nibor's Full Review: Skin Care Smooth Away Hair Removal
I love/hate infomercials. I love dreaming about how easy these products will make my life but I hate knowing that almost all of these products are too good to be true. And while the prices often sound reasonable, the shipping and handling charges are usually outrageous.
But now, thanks to our local drugstores, you can often buy "As Seen on TV" items for a price that is much more tempting.
As a woman, hair removal is one of those things that I just hate having to do so I'm willing to try almost any new product to see if someone has invented a better way. I was excited to find a box of Smooth Away for $9.99 at Walgreen's this weekend. Even if it doesn't work, I don't mind spending $9.99 for an experiment.
In the Box The box contained a travel case, a large applicator, a small applicator, 5 large pads, 5 small pads and instructions.
The pads were easy to apply to the applicator. Just peel off the paper backing and stick it on. The large applicator handle is big enough to fit my three chubby middle fingers through and is very sturdy feeling. The small applicator handle is large enough for your index finger.
The Experiment The instructions say to prepare the skin for hair removal by washing and drying the skin. Knowing how dusty this product was going to make my leg, I opted to use it on one leg before my shower.
After the shower, I did the other leg according to the directions so I could compare the results.
On the first leg, I couldn't visually see any hair being removed. I was able to see some a few very fine hairs in the sink when I was finished so it did remove a tiny bit of fine hair. The coarser hair didn't budge but it was hard to see it through all the dust on my leg. My leg definitely felt smooth though as I had just sandpapered it all over.
On the second leg, the one that got washed and dried before the experiment, the results were pretty much the same except that now I had dust all over my leg. The directions recommend using a moisturizer to remove this white or grey color from your skin. I used Vaseline Intensive Care moisturizer and it burned slightly upon application. My legs now feel nice and soft but there is still hair there.
I also tried the large applicator under the arms and couldn't see anything happening at all in the way of hair removal; however, upon applying my deodorant, I got a nice stinging sensation. This never happens after using a razor.
I also got brave enough to try the small applicator on my upper lip. I can't really tell if it worked there or not as there isn't much hair there to start with. I can tell you that it made my lip sting and after my shower, my lip was bright red. This lasted about 30 minutes so don't do your upper lip if you're about to go out in public. The directions recommended soaking a cotton ball in milk and applying to the skin for a few minutes but I didn't bother trying that solution. I thought it was funny though that they recommend giving yourself a milk moustache.
I don't normally remove hair from my arms but for the experiment, I tried this on a couple of places. I got the illusion of hair having been removed because the skin felt so soft afterwards but once the dust was wiped away, you could still see the hair.
I was not brave enough to try any more sensitive skin areas but based on the results on my legs and underarms, I feel pretty confident that it wouldn't have worked any better.
The pads stick to the applicator very well. I tried to remove one and could see it would not be easy. There is a tab on the pad to get it started but that tore away quickly so you're likely to have to use rubbing alcohol or soap and water to get it all off.
Where to purchase this product You can find the infomercial website at www.getsmoothaway.com. The price there is $14.99 with shipping and handling of $6.99. You can get two boxes for the price of one if you pay separate shipping and handling for the second box. The product is available at various on-line stores but I recommend looking for it at your drugstore. If you can wait, I'm sure it will be in a discount bin before too long.
Overall, if you want to exfoliate with sandpaper, you'll love this product. If you want effective hair removal, you might want to stick with whatever you're already doing.
Warning Do not sandpaper your head or a male beard. Do not use if you suffer from a skin condition, open wounds or diabetes.
Smooth Away Hair Removal Each Smooth Away pad is covered with superfine crystals that buff away unwanted hair leaving your skin so soft and incredibly...More at eBay
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