Jolen Bleach > Reviews (30)

Jolen Crème Bleach

I'd say body hair is one of my biggest pet hates. Being a brunette does give you long dark eyelashes and silky dark hair but it also gives you dark body hair, which in my opinion is the only downside. I spend a fortune on waxing, shaving and jolen creme bleach to stay hair-free, and wait patiently (like many women) for the day that they invent a pain-free, do-it-yourself, in-inexpensive way to illuminate unsightly body hair forever.

I first spotted this on my cousins bathroom shelf and asked her what it was all about, she explained that she uses it to bleach her moustache (as she too is blessed with dark facial and body hair). I, myself don’t have a problem with facial hair, but I know a lot of women do, and my cousin told me that this little miracle in a pot makes it practically invisible. After being ridiculed for many years at school for having hairy arms (kids can be so cruel) I have always had a little bit of an insecurity about them. I have been told all sorts of horror stories about shaving areas so I decided I wouldn’t want to do this, so I decided to take the plunge and invest in a pot of jolen crème bleach for sensitive skin, with aloe vera.

The box includes two pots, one small narrow pot of powder, (known as accelerator powder, which I assume helps the bleach to do its job faster), and a pot of cream. It also contains a little plastic mat for you to mix the powder and cream together and a little plastic spatula to apply the mixture to the chosen area. I use a plate and a knife to mix and spread the mixture onto my arms as I find this less awkward than the tiny flimsy plastic crap supplied. I have only ever purchased the small box with the cream 30ml and accelerator 7g, I have seen a larger box in boots for twice the price of the big one, so it may be better to invest in this if you are planning on using the bleach for larger areas. You are advised to mix one part powder to every two parts cream, you then spread the mixture evenly over the chosen area (making sure it covers the hairs well) and leave for ten minutes. After ten minutes you are supposed to remove the mixture with the spatula and observe the area to see if the hairs are bleached, if not I usually leave it on for a further five to ten minutes which usually does the trick on the stubborn, thicker, darker hairs.

There have been documented health concerns regarding this product, after all you are putting chemicals onto your skin. Apparently, according to some studies, it contains some unstudied chemicals, so therefore there isn’t any information about the long term effects on your health.

DIRECTIONS OF USE (as recommended in the instruction leaflet)
I have included this in case (like me in the past) you accidentally throw away the instructions and can’t remember how to apply the product.
Wash area to be bleached with soap and cold water; dry. With a spatula, measure about one-quarter teaspoon powder and place on tray. Clean spatula. Measure about one-half teaspoon creme.

Blend powder and creme well. Apply mixture with spatula covering hair completely. Keep mixture on for about ten minutes. Remove with spatula. If hair is not completely bleached, reapply the mixture for another five to ten minutes. For large areas mix approximately one part powder to two parts creme. In the interest of economy, mix enough for one arm, bleach, remove mixture with spatula and place on the other arm. Jolen leaves skin smooth, hair pale and soft. For bleaching brows, follow the same directions. Do not permit mixture to fall into eyes. If product comes into contact with eyes, rinse with cold water immediately. Keep out of reach of children.

INGREDIENTS
Cream Contains: Water, Hydrogen Peroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Stearyl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Phosphoric Acid, Accelerator Contains: Ammonium Bicarbonate

I have noticed after around five minutes of applying the mixture my arms start to itch like nothing I’ve ever felt before and it really is hard not refrain from scratching! I think this is due to the fact that the hairs are getting lighter so they lift up and causes an itching sensation (like when you have goose pimples) as I don’t have any kind of redness or soreness afterwards which would indicate a reaction. I’ve never really felt the product stinging, apart from ever so slightly near my elbows, but this is because I have eczema and you shouldn’t apply it to broken skin .I think if you do feel the product stinging your skin I would recommend taking it off as this could be due to some kind of reaction to the product. If you do have some kind of reaction I would advise seeing a doctor or perhaps visiting a chemist to see what they would advise. It would be a good idea to test the mixture first before using this product, always make a preliminary patch test to see if you are or have become allergic/sensitive to any ingredient. Simply mix a small amount of the product as described in the instruction manual and apply to about a one-inch square area of your inner arm. After ten minutes, wash the mixture off with cold water. Wait twenty-four hours. If redness, irritation or eruption appears, do not use the product.

I would definitely recommend this product as a good way to make unwanted hair invisible. It does exactly what it claims to do (makes drak hiars blonde, therefore a lot less noticeable). It worked for me and it worked for my cousin. However, she has now decided to wax her facial hair, which in her opinion is a better option, like she says ‘is a blonde moustache really any better than a dark one?’ You make your own decision…