Are you in search of the best numbing cream for waxing?
You’ve made a smart choice, my friend! Using topical products like numbing creams is a sure-fire way of reducing pain during the hair removal procedure.
While the saying “no pain, no gain” is usually true, you don’t have to go through a lot of discomfort for a regular beauty treatment like waxing.
If you have a low threshold for pain, a numbing cream will be your best friend for the waxing sessions.
We’ve rounded up the best numbing creams known for easing the pain during waxing. Each of these products is long-lasting, fast-acting, and super affordable. We’ll also discuss the right way of using a numbing cream.
Which is the Best Numbing Cream for Waxing?
Check out our top twelve picks for numbing creams. While you can easily find these products at a nearby pharmacy or local store, you must reach out to a physician to ensure that you understand how to use a numbing cream properly.
1. Numb Master Topical Anesthetic Cream
Formulated with five percent lidocaine, Numb Master Topical Anesthetic Cream is one of the best over-the-counter (OTC) creams for waxing. It features a mixture of smaller scale needling methods with a numbing sedative.
This topical cream works wonders to prevent skin irritation caused by waxing. This non-oily product is FDA-approved and can last up to 90 minutes.
This means that you don’t have to worry about pain or discomfort throughout the waxing procedure.
2. Ebanel Numb 520 Cream
This lidocaine-based numbing cream eases pain during waxing. It does so by blocking the pathway of pain signals. It comes in the way of sodium entering the nerve ending.
This numbing cream works for 10 to 20 minutes. The best thing is that you can reapply it up to 6 times a day if need be.
On the downside, it takes about 20 minutes for this cream to work. It’s also a bit expensive.
3. LMX 5 Topical Anesthetic Cream
Next on our list is Ferndale Lab’s numbing cream that promises mind-blowing results for different beauty procedures, including waxing.
It contains five percent lidocaine along with other fast-acting ingredients that help numb the skin, ensuring that you don’t feel any pain while waxing.
This product is clinically proven to be safe for topical use. It absorbs quickly and works effectively to deaden the skin’s nerve endings. You can rely on it to numb the targeted area for a couple of hours.
4. Medinumb Lidocaine Numbing Cream
Infused with four percent lidocaine, Aloe Vera, and non-oil-based ingredients, this FDA-approved topical cream numbs the area for up to two hours.
The 2-oz bottle offers enough product to last several waxing sessions. The only thing we don’t love about this product is that it takes up to 30 minutes to start acting.
5. Topicaine 5 Topical Anesthetic Gel
This anesthetic gel is one of the best numbing creams for waxing. It comes with lidocaine (five percent), which helps significantly in reducing the pain and discomfort when you remove unwanted body hair with wax. Moreover, it comes in the form of clear gel without a lasting smell.
The directions for using this numbing cream are super simple, straightforward, and easy to follow. For best results, you should apply a small quantity to the targeted area and wait for it to penetrate your skin.
You can begin the waxing procedure once your skin is numb. The waiting period may extend for as long as 60 minutes. You can expect the numbness to sustain for up to 90 minutes.
6. Hush Anesthetic Tattoo numbing Gel
Boasting a two-hour lasting, this numbing gel is a non-greasy topical product featuring a 4% lidocaine formula that offers promising results. If you’re looking for something with safe ingredients, you can definitely count on this product.
This Paraben-free topical cream is 100% vegan. It doesn’t contain even a trace of epinephrine or adrenaline. It comes in the form of a clear gel and can keep the targeted area numb for up to two hours.
However, you may have to use extra plastic saran wraps for best results, unlike other numbing creams.
7. Lidocaine Plus Maximum Strength
This numbing cream is one of the most affordable products out there. It is formulated with soothing Aloe Vera and lidocaine (four percent) to help reduce pain during waxing and other painful beauty treatments.
Since this hypoallergenic cream is water-based, it is ideal for people with sensitive skin. While it doesn’t work as effectively as other products, it takes no more than 25 minutes to penetrate your skin and keeps you pain-free for an hour and a half.
8. SUPER NUMB Anesthetic Skin Numbing Cream
This numbing cream is an ideal choice for quick waxing sessions. It covers 6” x 6” area of the skin because of the compact packaging. You should consider using it for waxing the bikini line or the upper lip.
This non-oily, water-based product contains five percent lidocaine. While it offers great results, you’ll have to use plastic wrap for proper activation.
9. No Scream Cream Relax and Wax
No Scream Cream is specifically formulated with waxing pain in mind. It is best to apply it to the targeted area half an hour or 45 minutes before a waxing session.
Make sure you use a thick consistency for best results – it isn’t supposed to rub on your skin like lotion. You’ll have to wait for a few minutes to let your skin absorb the cream and become numb.
The active ingredient in this numbing cream is benzocaine (20 percent). The packaging is huge, which means you get more product than usual.
