15 Best Hair Removal Creams for Smooth Skin, Tested and Reviewed for 2023

When I say this hair-removal cream is the only reason I have fully stopped waxing, shaving, or trimming my bikini line, I mean it, y’all. The formula breaks down every single hair, leaving me super smooth for about a full week before I feel the need to spot-treat a couple of hairs or trim the edges. And it does so without even remotely irritating my skin, due to a mix of soothing urea and bisabolol. When I wipe the cream away with a washcloth after 8 to 10 minutes, I notice my skin already feels moisturized, even without any product on it (which I fully attribute to my fave, shea butter). FWIW, I also have been loving the Flamingo Facial-Hair-Removal Cream to get rid of peach fuzz because it’s equally as moisturizing.

• Key ingredients: Thioglycolic acid (chemical hair remover), urea, bisabolol, shea butter
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: One review reads, “Wow! After my leg hair grew out over a couple months, I was sure my options were getting hair tangled in a razor blade while trying to shave in the shower for an hour, or a product like this. But… how well does it work?? IT REMOVED EVERYTHING! All the dark, thick hair is gone, and I have no chemical burns. My legs have never been smoother!”

Now that I’ve tested dozens of hair-removal creams, I realize that my faves require little-to-no finesse. Basically, I don’t have time to swipe a formula on and wait for 10 minutes, all to be left with a leg still covered in hair. But with this gentle cream, I truly only need one layer to get my legs silky smooth. And surprisingly, I find the formula petty gentle (shout out to aloe vera and allantoin, which both help soothe my skin).

• Key ingredients: Thioglycolic acid (chemical hair remover), aloe vera, allantoin
• Fragrance free? Yes

THE REVIEWS: “This was literally the same as if I got a Brazilian wax,” writes one tester. “I left it on the whole 10 minutes, and it started to sting a tiny bit as I was scraping it off, which had me hurriedly jumping into the shower to rinse. It had almost no smell, which was nice and it took off ALL the hair!”

Most hair-removal creams tend to be runny and lightweight, which is totally fine, unless you've already got dry, scaly skin that could use some extra TLC. Enter: This rich formula from Nad’s, which uses urea, glycerin, sweet almond oil, and shea butter to help lightly moisturize and coddle your skin while the formula does its thing to your hair. Leave it on for four to six minutes and either wash it away in the shower or remove with a washcloth.

• Key ingredients: Potassium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), urea, glycerin, sweet almond oil, shea butter
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “This literally goes on like butter and leaves skin feeling like it also,” writes one reviewer. “It doesn’t burn or take a long time for hair to be removed. Will purchase again.”

So, this cult-favorite hair-removal cream (waddup 7,000 positive reviews) is actually geared toward removing thick facial hair, which is why it’s ideal for anyone looking to remove coarse or curly hair from their body. Just slather on a thick layer of this shea butter-spiked cream wherever you want to get rid of hair, leave it on for 4-7 minutes depending on the thickness of your hair, and wipe the hair away with a damp washcloth.

• Key ingredients: Thioglycolic acid (chemical hair remover), shea butter
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: According to one tester, “I get bad razor burn on my bikini area and have been waxing instead to prevent that. However, I used this stuff the other day, and I was pleasantly surprised that it removed most of my unwanted hair and left me with no irritation.”

Yeah, I get it: Most hair-removal creams smell like a chemical nightmare. But this one by Epify has a fresh, surprisingly pleasant scent that helps mask the thioglycolic acid (i.e., the ingredient that breaks down your hair). No, it's not going to smell as good as your grapefruit-vanilla-sugar body lotion, but it'll still be easier on your nose than traditional formulas. And you only have to use it for a few minutes, according to testers, before it dissolves your hair.

• Key ingredients: Thioglycolate hydroxide (chemical hair remover), urea, sweet-almond oil
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “I was hoping to avoid that god-awful smell that appears unavoidable with depilatory creams,” writes one tester in a review. “I'll say that this one, while it does still have a bit of that same ‘depilatory cream smell,’ is moderately masked by a more pleasant scent. So it is, indeed, far less pungent and overpowering than every similar product I've tried through the years.”

Your bikini area is prone to irritation (as you already know from being a living, breathing human), so if you’re going to use a depilatory on sensitive skin, it has to be packed with hydrating and soothing ingredients, like this Nad’s formula. It’s made with moisturizing shea butter and avocado oil, as well as soothing aloe vera and honey to help prevent the sensitive skin on your bikini line from freaking out and becoming irritated.

• Key ingredients: Potassium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), shea butter, aloe vera, avocado oil, honey
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “I always get razor burns or cuts from shaving, and I always seem to miss spots,” one tester writes. “I layered this cream on very thick and didn’t rub it in. I let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, I went in the shower with a loofah and rubbed it away in circular motions. All the hair came off without any effort!! I was shocked. No razor burn. No missed spots.”

If you hate slathering on runny hair-removal creams, switch to this whipped, spray-foam formula that sticks to your legs as soon as you spray it on (just make sure to hop in the shower first to avoid spraying your floor or walls). Let it sit for four to six minutes, then wipe away with a wet towel or rinse it off with water. And, thanks to its added mix of moisturizers (hi, urea, aloe, shea butter, and cocoa butter), your skin will be left feeling softer and smoother, too.

• Key ingredients: Potassium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), urea, aloe vera, shea butter, cocoa butter
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “I've been looking for different ways to get rid of body hair, and this is by far the easiest fastest one yet,” writes one reviewer. “Being a mom, you never have time anymore, but this has been the best one by far—10/10 recommend.”

