A chemical depilatory is a cosmetic preparation used to remove hair from the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

. Common active ingredients are salts of

thioglycolic acid Thioglycolic acid (TGA) is the organic compound HSCH2CO2H. TGA is often called mercaptoacetic acid (MAA). It contains both a thiol (mercaptan) and carboxylic acid functional groups. It is a colorless liquid with a strongly unpleasant odor. TGA is ...

and

thiolactic acid Thiolactic acid is the organosulfur compound with the formula . The molecule contains both carboxyl and thiol functional groups, and respectively. It is structurally related to lactic acid by the interchange of for . It is a colorless oil. Th ...

s. These compounds break the

disulfide bond In chemistry, a disulfide (or disulphide in British English) is a compound containing a functional group or the anion. The linkage is also called an SS-bond or sometimes a disulfide bridge and usually derived from two thiol groups. In inor ...

s in

keratin Keratin () is one of a family of structural fibrous proteins also known as ''scleroproteins''. It is the key structural material making up Scale (anatomy), scales, hair, Nail (anatomy), nails, feathers, horn (anatomy), horns, claws, Hoof, hoove ...

and also

hydrolyze Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water is the nucleophile. Biological hydrolysis ...

the hair so that it is easily removed. Formerly,

sulfide Sulfide (also sulphide in British English) is an inorganic anion of sulfur with the chemical formula S2− or a compound containing one or more S2− ions. Solutions of sulfide salts are corrosive. ''Sulfide'' also refers to large families o ...

s such as

strontium sulfide Strontium sulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula Sr S. It is a white solid. The compound is an intermediate in the conversion of strontium sulfate, the main strontium ore called celestite (or, more correctly, celestine), to other mor ...

were used, but due to their unpleasant odor, they have been replaced by

thiol In organic chemistry, a thiol (; ), or thiol derivative, is any organosulfur compound of the form , where R represents an alkyl or other organic substituent. The functional group itself is referred to as either a thiol group or a sulfhydryl grou ...

s. The main chemical reaction affected by the thioglycolate is: : Chemical depilatories contain 5–6% calcium thioglycolate in a

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...

base (to avoid runoff).

Calcium hydroxide Calcium hydroxide (traditionally called slaked lime) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca( OH)2. It is a colorless crystal or white powder and is produced when quicklime ( calcium oxide) is mixed with water. Annually, approxim ...

strontium hydroxide Strontium hydroxide, Sr(OH)2, is a caustic alkali composed of one strontium ion and two hydroxide ions. It is synthesized by combining a strontium Salt (chemistry), salt with a strong base. Sr(OH)2 exists in anhydrous, hydrate, monohydrate, or oct ...

maintain a pH of about 12. Hair destruction requires about 10 minutes. Depilation is followed by careful rinsing with water, and various conditioners are applied to restore the skin's pH to normal. Depilation does not destroy the dermal papilla, and the hair grows back. Chemical depilatories are available in gel,

lotion Lotion is a low-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to the skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity, typically due to lower water content. Lotions are applied to external skin with bare hands, a brush, a clea ...

aerosol An aerosol is a suspension (chemistry), suspension of fine solid particles or liquid Drop (liquid), droplets in air or another gas. Aerosols can be generated from natural or Human impact on the environment, human causes. The term ''aerosol'' co ...

, roll-on, and

powder A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distinguish se ...

forms. Common brands include

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

Magic Shave Magic Shave is an American brand of chemical depilatory shaving-related products and other personal care products. It was created by Loreal's skincare division, Softsheen and Carson, in order to reduce skin inflammation, irritation and razor ...

, and

Veet Veet, formerly called Neet and Immac, is a Canadian brand of chemical depilatory products manufactured by the British-Dutch company Reckitt Benckiser. Hair removal cream, lotions, gel, mousse, and wax products are produced under this brand, with ...

. Chemical depilatories are indicated in the treatment of

hirsutism Hirsutism is excessive body hair on parts of the body where hair is normally absent or minimal. The word is from early 17th century: from Latin ''hirsutus'' meaning "hairy". It usually refers to a male pattern of hair growth in a female that ma ...

polycystic ovary syndrome Polycystic ovary syndrome, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. The name is a misnomer, as not all women with this condition develop cysts on their ovaries. The name origin ...

. Depilatory ointments, or plasters, were known to Greek and Roman authors as ''psilothrum''. In Jewish lore,

King Solomon King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by f ...

is said to have discovered a chemical depilatory made from a mixture of lime and water and

orpiment Orpiment, also known as ″yellow arsenic blende″ is a deep-colored, orange-yellow arsenic sulfide mineral with formula . It is found in volcanic fumaroles, low-temperature hydrothermal veins, and hot springs and may be formed through sublimatio ...

(

arsenic trisulfide Arsenic trisulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a dark yellow solid that is insoluble in water. It also occurs as the mineral orpiment (Latin: auripigmentum), which has been used as a pigment called King's yellow. It is produc ...

). Colloquy of the Queen of Sheba, taken from the Aramaic ''Targum Sheni of Megillat Esther''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chemical Depilatory Hair removal