You can use this numbing creamto wax your upper lip, eyebrows, underarms, legs, and bikini line.
An added benefit is that this product is safe for use for all skin types. It can last up to two hours. It also doesn’t leave any stains on clothing.
10. Brazilian Menthol Pain Relieving Cream
Infused with the goodness of menthol and natural Epsom salts, this pain-relieving cream is formulated to leave your skin soft and smooth before waxing.
Thanks to the non-greasy formula, this product is easy to apply to and spread on the skin. Since it doesn’t contain lidocaine, it is considered a more natural alternative to other numbing creams.
However, the use of natural extracts robs the cream of its effectiveness. It would’ve worked even better if it had lidocaine in it. This product has also not been approved by FDA yet.
11. Numb-ify Numbing Cream
This numbing cream contains five percent lidocaine. This means it possesses extraordinary numbing capability. You can choose to buy a cream, liquid gel, or spray, depending on your specific preferences.
That being said, the yellow color of the cream may look unsightly. Moreover, you’ll have to deal with an unpleasant smell if you leave the product on for too long.
12. Gigi Anesthetic Numbing Spray
If you don’t like using creams, the Gigi Anesthetic Numbing Spray is an excellent alternative option. Needless to say, it is super easy to apply to the area you want to get waxed.
This numbing spray is formulated with four percent lidocaine, which allows it to numb a portion of your skin in more than a couple of minutes. With that said, you can’t eliminate the waxing pain with this spray.
Nevertheless, it will significantly lower the discomfort level associated with hair removal procedures like waxing.
You’ll love that this spray smells divine! Its numbing effects can last up to two hours.
Are Numbing Creams Safe?
Even after discovering the best numbing cream for waxing, many women remain concerned about the safety issue.
Numbing creams obstruct the nerve motions in the body and work as a topical sedative without harming you in any way. The key is to use the product correctly.
Given that you apply it in small amounts and follow all the safety instructions properly, it will have little to no risk of adverse reactions.
Please note that not all over-the-counter numbing creams are safe for use. You must do your research and weigh your options to make a well-informed decision.
It’s crucial to find out about the possible reactions of a particular numbing cream before purchasing it. You should also talk to a physician for expert advice before using it on your skin.
Good quality numbing creams are known for alleviating pain and distress related to waxing. These topical products possess excellent analgesic properties that help in skin desensitization beneath the surface.
Each numbing cream has its own qualities. The price range also varies. Please avoid continued use or abuse of these solutions during and after a waxing session, as it may lead to serious side effects.
Possible Side Effects of Numbing Creams
While numbing creams are generally safe for use, some people may experience the following side effects.
- A burning or stinging sensation
- Severe irritation on the targeted area
- Redness and swelling
- Unusual temperature sensations
- Sudden dizziness or drowsiness after applying the cream
- Confusion and difficulty thinking straight
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
Warning: Do NOT apply excessive amounts of numbing cream to your skin as it can lead to dangerous chemicals penetrating the skin and traveling into the circulatory system.
Special care should be taken when using plastic wraps to promote the absorption of the product into the skin.
People who overuse a numbing cream may experience seizures or sporadic heartbeats.
5 Steps to Applying a Numbing Cream Safely
Before we move on to the application steps, let’s hammer this point home: you need to pick the best numbing cream for waxing that’s FDA-approved and has lidocaine in it.
For the best skin-numbing results, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Wash the Targeted Area
First, you must wash the targeted area thoroughly with a gentle exfoliating scrub to get rid of the dead skin cells and microbes.
Step 2: Apply the Numbing Cream
Once the area is clean and dry, it’s time to apply the first layer of the numbing cream. Ideally, you should do it at least an hour before starting the waxing procedure. This will give the product enough time to activate and penetrate the skin.
Step 3: Massage, Massage, Massage
The next step is to massage the product to make sure your skin has absorbed all of it.
Step 4: Apply another Layer of the Cream
This step involves applying the second layer of the numbing cream to the targeted area. Once done, let it dry and absorb into the skin.
Step 5: Wash Your Skin
Finally, it’s time to rinse off the product from your skin before starting the waxing session. If you notice any residual cream, massage it on your skin for a couple of minutes.
Wrapping It Up
To understand how much of a difference a numbing cream makes during waxing, you have to try one someday! Most, if not all, people believe that this product improves the overall waxing experience significantly.
So, in your opinion, what’s the best numbing cream for waxing?
For us, it has to be all of those packed with fast-acting, powerful ingredients like lidocaine, benzocaine, and tetracaine. Using a numbing cream before waxing will help desensitize the targeted portion of your skin.
Make sure you understand that it won’t eliminate the pain and distress – the idea is to make the process smoother and less painful.
Hopefully, the information and tips shared in this article will help you enjoy your waxing sessions instead of dreading them.
Don’t forget to tell us about your favorite numbing cream for waxing in the comment section. We’d love to hear about your experience!