Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jessica on November 13, 2013 at 9:38am

If you read the ingredient list on most wax remover products you will see mostly mineral oil and fragrance. I've found that I can use any oil and it works great, try some natural massage oil or even plain jojoba oil. 

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Permalink Reply by Farhana Danish on November 13, 2013 at 5:34pm

Try Wax Buster.  It is an all natural wax cleaner/remover and works amazingly!

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Permalink Reply by Cheri Butler on November 14, 2013 at 11:15am

I am also a Massage Therapist and Jojoba oil is amazing. Great for the skin and my clients love it!

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Permalink Reply by Erin Shapiro on November 14, 2013 at 11:50am

Thanks for the tips! I love jojoba oil already. I will try it out.

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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on November 15, 2013 at 5:47am

Sorry honey, but it's a pet peeve and I have to speak up because I know there are others out there just as confused.  You're not going to "get away from using any chemicals in [your] practice" unless your only service is LED light (and you don't cleanse the skin or wash your hands or sanitize your equipment or launder your sheets or offer any skincare products).  Everything that occupies space and has mass (i.e., matter) is made of chemicals. Nothing personal towards you, but it does not reflect well on our profession when so many of us are confused about these basic definitions, and have been duped by the "natural" cosmetics companies into thinking that "chemical free" is a goal (or even possible).  It is not.  Even water is a chemical, and even water can have a scary chemical name (dihydrogen monoxide) if you write it out.

If you want to pursue the tack of offering more "natural" options, you need to decide what, specifically, it is about the idea of "natural" that appeals to you.  If you like the idea of reducing greenhouse gasses and carbon footprint, go with a cold-pressed oil from a local farm.  If you're concerned about global biodiversity, find a way to support a native crop in a country where economic pressure might negatively impact biodiversity.  If you're concerned about "chemicals" on the skin, learn about those ingredients, figure out where they are from, look up their MSDS, and make an intelligent decision about what you deem to be best for the skin.  If plant sources is your thing, please remember that many scary sounding ingredients actually come from plant sources - believe it or not, parabens grow naturally in blueberries and raspberries where they function antimicrobially to preserve the fruit.  

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Permalink Reply by Barbara Doble on November 16, 2013 at 9:22am

Thanks for your intelligent comment! This whole "no chemical" thing is a broad brush statement I hear from clients all the time, it is very frustrating.

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Permalink Reply by Erin Shapiro on November 16, 2013 at 2:48pm

You are right. I was trying to ask a simple question without detailing the specific chemicals that I am trying to stay away from. I always try to be very specific about which ingredients are potentially harmful and let that slide in this forum. I will definitely be far more specific and detailed in my posts in the future. 

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