I’m convinced that a Brazilian bikini wax is the closest pain to childbirth (preface: I have no kids, so pls don’t tell me otherwise). Which is why I always opt for this sensitive hair-removal cream when I want to go hairless. It’s filled with soothers like green tea, aloe, and chamomile, which help soothe my bb bikini line skin as I remove hair. I just follow the instructions (smooth a thin layer over your skin, wait 4 to 10 minutes, then wipe off with a warm, wet washcloth), and I have a silky, soft bikini line in usually less than five minutes.

• Key ingredients: Potassium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), aloe vera, green tea, chamomile
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “I used this on my underarms and bikini area,” writes one reviewer. “I left it on for 10 minutes, and everything wiped right off. I showered afterward and had no issues! Will continue to purchase!”

More than 47,000 reviewers rave about this hair-removal cream on Amazon, especially its gel-cream formula that sticks to skin without sliding off. Testers also noted again and again how their skin was left feeling smooth for over a week (!), as well as immediately after wiping off, thanks to the formula’s aloe vera, urea, and vitamin E.

• Key ingredients: Potassium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), urea, aloe vera, vitamin E
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: One review reads, “I shaved previously the night before, but I went ahead and applied this on both pits and waited the allotted amount of time. The hair was very very small, but this product got it done! Using the included plastic scraper, I was able to remove all the teeny tiny hairs that were left over from the shave the night before.”

Hi, meet my holy-grail hair-removal cream. Why? Because it gently exfoliates my skin with kaolin clay, which is a godsend for my ingrown-prone legs. I slather a thick layer all over my skin, wait about five minutes, and then wipe it off and hop in the shower to rinse off any residue. It quickly gets rid of any stubble and leaves my skin feeling smoother, especially when I follow it up with a rich moisturizer.

• Key ingredients: Calcium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), kaolin clay (exfoliator), seaweed extract (moisturizer)
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “This is absolutely one of the best purchases I've made,” reads one review. “I use this on my arms because they've always grown lots of hair, and I never liked shaving them because of the razor burns. This product couldn't be easier to use! Just lather a good amount on, wait 10 minutes, and wipe off with a wet rag.”

Your precious lil skin deserves a hair-removal cream filled with ingredients to soothe as it removes hair. Which is why I recommend this one to all my friends, because it contains aloe vera and bisabolol to help calm down any irritation as the cream breaks down the hair on your bikini line and legs. Bonus: It comes with a hydrating balm to use after you remove hair, which will leave you with majorly silky skin.

• Key ingredients: Thioglycolic acid (chemical hair remover), bisabolol, aloe vera
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer writes, “I've been using depilatory cream for many years, and this is the only brand that hasn't caused discomfort. I had a small tingling feeling when removing it, but within a half hour, my skin was back to normal. No sting, tingle or itch.”

If you love how baby-soft your face feels after a clay mask, you’ve gotta try this hair-removal version that’s formulated with kaolin clay and charcoal powder. Reviewers swear by it for lightly exfoliating and softening their skin before shaving, which helps them get rid of legit any stubble whatsoever. But this formula is also a depilatory, meaning it’ll remove some hair from your legs, bikini line, etc. as you wipe it away too.

• Key ingredients: Calcium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), kaolin clay, charcoal powder (exfoliators)
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: One tester writes, “I can't say how much I love this product enough. It's sensitive enough for my skin (only used once a week and a max of 10 mins to leave the mask on). I've always used this pre-shaving, and it has really helped with any coarseness, diminishing razor burn, saving time shaving, etc. I love this product and will continue to purchase it over and over!”

Need a gentle facial hair remover? Skip the irritating razors and wax and try this gentle hair-removal cream instead from Nad’s. It leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth, thanks to moisturizing calendula and almond oils, without having to worry about patchy skin or nicks. If you’re prone to sensitivity, definitely layer on a hydrating serum and barrier-repair cream afterward to limit inflammation and dryness.

• Key ingredients: Thioglycolic acid (chemical hair remover), sweet-almond oil, calendula oil
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “I was using this to remove both thick and thin dark hairs on my upper lip and my chin,” writes one tester in a review. “It worked like a charm! I ended up leaving it on for a total of eight minutes. Honestly, I didn’t think it would work as well as it did.”

This in-shower hair-removal cream looks like a creamy body wash but works like a depilatory, so you can one-and-done your hair removal before getting in the shower. Smooth the cream on your dry skin, wait just a few minutes (that's about how long it takes for the water to warm up anyway), then hop in and rinse away the cream, your unwanted hair, and you know, the rest of the day’s grime.

• Key ingredients: Potassium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), urea, aloe vera
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “This product is extremely easy to use,” reads one review. “The cream is not thick, and it’s actually like a lotion, so it feels good too. The product is one that I needed in my life for so long, and I am so glad I don’t have to deal with using razors any longer because I will be using this instead.”

Even though the hair on your face is NBD, you might still want to get rid of yours, and that’s where this gentle hair-removal cream comes in. Just smooth it on, wait five minutes, and gently wipe it off with a damp cloth to instantly remove even the finest facial hair like peach fuzz. It also comes with a moisturizing face lotion that's filled with plumping collagen and moisturizing vitamin E to keep your delicate facial skin looking glowy.

• Key ingredients: Calcium thioglycolate (chemical hair remover), vitamin E, aloe vera, bisabolol
• Fragrance free? No

THE REVIEWS: “This is a quick, easy product to remove upper lip hair,” one reviewer writes. “I have sensitive, acne-prone skin and use prescription retinoids. This product does not irritate my skin. I can use it, and my skin won't be red, irritated, break out, or peel unlike a lot of other hair removal methods.”