equally important to make sure the skin is healthy before and after any waxing treatment, regardless of the area. Even though professional estheticians and DIY waxers can have different products to fulfill these steps, that's no problem, as long as they are done.
Can Something Bad Happen If I Don't Use Post-depilatories?
Technically, there is a higher risk of skin infection and skin damage if you do not use any post-depilatory product. Here is why:- Open pores - Infection: waxing leaves the pores open and vulnerable to contamination from external sources. The antiseptic ingredients in most post-depilatories minimize this risk.
- Sensitized skin - Irritation: after pulling and tugging, the skin is going to be irritated and this cannot be avoided, but post-depilatories can soothe irritation.
- In-growth: some post-depilatories have mildly exfoliating substances that keep ingrown hairs at bay.
Focusing on Post-depilatory Lotions
Having a good post-depilatory is like having several products in one because it allows you to clean, soothe, and protect the skin in one step. Post-depilatories come in different presentations: gels, lotions, oils, and tonics, with or without microspheres. There is also a wide variety of ingredients to choose from:- Argan oil: super moisturizing
- Caviar extract: antioxidant
- Vitamins: nourishing
- Oat: anti-irritation
- Alpha-hydroxy acid: renovating for skin cells and prevents bumps and ingrown hairs
- Eucalyptus oil: refreshing and soothing
- Strawberries and champagne: illuminating
- Capislow: growth retarding
- Cocoa butter: hydrating.
All in all, post-depilatories are the perfect wrap-up for a waxing treatment.

Other Post-depilatory Measures
As we mentioned before, the client has a part to play in their own waxing aftercare. Here's what they should be instructed to do at least 24 hours after waxing:- Avoid sun exposure; this includes the beach or pool
- Avoid saunas and hot weather
- Avoid sweating and activities that could irritate or chafe the skin
- Avoid tight clothes and synthetic fabrics
- Avoid colorings, perfumes, and other substances that could cause sensitization or allergies
- Avoid lotions
- Avoid exfoliation.
Post-waxing care is nothing complicated and it makes a difference when it comes to the results of your waxing. You will notice more beautiful, healthier skin.
Other Post-depilatory Products
In case you don't have a post-depilatory lotion, there are other resources you can use:- Cold compresses: they calm red and irritated skin, relieve the burning sensation, and make the skin firmer. You can include tea or natural extracts with soothing properties.
- Cool gels: plain aloe vera gel is great to refresh skin.
- Light lotions: if you can get non-comedogenic and oil-free lotions, you're good to go.
- Antiseptic ointments: over-the-counter creams will keep infection at bay, especially on bump-prone skin.

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