Epil-Stop Hair Remover: Don't Trash the Razors!
Written: Sep 01 '01 (Updated Sep 13 '01)
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The Bottom Line: Dear Epil-Stop: Rule #1 for a hair removal product is to remove hair as promised. Sincerely, Disappointed User.
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| donnamr's Full Review: |
The topic of hair removers has always been a sore subject for me. Literally. My skin is sensitive to the ingredients, and my dark, heavy hair seems resilient to various products. My criteria for continual use of a product involves two things:
1. does it work?
2. what will it do to my skin?
So far, none of the waxes, creams or other methods have found a home in my medicine cabinet. After watching the TV ads for Epil-Stop over a period of months, I thought I'd make one more attempt.
I didn't order via the phone number on the TV ads, nor through the website at www.igia.com. I used Amazon.com's online partner, drugstore.com. The $19.95 cost included a 2-oz. Citrus body spray, a 4 oz. Citrus body spray, and a 3oz. Citrus facial roll-on. With the shipping, total cost came to $24.95. The TV ads offered the same items, plus a robe and a video, neither of which I wanted, for $29.95 plus shipping.
The directions sported a list of instructions labeled alternately "caution," "warning," "notice," and "important." These include things like how long to leave the product on the body, what parts of the body to avoid, directions not to use soap, a warning for men not to use the roll-on on their faces, and warnings for those with sensitive skin.
Epil-Stop is a liquid, not a wax or a cream. The main ingredient is thioglycolic acid. Sounded nasty, so I researched it. In pure form, it's an irritant that causes damage to skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tracts. Delightful.
I decided to summon my courage and take the plunge, figuring the worst would be some kind of skin rash. Did the product fulfill its advertising claims? Let's see…
First, did it work? Sort of. The spray doesn't perform as efficiently as shown on TV, where we see globs of dark heavy hair gone in one wipe of the cloth. My first application accomplished nothing, but the second one removed some – not all - of the hair. The roll-on worked worse than the spray. Fine facial hairs were removed, but more sturdy eyebrows were not. A rather mediocre performance.
Second, did it leave the skin smooth and soft? Absolutely. Since my skin has not reacted well to these types of products in the past, I took a risk with two applications; however, no negative reaction occurred. This was true for both the spray and roll-on.
Third, was it clean? Give me a break. It may not be a messy cream or wax, but it's a messy, clear liquid. Take a good book and stay put in a bathtub or on an easily washable floor, because you'll drip.
Fourth, is it painless? Completely painless!
Fifth, did the effects last? NO WAY! Twenty-four hours later, the stubbles could be felt. Forty-eight hours after application, stubbles were visible. There was virtually no difference between the areas treated by Epil-Stop and those shaved.
An additional observation: don't let the "citrus" tag fool you. This stuff smells. Granted, it's not as bad as other products, but it still stinks. My dogs wouldn't come near me during or immediately after application.
Final analysis:
Do I consider it effective? No.
Will I buy more? No.
Will I recommend it to others? No.
What a waste of thioglycolic acid.
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Epinions.com ID:
donnamr
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Location: Baltimore, MD
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About Me:
Missing my sweet little charmer, Cleo cat
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