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When it comes to body hair removal, we're breaking up with razor burns and achieving velvet-smooth skin with the best hair removal creams ever. In case you have hair removal PTSD from the depilatory creams of yesteryear, you'll be glad to know that many brands have reformulated or created brand-new topicals that won't sting or burn as they dissolve unwanted hair.
Sure, you could wax or shave your way to smoothness, but if you want a painless at-home hair removal method, these creams, lotions, and foams are your best bet. Below, take a look at our favorite depilatory creams for hairless, smooth skin.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Overall: Flamingo Body Hair Removal Cream (2-Pack), $19
- Best Prescription-Grade Formula: Musely The Facial Hair Cream, $110
- Best Scents: Wakse Meltoway Hair Dissolving Cream, $20
- Best Foaming Treatment: Completely Bare Easy Off Foaming Hair Removal Spray, $10
- Took Over TikTok: SoftSheen-Carson Magic Shaving Powder,
$6$3 - Best for Bikini Line: Bikini Zone Crème Hair Remover, $10
- Best In-Shower Treatment: Nair Sensitive Formula Hair Removal Shower Cream with Coconut Oil,
$12$10 - Best Body Butter: Nad’s 3-In-1 Body Butter Hair Removal Cream, $10
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Veet Gel Cream Hair Remover, $9
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How do hair removal creams work?
- Can you use hair removal creams everywhere on your body?
- Can sensitive skin types use hair removal creams?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Flamingo Body Hair Removal Cream
Why It's Worth It: Both Allure staffers (like commerce writer Jennifer Hussein, who's currently writing this list) and dermatologists, including Lauren Penzi, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, adore the gentle, non-irritating feel of Flamingo's Body Hair Removal Cream. "This hair remover contains soothing soothing urea, bisabolol, and shea butter," she says. It also gets brownie points for its ultra-subtle, actually pleasant iris and suede scent.
Editor Tip: This pick also comes with a spatula for mess-free application.
Key Ingredients: Urea, bisabolol, shea butter, glycerin | Where To Use: Legs, arms, stomach, bikini line
Best Prescription-Grade Formula: Musely The Facial Hair Cream
Why It's Worth It: Sure, it's pricier than your average hair removal cream, and that's because Musely's The Facial Hair Cream is much more than that. Rather than remove hair immediately (and temporarily), this prescription-grade facial hair removal cream utilizes an active ingredient called eflornithine to block ornithine decarboxylase, the enzyme that stimulates hair growth. This will weaken the follicle over time to prevent hair from growing in the first place.
Editor Tip: Like most of Musely's lineup, you need to consult virtually with one of the brand's in-house dermatologists, who will examine your skin type, concerns, and medical history, before being able to purchase this product.
Key Ingredients: Eflornithine | Where To Use: Face only
Best Scents: Wakse Meltoway Hair Dissolving Cream
Why It's Worth It: If you love depilatory creams and their ability to dissolve coarse hair but hate their usually pungent smell, you'll love Wakse's Meltoway Hair Dissolving Cream. On top of the intensive formula that disintegrates hair in less than 10 minutes, this custardy cream comes in three different scent profiles that smell more like a sweet treat than a hair removal product. Its fast-acting formula is available in Fairy Floss, a purple cotton candy-scented lotion, Guava Butter, and Mango Magic.
Editor Tip: This cream can be used on both your face and body. For your face, leave the formula on for up to three minutes, and for coarser areas like your leg hair, and underarms, leave the formula on for up to nine minutes.
Key Ingredients: Urea, glycerin, kaolin clay, matricaria flower extract | Where To Use: Face and body
Best Foaming Treatment: Completely Bare Easy Off Foaming Hair Removal Spray
Why It's Worth It: Creams and lotions can feel a bit heavy, so if you want a better sensory experience, try Completely Bare's Easy Off Foaming Hair Removal Spray. Though its formula feels light and airy, you'll notice this recipe working its leg hair-dissolving magic as it conditions and soothes dry skin with a blend of shea butter and aloe vera.
Editor Tip: This formula also contains volcanic ash to provide a subtle buffing effect. The results: skin that's free of stubble and dry patches.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, aloe vera, volcanic ash | Where To Use: Body
Took Over TikTok: SoftSheen-Carson Magic Shaving Powder
Why It's Worth It: At some point on your TikTok journey, you've probably seen a beauty vlogger applying the SoftSheen-Carson Magic Shaving Powder on their skin to immediately reveal smooth, hair-free legs. Well, it's not a magic trick or a sneaky filter—this powder-to-cream formula truly works. Though it costs less than a cup of coffee, its intensive formula transforms from a soft powder to a gentle cream when mixed with water to completely dissolve strands while preventing ingrown hairs from forming.
Editor Tip: This pick became popular for its ability to tackle facial and body hair, but it's also available in an Extra-Strength formulation to tackle coarser areas of hair.
Key Ingredients: Corn starch | Where To Use: Face and body
Best for Bikini Line: Bikini Zone Crème Hair Remover
Why It's Worth It: Created specifically for bikini line hair removal, the Bikini Zone Crème Hair Remover features a formula crafted for this delicate area that diminishes hair in as little as four minutes. As it melts hair, its formula soothes skin and prevents irritation is a trifecta of soothing aloe vera, chamomile, and green tea extracts.
