We may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase through links in this post.

Best Wax for Underarms (Armpits)

best wax for underarms

Waxing your underarms is great but you still need to use the best wax for underarms if you want to have successful hair removal sessions every time.

I mainly recommend hard wax kits for areas like the underarms or the bikini area because these are the areas that have predominantly coarse hairs for a large part of women.

I’m not a big fan of wax strips, unless we’re talking about facial wax strips..

Best Wax for Underarms: My Favorite 2

1. Best: Cirepil The Original Blue Wax Beads

These blue wax beads of hard wax are pretty much the best, they only stick to the hairs and not to the skin, they remove all kinds of hairs without difficulty, and they make the whole process a lot easier to go through, and the price is pretty great.

2. Runner-Up: Gigi Waxing Kit

From this manufacturer you get a complete waxing kit for a pretty good price, you get a warmer and applicators and the hard wax and a bunch of lotions, afterwards you only need to repurchase the Brazilian hard wax, which is very good for all types of hairs and areas, and the applicators.

Top 4 Best Wax for Underarms Reviews

The best wax for underarms can do half the job for you.

My recommendation is to get hard wax. It’s the best because it pulls almost all the hairs from the first application, without pulling off any of the skin, which is why it also hurts much less.

It’s also the only type of wax that can get coarse hairs out from their roots.

Plus, it’s amazing for those with sensitive skin and the underarms skin is definitely that.

The hard wax hardens on the skin and is simply pulled of with the fingers.

It’s pretty straightforward and less messy.

You can either get microwavable wax (you melt it in a microwave in less than two minutes) or hard wax that needs a warmer to get it nice and melted.

I don’t recommend roll on or waxing strips for the underarms because their wax is not as strong.

1. Cirepil The Original Blue Wax Beads, 14.11 oz – One of the Best Wax for Underarms Kits

It would be improper to call this a waxing since this is a bag full of wax beads but, for the lack of a better description, I’ll stick to waxing kit.

And what a great waxing kit of underarms it is. These blue beads of wax are one of the most popular on the market. And highly praised.

Hard wax beads

The price is affordable, you get a lot of wax beads (14.11 oz) for the money.

The Cirepil wax is easy to use and my first recommendation as the best wax kit for underarms hair.

This is hard wax in the form of blue beads. Once melted, check out the temperature, you don’t want it too hot, it might burn your skin.

Apply a small strip in the direction of hair growth and pull in the opposite direction with a swift quick movement.

The wax will stick only to the hairs not to the skin, not even a tiny bit. It’s really impressive how well it sticks just to the hairs, making every waxing session less painful.

That also makes it easy to work with, even for beginners.

You need some sticks to apply the wax strips with.

Apply a thick strip of wax on a small portion of skin.

The wax hardens very quickly. Once it’s hard, you just need your fingers to pull it off.

There’s no need for muslin strips.

The great thing about the Cirepil wax is that it works on all types of hairs: short, shaved, long, soft or coarse.

It’s great for the whole body, whatever types of hairs you have, and it works for removing facial hairs, too.

Regarding the melting of wax beads issue, the manufacturer recommends using the Cirepil Heater, which is quite expensive, about 3 times the price of a bag of beads.

There are other solutions:

You can microwave half a cup of beads for 2 minutes and see if they’re melted completely. Always make sure that the wax isn’t too hot.

You can also pour the beads into a jar, put the jar in a pot with simmering water and wait until it melts.

The big advantage of a wax warmer or, in this case of the Cirepil Heater, is that it keeps the wax melted for however long you need to use it for.


Where to Buy?

Check Price & User Reviews Here


2. Gigi Waxing Kit

If you want the best wax for underarms that is sold as a kit with a warmer, then Gigi is one of the best manufacturers. Still, the price of their kits is a bit high.

If the whole waxing kit isn’t available or it’s too expensive for you, you can buy 2 separate things: purchase the Gigi Professional Wax Warmer and get the GiGi Brazilian Body Hard Wax for Sensitive Areas, 14 ounce.

You only need to pay for the warmer once, after that you just need to get the hard wax.

The kits from Gigi are great for a number of reasons:

  • it’s hard wax
  • comes with a warmer that will maintain the wax hot and melted throughout your session, there’s no need for interruptions and there’s no hurry
  • if it’s handled properly, it removes coarse and thin hairs without sticking to the skin
  • the little wax residues left on the skin after the hair removal can be easily removed using baby oil or any other type of oil that your prefer
  • the price is quite decent
  • once you buy the kit, the only recurrent investment will be for the Gigi All-Purpose Honee or the Gigi Brazilian Hard Wax
  • it can be used on the whole body and for facial hair removal, not only for waxing underarms
  • and it has a pretty good price and then you only have to buy more hard wax

This best wax for underarms kit comes with:

  • 14 oz warmer with cover
  • the Gigi Brazilian Hard Wax 14 oz
  • 1 pre-epilation oil that’s supposed to help a bit with the pain but it’s still going to be painful, there’s not much that such an oil can do so you can skip it, actually applying baby powder it’s more important
  • 1 post wax cooling gel that can be applied after you’ve removed the residues, this cooling gel is for calming the stinging sensation but it’s best to sooth the skin with an aloe vera gel and a nourishing cream
  • 10 small accu edge applicators
  • and 10 large accu edge applicators

The wax hardens and you pull it directly, there’s no need for additional waxing strips.

