Splitting hairs

Some women canrsquot resist trying out the latest in facials the newnow cosmetic brand or a visit to Zara every season Our scientific interest lies in testing every new hairremoving method especially if it says ldquoherbalrdquo You wonrsquot get it if you are not hirsute and give ye thanks for that So when one after the other we saw advertisements on our social media feed for herbal waxing powders and depilatory leps morethanaveragetestosteroneforawoman rose to the challenge In the interest of hairy ladies everywhere we tested three products on different parts of the body so that you wonrsquot have toGhar Soaps was the only one of the trio that boasted of organic ingredients We tried their mogra wax powder priced at Rs 999 on the leg on growththat was a couple of weeks old Like most of the ones we tried this one two had a noxious smell reminiscent of hair removal creams A colleague of course we do this at the workplace you donrsquot likened it to sewage and she wasnrsquot exaggerating It lingered after the product was wiped clean so you might want to time application much before any sexy times We made a thick paste with tap water and waited for it to dry as instructed When after 30 minutes it did not we wiped it off with a damp cloth It had done its job albeit leaving behind ingrowth a problem this candidate has even with waxing Then why not go for a more effective chemical formulation thatrsquos quickergharsoapsshopDeyga was the cool kid on the block being vegan plantderived but it has barium sulphide and cruelty free Priced at R590 it also listed ldquoloverdquo as an ingredient Unfortunately for it our middleaged cynic tried it on On the smelly scale it came second with a sinustingling chemical aroma with undertones of dread This one too warned us against using it on the face and we had to keep it on for 20 minutes Like all the others Deyga made it clear that it would not be uprooting hair merely dissolving the shaft on the skinrsquos surface We tested it on fine and stubborn hair and it was rather effective but left behind say 10 per cent of our hairy friends Not compelling enough for us to switch over from goodold waxingWersquore not certain whether longterm use of any of the products would result in discolouration like it does with hair removing creams and we are not tempted to try Even to satisfy scientific curiositydeygainThe Wellness Shoprsquos offering struck a small amount of terror in our hearts We were supposed to make a paste with the powder but were warned against mixing it using our finger applying it on our face and leaving the product on for more than 10 minutes Odd for a product that is supposed to go on to some of our most sensitive areas So we looked closely at the fine print and it clearly said The Wellness Shop is a marketeer of this product and does not manufacture it on its own Over the next few lines of legalese the brand extricated itself from any liabilities should we be deformed Thanks but no thanks Besides it was as ineffective as the BMC at filling potholes We tried their hair removal powder priced at Rs 999 on the fine hair of our torso and it could not even prove 20 per cent efficacy The only thing in its favour It was the least smelly of them allthewellnessshopinSunday midday paid for the products and reviewed them anonymously