Editor Tip: Though it's formulated for your bikini line, you should not put a hair removal cream of any kind on or near your genitals (that means no all-over pubic hair removal—you can stick to wax, razors, or even laser hair removal for that area). "It is recommended to avoid hair removal creams on mucosal skin and other sensitive or thin-skinned areas, such as your pubic area," says Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist. "There is an increased risk of side effects including burning of the skin in these areas."
Key Ingredients: Aloe vera extract, chamomile extract, and green tea extract | Where To Use: Bikini line
Best In-Shower Treatment: Nair Sensitive Formula Hair Removal Shower Cream with Coconut Oil
Why It's Worth It: There are quite a few hair removal formulas from Nair to choose from, but our team and Dr. Penzi love the Sensitive Formula Hair Removal Shower Cream with Coconut Oil for its mild, skin-friendly formulation that can be used in the shower. "It's a great, effective option for body hair removal that is also excellent for sensitive skin since it contains cocoa butter and vitamin E," she says. "My patients rave about this since it's great for both thicker and finer hairs and is very easy to use."
Editor Tip: If you want a formula that can be used outside of your shower, Divya Shokeen, MD, a Manhattan Beach, California-based board-certified dermatologist, recommends the original Nair Hair Removal Cream, which is also infused with vitamin E and cocoa butter but has the added benefits of aloe vera.
Key Ingredients: Cocoa butter, vitamin E | Where To Use: Body
Best Body Butter: Nad’s 3-In-1 Body Butter Hair Removal Cream
Why It's Worth It: Depilatory creams can dry out skin, but Nad’s 3-In-1 Body Butter Hair Removal Cream works overtime to replenish much-needed moisture. This four-minute formula tackles your coarsest body hairs as it enriches skin with a conditioning concoction of cocoa and shea butters for a velvety-smooth feel.
Editor Tip: Its thicker consistency prevents the product from dripping down your legs and arms.
Key Ingredients: Cocoa butter, shea butter | Where To Use: Body
Best for Sensitive Skin: Veet Gel Cream Hair Remover
Why It's Worth It: Dr. Shokeen's choice of depilatory cream is Veet's Gel Cream Hair Remover, which is formulated to diminish irritation as it takes care of body hair. "This product is specially formulated for sensitive skin, featuring aloe vera and vitamin E to soothe and hydrate the skin," she says.
Editor Tip: Its gel-like texture may feel dense at first, but lather it in and watch as it transforms into a light cream, just like your favorite shaving cream.
Key Ingredients: Aloe vera, vitamin E | Where To Use: Body
Frequently Asked Questions
How do hair removal creams work?
Depilatory creams are far different than your average body moisturizer or wash. According to multiple skin experts, including Divya Shokeen, MD, a Manhattan Beach, California-based board-certified dermatologist, hair removal creams contain a chemical solution that breaks down the keratin structure of the hair follicle, weakening the strand at the skin's surface so that it can be easily wiped away. "The active ingredients usually found in hair removal creams include calcium thioglycolate or potassium thioglycolate, which sever the hair's protein bonds," she adds. Since these creams target disulfide bonds to weaken them, they're technically the complete opposite of bond-repair hair treatments.
Can you use hair removal creams everywhere on your body?
Before you slather a hair removal cream all over your bikini line, it's important to note that these certain hair removal products can be harsh on skin, especially sensitive areas like your bikini area and underarms. To avoid any irritation and unwanted side effects like chemical burns, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, suggests always reading the instructions to ensure your cream is suitable for the areas of skin you're applying it on. "There are some hair removal creams designed for more sensitive areas, but, regardless, I recommend patch testing on a small area of skin before applying to larger areas of your body," she says. Dr. Murphy-Rose suggests waiting at least three to five days post-application to check for signs of both immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions. "If you notice burning, stinging, itching, or development of a rash, the product is probably not safe for you," she says.
Can sensitive skin types use hair removal creams?
If your skin tends to react to hair removal products of any kind, Lauren Penzi, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, suggests to proceed depilatory creams with caution, even if they claim to be formulated for sensitive skin. "Chemicals like calcium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide can burn and irritate sensitive skin, especially if left on for too long" she says. This is why every dermatologist we chatted with recommends patch testing before applying all over larger areas like your legs—hey, it's better to be safe than sorry (and covered in red, itchy blisters that can lead to scars and dark spots).
Along with patch testing, Dr. Penzi suggests opting for formulas made specifically for sensitive skin. "Look for formulations with additional calming ingredients like chamomile, vitamin E, aloe vera, and calendula," she says. To keep post-hair removal dryness at bay, Dr. Penzi says to follow up with a (preferably fragrance-free and non-irritative) moisturizer afterward.
Meet the experts
- Divya Shokeen, MD, a Manhattan Beach, California-based board-certified dermatologist
- Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
- Lauren Penzi, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best hair removal creams, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from experts. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
