The New Depilatory Cream Depilsilk Works No Better Than Other Products of Its Kind

I hate shaving my legs! I do it, of course. I just hate doing it. Whenever I can I prefer to use a depilatory cream instead. My legs thank me for it. I am lethal with anything that is sharp.

Ihad seen advertisements for a product called depilsilk (spelled in all lowercase letters) hair remover on TV. According to the claims, all you had to do was "spray and wipe away." That sounded right up my alley. The only problem was that I didn't want to pay the full price -- $12.99 -- just to give a try. I'm not into throwing money away if I can avoid it.

Recently; however, I found depilsilk on sale at Ross for almost half-price at $6.99. That was a price I could live with. Plus, it also came with a bonus product of facial hair remover. While I don't personally have that problem, I have a friend that does so I thought the bonus item would make a good trial piece for her.

The product - - depilsilk - - is manufactured right here in the United States. I like that. I try to buy American made products whenever it is possible to do so.

It is distributed by idea village (also in all lower case letters). They distribute a few other "as seen on TV" products as well.

Ingredients in depilsilk include aloe barbadensis leaf juice, cucumber fruit extract, melon fruit extract, mineral oil, orange peel oil and water. It also contains ascorbic acid, calcium hydroxide, cetereath-20, cetearyl alcohol, fragrance, glyceryl stearate SE, dimethicone, sodium thioglycolate, tocophyeryl acetate and water.

This depilatory makes several claims. It promises a pleasant, cucumber odor. It also claims moisturization properties. It is supposed to be gentle, painless and work within just 8 minutes. It says it is good for removing hair on the arms, legs, and bikini area as well as other parts of the body. It promises to leave the skin "soft at silk." Finally, is promised to last longer than other depilatory creams. But does it live up to those claims. Let's take a look.

The smell of depilsilk is relatively pleasant. For the most part, it does smell like cucumber. However, there is also a hint of that pungent chemical smell found in most depilatory creams. Therefore, I can only give the product 4 out 5 stars on this one. It's still better than most on the market today.

While it may claim to moisturize as it works, I found no evidence of that myself. Keep in mind; however, that I have very dry, problem skin. It might work well on normal skin. At least it didn't dry mine out any further. Therefore, I give it 4 out of 5 stars for the second claim.

The product is relatively gentle, especially when compared to some other depilatory creams out there. There isn't that huge greasy mess that is difficult to remove but manages to get all over everything but your body parts. I like it. It felt good. I give it 5 out 5 stars for this claim.

Pain free depilsilk is definitely a plus. It doesn't burn or irritate the skin, even with minor abrasions. Therefore it gets another 5 out 5 stars.

Timing wasn't an issue with depilsilk either. It worked well for me in under 8 minutes as promised, so it gets another 5 out of 5 stars.

Hair removal is possible, and probable, with depilsilk as well. Obviously I can only speak to my own experiences. I can't promise it will remove hair on everyone. I can say it worked for me, though no better than any other depilatory cream. That earns it 4 out 5 stars.

With regard to its claim that it will leave skin soft as silk, I have to disagree. It didn't hurt my skin at all but neither did it improve it, so I can only offer 3 out 5 stars here.

Finally, when it comes to its claim to last longer than other products, I have to disagree there as well. It certainly lasts as long as other products but not any longer. Therefore, it only gets 3 out of 5 stars here.

That equates to 33 out of a possible 40 stars. It averages out to 4.1 stars, which means it is a good, solid product. It's just not a truly great one. It measures up for doesn't overtake its competition.

Before using depilsilk it is important to do a patch test to gauge any possible skin irritation or allergic reaction. Apply the product according to its instructions on a small patch of skin. Then wait 24 hours to see if any reaction occurs. If there is none, it should be safe to use the product elsewhere. If, on the other hand, a reaction occurs, discontinue use of depilsilk.

To apply the product, start with clean skin in the area where hair is being removed. Make sure the area is dry before proceeding.

Shake the bottle of depilsilk before dispensing. This will help to mix the chemicals and evenly distribute them throughout the bottle. Prime the pump spray by spraying a few times until the product comes out in a smooth, even motion.

Hold the bottle approximately 6" away from the area being treated. Spray depilsilk in a medium, even coat. If it is too thin, then hair removal could be blotchy or it might not occur at all. If it is too thick, you risk unnecessary skin irritation. You will know you have a good coating if the skin appears to look opaque white in color.

Leave depilsilk on for about 4 to 5 minutes and then check a small area to see if hair wipes away. If it does, then proceed with the next step. If it does not, you may leave the product on for another 3 minutes, but no longer than 8 minutes total.

Using a clean, damp cloth wipe the product off of the skin. Rinse and pat the skin dry.

Be sure to wash your hands each time they are exposed to the product. Do not touch areas of hair you do not want removed as long as you still have depilsilk on them.

There are several warnings that should also be headed. These include the following:

Do not use depilsilk on skin that is still wet. The product won't work properly.

Do not use depilsilk on areas that have already been shaved, tweezed or waxed. It is meant as an alternative to those procedures and not an additional step. Skin that has already been treated by another method could become irritated or infected.

Do not use this product on skin that is burned, chafed, chapped, irritated, lacerated or contains a rash. Once again, you risk further irritation or possible infection.

Do not use this product on areas of the body other than those listed as safe for hair removal. Depilsilk is meant for external use only on certain areas of the body.

If you inadvertently get the product in your eyes, rinse thoroughly with cool water for several minutes. If irritation persists, report to an ER facility as quickly as possible.

If this product is ingested, call a poison control center right away. If one isn't available, then report immediately to an ER facility.

Wait at least 24 to 48 hours between depilsilk treatments. In some instances, it may be necessary to do more than one treatment in order to achieve full hair removal.

Depilsilk is meant for use on adults only. Do not use the product on children. Keep out of the reach of both children and the elderly.

RATING SCALE:

5 stars = outstanding
4 stars = good
3 stars = average
2 stars = below average
1 star = poor