There are new beauty trends constantly coming up, as we’re always looking for hacks or tips to make our beauty routine easier. However, some of the most popular ways of enhancing our looks carry with them some concerning health hazards that clearly outweigh all of the benefits. This new trend of shaping your eyebrows with hair removal cream is absolutely crazy and I’ll tell you why.
Veet (a brand that makes hair removal products) produce separate hair removal creams for the face and the body, but most of the videos and pictures I’ve seen have the ladies using the Veet hair removal cream for the legs and body around their eyebrows. Even the face hair removal kit that Veet produce is not safe to use around your eyebrows! Here is the ingredients list for the “Veet Face Hair Removal Kit – Sensitive Skin”
Ingredients: Aqua, Urea, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Thioglycolate, Calcium Hydroxide, Talc, Ceteareth-20, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Magnesium Trisilicate, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Acrylates Copolymer, Limonene, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77891.
Hair removal creams (Depilatories) work by breaking down the hair’s protein (keratin) structure so that the hair becomes weak enough to fall loose from its follicle. The skin also contains keratin, which can get damaged in the process leading to skin burn or irritation and causing allergic reactions. Remember that the skin around your eyes is very sensitive and very thin. The epidermis (the external layers of skin) is normally about 0.1mm thick; around the eyes it ranges from 0-0.05mm thick.
The main ingredient that breaks down the protein structure in this formulation is Potassium Thioglycolate; it causes serious eye irritation (warning – serious eye damage).
It is clearly stated on the packaging of Veet Face Hair Removal Kit – Sensitive Skin that it is suitable for use only on the upper lip, cheeks and chin, NOT SUITABLE for use on the rest of the face.
Photo Credit: Youtube (ShadeyBangs), Veet UK, Pub Chem NCBI
