European Wax Center Review

My first experience with leg waxing was at age 14. It involved a tub of microwavable wax purchased from the grocery store that was supposed to harden on the leg and be pulled off without strips. After four hours of ice cubes, wet rags, tweezers, and tears all I had to show for it was a gummy, puffy, mess of a leg. Needless to say, I was a bit hesitant to give non-strip waxing another try, but boy am I glad I did!

I’m happy to report that my European Wax Center experience left me with smooth, sleek, hairless legs just in time for summer. After learning about their cruelty free wax and other products, I decided to check out their Redondo Beach, CA location. I was very impressed with the courteous and knowledgeable staff, and with how hard they work to create a clean, sleek, and inviting atmosphere. The staff along with European Wax Center’s patented four step process helped make it the easiest, most comfortable waxing session I’ve ever experienced—hands down.

My esthetician, Lizette, was amazing and instantly put me at ease. She walked me though all the steps as she did them, and was warm and friendly. I’m ridiculously shy but her professionalism and sincerity had me dropping trou and hopping on the table like I’d been getting salon waxes for years. She began the process by using a little cleanser on my legs to rid the skin of any excess oil and dirt that would keep the wax from gripping the hair, and then followed it up with a soothing serum designed to reduce redness and irritation. Lizette also threw on a little baby powder which I thought was counterintuitive before she explained that baby powder actually helps the hair puff up slightly making it easier to grip.

The wax itself is a bright purple color and went on smooth as silk. The temperature was perfect and because my legs can be a little coarse, she decided to double up the wax on certain areas. The wax is designed to stick to itself, not your skin, and because of this it can be done several times in the same area to ensure no stubborn hair escapes its grasp. This also makes it ideal for those with sensitive skin (like myself) or for those sensitive to wax areas. It’s no wonder that their most popular waxes are the Brazilian and eyebrow waxes. As opposed to ripping a strip off your skin, the wax seems to peel off very similar to covering your leg in candle wax and having the hair go with it.

The other nice thing about it was that it wasn’t sticky at all. Up until this point I’ve been a fan of the at home wax strips and they almost always leave a residue no matter how many of their after wax towelettes I use. I usually end up damaging a razor in the shower trying to exfoliate off any excess traces and picking up those stray hairs. Putting on jeans after the at home wax strips always seemed impossible because my legs would be so sticky. Not so with this wax. When Lizette was done, putting on my jeans was a snap—there was no residue or gunky feeling. She also used some of their ingrown hair serum designed to prevent ingrown hairs (which I have a lot of) and their lotion which smelled fruity and heavenly.

I absolutely fell in love with their exfoliant which can be used all over the body including the face. It didn’t have any scrubbing beads in it which threw me at first, but as I rubbed it in a circular motion over my hand I could see the dead skin sloughing off and I was a convert. EWC recommends exfoliating two days before a wax and I can see what a difference it’d make.

I’d recommend anyone looking for a good place to get a summer wax to check out European Wax Center. They have 203 locations around the country and some pretty sweet promo packages so there’s no excuse not to book an appointment today!

Guest post by cruelty free beauty lover April Flores.