Hi

I know there have been a few mentions of using oil on here whilst waxing, especially bikini etc. Can anyone give me more information on this or direct me to the treads, (i looked but didnt have much joy!!!) Also is there certain oils you can or cant use?

Hi Lisa,

You can use oil under both hard and soft wax, regardless of the brand. Unlike powder, this creates a lipid barrier between the wax and skin that can make removal a lot easier for you and the whole experience more comfortable for your client.

• Some waxing lines include a specific pre-depilatory oil, but any light massage oil will do the trick (e.g. sweet almond, grapeseed - I advise steering clear of the heavier oils like avocado as they are more difficult to control on the skin).
• If you're a qualified aromatherapist, you can even add a few drops of something like tea-tree or lavender to an unscented massage oil for a synergistic effect - Anita (Huberella) uses tea-tree with great success.
• You want just a light sheen on the skin – remember, you’re not dressing a salad! After your normal pre-wax cleanse, rub a few drops of oil between the palms of your hands and apply to the client’s skin.
• If you use too much oil the wax will slide about and won‘t stick to anything. If this happens, don’t panic – simply blot the excess with a tissue and try again.
• You can add more oil as needed throughout the waxing service if the skin becomes dry.

It takes a bit of practice to get the right amount but is well worth the effort. There are many excellent therapists on this board that use powder with brilliant results, but give the oil a go and see how you get on. Nothing to lose!

HTH's

Andy

Thanks for that, i will give it a go next time and see how i get on. how do you apply it when putting it on bikini. Can i put in on a cotton pad and apply.

You can indeed, although the oil will absorb into the cotton and you'll end up wasting slightly more as a result. I apply a few drops to my gloved hands, rub together and then just apply directly to the clients' skin, but this is a personal preference and I appreciate that not everyone will feel comfortable doing this.

I just use my hands. No point in being shy about it :-)

I'm with you on that one. xxx

I have been wondering about this too! I presumed you couldn't use this technique with warm wax, but now I know you can I'm definately going to give it a go! Thanks guys for sharing your knowledge! xxx

I have found it doesnt work well with a roller as it stops the roller from gliding as well and the wax ends up patchy.Thats been my experience anyway.

It's really interesting that you say that. I do more facial waxing than any other at the moment so haven't noticed a problem but when I have applied oil on the legs, like you, the wax went on really patchy. I use the C&E roller system and thought that I maybe was doing something wrong with the wax, like not having the temperature right!

Do you apply powder instead to the legs or do you have the same problem?

Interesting that you both say that, as I've been playing with the new Perron Rigot roller system recently and had the same thing happen to me a couple of times (fronts of lower legs in particular). The roller seemed to 'skip' over certain patches. Didn't seem to happen with hairier clients or on the chest or back, however, so I can only guess it has something to do with the amount of friction between skin/hair/oil/roller?

I'm not that experienced with the roller as I've always been a pot and spatula kind of guy, but after a bit of experimentation I've started using slightly less oil with the roller and it's now working okay for me (blotting where necessary with a tissue). A couple of drops for fronts of half-legs seems to do the trick (same for back of legs).

Gill and Debs, if you do make it to ExCel in March it would be great to catch up, as I'm still learning with the roller and we can troubleshoot these issues 'live' together so to speak, lol

Think I might be a convert, though - it certainly speeds things up!

Andy x

Thanks Andy. I have to say that since I bought the roller system I have fallen in love with waxing! It really does make life so much easier (and faster and cleaner!)

I'll be at ExCel on the Sunday and will definitely come and find you because as I said I actually like waxing now but was beginning to get a little panicky about the legs recently. But I love using the oil especially on the face and my clients always comment how little erythema they have compared to normal.

Hi, I have rather sensitive, dry skin on my legs and need to constantly moisturise to prevent them looking like 'a turtles neck' as my kids kindly refer to them. I dread when they're due to be waxed and tend to leave them a bit longer than I should (I don't practice what I preach)

After reading this thread I thought I'd give the pre-oil a try....and....I was amazed it made such a difference, I used a light massage oil as it was all I had in but the wax just glided over my skin, thinner than usual, and removal was smooth. Immediately afterwards my legs were still smoothe....and..... this is what amazed me was that they were still the same this morning

So this is a huge thank fellow geeks for all your time, knowledge and skills offered to us all

Hi Just a thought......I have a C&E roller system and the patchiness on the legs when using oil may be that the skin is generally more dry in places than on the face. The oil will be taken up in more areas than others. Warm wax application may therefore become a bit hit and miss. Dry skin and cold legs as we all know are the enemy of a successful wax. I am going to offer a light exfoliation with warm mitts before my leg waxes.