Hair removal is one of the dullest activities for a woman. No one wants to see hair growing on their armpits and legs – it’s both ugly and far from hygienic. And, while you can let hair grow on your legs in the winter, excess hair on the armpits is unforgiveable. This area of the body requires a lot of maintenance which is why women stick to various lotions and creams, but most of the commercial products are pretty harmful for the skin and can cause bigger problems than the one they’re trying to resolve. They’re also pretty expensive and can burn a hole in your pocket if you’re using them often.
However, there’s no need to break the bank just to remove hair from your armpits. There are many home remedies which work just as good as the commercial products, and they’re far cheaper and safer to use. Here are the best natural remedies against armpit hair:
Papaya
Papaya is a perfect hair-removal fruit, especially for people with sensitive skin. It contains a substance known as papain which can stop hair growth and prevent too much hair on your underarms. Here’s what you need to do:
Ingredients
Papaya
½ tablespoon turmeric powder
Directions
Mash the papaya and mix it with the turmeric, then apply the paste on your underarms and let it dry off. Rinse with water in the end and use the remedy twice a week for best results.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas can remove hair from any part of the body pretty efficiently and without side-effects. Here’s how to use them:
Ingredients
½ cup chickpea flour
½ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon turmeric
Directions
Mix the flour and milk to get a paste, then add the turmeric and mix again. Apply the paste on your underarms and leave it on for half an hour, then gently remove it and rinse with lukewarm water. Repeat the process 2 times a week to remove all the hair from your underarms.
Lentils and potatoes
Besides removing the hair from your underarms, this mixture will also whiten and soften the skin in the area. Here’s what you need to do:
Ingredients
1 cup yellow lentils
1 small bowl of crushed potatoes
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons lime juice
Gauze or cloth
Directions
Soak the lentils in water overnight, then process them to a paste in the morning. Boil the potatoes, crush them, then squeeze them through a cloth and collect the liquid. Mix the potato juice, lime juice and honey to get a paste, then add it to the lentils paste and combine well. Apply the remedy on your underarms, leave it to work for 15-20 minutes, then take it off with lukewarm water. Repeat the process once a week for best results.
Oats and banana
Ingredients
1 banana (ripe)
2 tablespoons oats
Directions
Mash the banana to get a paste, then add the oats and mix again well. Apply the paste on your underarms and massage it in for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. For best results, use the remedy twice or thrice a week.
Honey, sugar and lime
When combined, these 3 ingredients will create a wax epilator that can remove every last bit of hair from your underarms. Here’s what you need to do:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
Water
Baby powder
Directions
Pour the lime juice, sugar and honey in a pot, then cook the mixture until it becomes thick – if it’s too thick, you can add a bit of water. Now, leave it to cool down, then add some baby powder to your underarms and apply a thin layer of the paste, in the opposite direction of your hair growth. Stick a piece of cloth to the warm paste, let it sit for 4-5 seconds, then quickly pull it down. These homemade epilator paste works great and it gentler on your skin than commercial solutions.
Coconut oil and baking soda
Baking soda is a great skin exfoliator, while coconut oil nourishes your skin and controls hair growth. Just mix equal amounts of baking soda and coconut oil until you get a paste, then rub it on your underarms. Leave it to work for 10 minutes max, then take it off with cold water. Repeat the process once a week to get rid of your underarm hair.
Sugar and lime
Ingredients
Mix some sugar and lime juice in a bowl, then apply the paste on your underarms and leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water in the end to remove the sticky paste and apply a moisturizing cream. Repeat the process twice a week.
Sugar and olive oil
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Just mix the ingredients, apply the paste on your underarms, leave it on for 5 minutes and get it off with lukewarm water. Repeat the process twice a week for best results.
Besides excess hair on the armpits, many people are worried about the body odor which even the most powerful deodorants can’t stop. There’s a natural solution for this as well – actually, there are two. Here’s what you need to do:
Remedy #1
Ingredients
1 ½ tablespoons baking soda
4 tablespoons coconut oil
5 tablespoons cornstarch
20 drops lemon juice
Directions
Mix the cornstarch, baking soda and coconut oil in a pot, then cook them until everything combines on medium heat. Next, leave the mixture to cool down and pour it into a glass jar, then add the lemon juice. Leave the mixture in a cold and dry place for a full day, then apply it on your underarms with your fingers as needed. This powerful natural deodorant will prevent body odor and kill all the bacteria on your underarms.
Remedy #2
Ingredients
¼ tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup baking soda
6 tablespoons coconut oil
Directions
Mix everything to get a paste, then use it on your underarms as needed.