You can clean the applicators and use them again but it’s best to buy more when you get the kit.

And there are also the Gigi clean collars for 14 oz if you want to prevent wax from dripping all over your warmer.

I would recommend this Gigi kit to anyone for waxing armpits, the whole body, and for facial hair removal. It can be used absolutely everywhere.


Where to Buy?

Check Price & User Reviews Here


3. VidaSleek Hard Wax Kit: Face, Underarms & Bikini Hair Remover

If you’re not ready to spend a lot of money on either the wax beads from Cirepil or the kits from Gigi, then you have a more affordable options: getting a tiny can of microwavable hard wax.

You only get 3.5 oz with this best wax for underarms from VidaSleek. The good news is that the price is cheap. If you’re not exactly sure about waxing your underarms, this product is perfect for a trial.

There are also 2 wooden spatulas and 2 soothing post depilatory wipes included. You can wash the wooden spatulas and they can be used again.

Since it’s microwavable, you have to heat it for 3 minutes in the microwave. Test it so that it’s not too hot.

If you’re experience, you’ll be able to move pretty quickly so you have high chances that the wax will remain warm and liquid.

If it hardens, pop it up in the microwave for a few seconds until it’s all melty again.

Once it hardens, you pull the strip of wax with your fingers, there’s no need for muslin strips.


Where to Buy?

Check Price & User Reviews Here


4. bliss Poetic Waxing Hair Removal Kit

The whole sale price for this kit is incredibly expensive. I would recommend getting this best wax for underarms from bliss only if you can find it on sale.

It’s a nice kit and the hard wax is very good for all types of hairs. It removes soft and coarse hairs without any problems.

Nevertheless, the fact that we only get 5.3 oz hard wax with this kit is pretty unbelievable.

The Cirepil wax beads come in a bag that weighs almost 3 times as much and the one from Gigi is just about there.

In terms of quantity, bliss leaves a lot to be desired. It’s the main reason why I didn’t include it among my favorites.

I agree that their wax is awesome in terms of what it can do for body and facial hair removal but when I look at that tiny quantity and expensive price, I simply don’t like it.

The design of the kit is really nice. The hard, blue wax is delivered in a mug that is simply popped up in the microwave for a few minutes and that’s it, you can use it to remove hairs from wherever you want.

If the mug is full, you’ll probably warm it up for about 3 minutes. The time will decrease as the quantity decreases.

If you want to do a complete body hair removal, legs, underarms, Brazilian, I’m not so sure that a mug is enough. But it might be.

Besides the mug with wax, the kit also includes a pre- and post-waxing oil with rose and chamomile essential oils, and a few applicators.

No muslin strip are needed with this best wax for armpits from bliss either.


Where to Buy?

Check Price & User Reviews Here


Why Hard Wax is the Best for the Underarms

It means using a hard wax that sticks to the hairs and not to the skin. When the wax sticks just to the hairs as it should, the hairs are pulled quickly and efficiently from their follicles.

The pain incurred is also reduced quite considerably. And you won’t have to remove as many wax residues from the skin.

Moreover, we need hard wax that can get most coarse hairs out from the first strip. The armpits have coarse hairs and most of us still get coarse hairs if we let them grow out too much, even after 15 years or more of waxing or using an epilator on the underarms.

The rest of my post will try to guide you on everything you need to know about waxing underarms. Now, that I’ve reviewed some of the best wax kits for underarms, let’s see what else we need to know.

However, I must also be honest. I prefer epilation. I use an epilator on my underarms because it’s very easy even though it’s slightly more painful than waxing, that’s for sure.

It’s just a personal choice. Everyone has their own preferences.

It’s much simpler from my point of view but waxing your armpits has it’s advantages, as well.

Since I have gone through almost everything that can be done to have smooth skin (excepting the most expensive ones, laser and electrolysis), I hope I can give you some pretty useful guidelines on waxing armpits.

How to Wax Underarms in 5 Steps

If you used to shave and you want to switch to waxing, tiny dots of blood might appear after your first experience.

There’s nothing to panic about. It happens to people who have coarse hairs. The skin is too sensitive in that area and the hairs are pulled from their follicle.

It can happen in the bikini area, as well.

That was what happened to me when I first epilated my underarms. I have coarse hairs unfortunately.

It’s nothing alarming. There won’t be any scars at all.

Apply an aloe vera gel or a moisturizer and in a day or two you’ll be able to admire your smooth skin, forgetting all about it.

After that, the skin should get used to it and no more blood will appear.

Just like waxaway says, don’t shave in between waxing sessions.

It throws your hair growth cycle off because hairs grow in 3 cycles and it should be growing at the same rate to make waxing completely successful and to offer you a respite of about 2 weeks.

The Cosmetist explained perfectly the hair growth cycles, if you are interested. It also emphasized the difference between the hair on our heads and the one on our body.

In the beginning of waxing the underarms hair, it’s best to take it slow. And that’s exactly how we’re going to do it in this article. Let’s take it step by step.

1. Apply baby powder

The reason is simple: it absorbs the moisture.

This is an area where you definitely need baby powder because the pain it’s going to make you sweat.

Even the anticipation can make you a bit sweaty. It definitely happened to me.

The baby powder absorbs the moisture so the wax can stick to the hairs instead of remaining on the skin when you pull.

That would be painful and your hairs will be mostly intact so you need to apply the baby powder.

It’s the same when you do your own Brazilian.

Lift up your arm high above your head, the skin must be really stretched.

2. Apply a small strip of wax

I definitely want to emphasize this very important aspect: apply only a small strip of wax on a small portion of skin.

It’s best to take it slow.

Small wax strips are the way for waxing armpits.

It’s less painful and it gives you an idea of what to expect.

If you’re already used to waxing then you know by now which are your limits in terms of pain.

The easiest way is to use hard wax because it hardens on the skin and you just pull if off with your fingers.

So,

  • Lift up your arm high above your head, the skin must be really stretched.
  • Apply the wax in the direction in which the hair is growing.
  • Apply a thick strip of wax, not a thin one.
  • Pull the wax in the opposite direction in which you applied it, the opposite direction in which the hairs are growing.

3. Pull the wax strip quickly

There must be no hesitation when pulling it off.

I cannot stress enough how important that move is.

If the wax is not pulled quickly, most of it will stick to the skin.

It will be painful and the hairs will still be left in their follicle instead of being pulled out of the follicle.

That’s when waxing is messy indeed.

It might be best to have someone pull the strips for you in your first attempt.

Or go to a salon for your first experience and try by yourself at home when the hair grows back again.

4. Not 100% of hairs will be removed from the first pull

Even if you see a hair or two astray, leave them alone.

Get a pair of tweezers if it bothers you but don’t apply more than two strips on the same area because it’s going to sting afterwards.

Usually, you should apply just one strip.

After your skin gets used to it, you can even apply a second strip on the same area.

It won’t get irritated anymore.

It happened to me in the beginning when I started using an epilator.

The hairs in this area grow in different directions.

I insisted on the same area, going over and over again with the epilator, usually for just two or three hairs that were tiny and wouldn’t be caught by the tweezers.

Since the skin is so sensitive, I managed to irritate it quite badly a few times but the discomfort passed in a few days.

Subsequently,

I learned my lesson.

5. Apply a moisturizer or an aloe vera gel

Going with the aloe vera gel is the best way in my opinion.

But a good nourishing body cream can work, too.

That sight of no black roots showing, no hairs left, that image of clean underarms is the best reward for the effort.

The sight of black roots under the skin that remains after shaving was what led me to try a hair removal method that removes the hairs from their root.

As I discovered through your comments, it’s actually a frequent reason for other people, as well.

How Often Should You Wax Armpits?

This is the hair removal method that’s famous for the fact that there needs to be an ideal hair length for waxing.

You will probably end up waxing your underarms once every 2 weeks. The hairs in these area grow rather quickly and it becomes rather noticeable. It’s the same for the upper lip.

Other areas of the body, like the legs and the bikini area, can be waxed once every 3 weeks on average. For some even 4 weeks are possible, if their hairs grow back at a slower length.

What are the Main Drawbacks for Waxing Armpits?

Fortunately, there aren’t many drawbacks but it’s best to know about them in advance.

You need to know what you should expect.

1. Pain

The underarms are a sensible area so the pain is intense until you get used to it.

The hairs are removed from the root so pain is a major drawback. It’s the major reason why many prefer shaving even if the results only last for 2-3 days.

I was one of those women in my adolescence.

At one point, I went to a salon for waxing my underarms, legs, bikini area, and my upper lip. It’s needless to say that it was incredibly painful.

However, the results were amazing. But I found it a bit expensive for my budget and I was too young and lazy to get a good at-home kit.

So, I went back to shaving. Back to those tiny black dots showing underneath the skin (the roots of the hairs). Back to hair starting to show after merely a day.

Personally, I was always stressed out about my armpits because I have black coarse hair and because they were exposed most of the year, I wear T-shirts in basically every season.

Pain might stop you from waxing your underarms but it shouldn’t because of the rewards:

  • having smooth skin for 2-3 weeks
  • not seeing the roots at all
  • and even having thinner hair if you don’t let it grow back for months

The best way to avoid inflicting a greater deal of pain is to remove the hairs when they are shorter and thinner.

2. Waxing Armpits can be Messy

I don’t consider this a major drawback at all but there are some of you that might.

The residues can be easily removed with oil, whatever oil you have in the house. Baby oil is the best.

Waxing only becomes messy when the strips are not pulled properly and instead of getting hairs on the strip you get almost all of the wax on your skin and almost no hairs removed.

Ingrown hairs are seldom seen in the armpits area so I don’t consider it a reason that might stop you from removing the hair from the roots in this area.

That’s about everything you need to know about waxing the underarms hairs, I hope everything turns out great but I’m still glad to be using an epilator, I definitely must admit to that.