By Tawnya Fornerod, founder of Just The Strip and a licensed esthetician with almost 25 years of waxing experience who owns multiple waxing studios.
The short answer: Smooth Operator is our stronger ingrown hair serum, made with salicylic, glycolic, and lactic acids for stubborn ingrowns and razor bumps, while Truth Serum is our gentle, acid free serum for sensitive skin, facial waxing, and anyone who is pregnant or nursing. Both go on right after waxing, sugaring, or shaving and then every day between appointments to help prevent ingrown hairs, so the right choice comes down to your skin, your hair, and the season of life you are in.
What is the difference between Smooth Operator and Truth Serum?
Smooth Operator uses three acids to clear the follicle and smooth the surface of the skin, while Truth Serum is acid free and relies on witch hazel, golden chamomile, purslane, and aloe to calm and hydrate. Smooth Operator is the stronger choice for stubborn ingrowns, and Truth Serum is the gentler one.
Smooth Operator Ingrown Hair Serum is the serum Just The Strip was built on. Alongside its three acids, it contains camphor, glycerin, and vitamin E to calm and hydrate, which is why it is gentle enough to apply the moment a service is finished. You can choose a 100 ml roll on in our regular scent, a clean herbal scent that fades in minutes, a 50 ml roll on in Dreamsicle, or a 100 ml glass pump bottle, and our new pads for travel and the gym bag are coming soon.
Truth Serum comes in a 100 ml glass spray bottle, and it is made for people who want everything an ingrown hair serum does without exfoliating acids. You spray it on, massage it in, and let it absorb, with nothing to sting and nothing to wait for before you get dressed. Smooth Operator contains salicylic acid, so choose Truth Serum if you are pregnant or nursing, have an aspirin allergy, or have very sensitive skin.
Salicylic, glycolic or lactic acid: what does each one do for ingrown hairs?
Salicylic acid reaches down into the follicle to clear it out, while glycolic and lactic acids work on the surface, smoothing the skin so a regrowing hair can break through cleanly. Using all three together is what sets Smooth Operator apart from serums that rely on a single acid.
An ingrown hair forms when a hair curls back or grows sideways under the skin instead of finding its way out, and the usual reason is a follicle opening blocked by dead skin. Salicylic acid is the one that works inside the follicle, where that blockage starts. Glycolic and lactic acids handle the dead skin sitting on top, so the surface stays smooth and the new hair has a clear path.
Because these acids are doing exfoliating work, Smooth Operator asks a little care in return. While you use it, skip other chemical exfoliants, abrasive scrubs, and harsh soaps on the same area, and resist the urge to apply more than once a day. Its ingredient list includes both salicylic acid and acetyl salicylic acid, which is why we ask anyone with an aspirin allergy to reach for Truth Serum instead.
Is witch hazel good after waxing?
Yes, witch hazel is a lovely ingredient after waxing because it calms the skin, and it is the foundation of Truth Serum for exactly that reason. In Truth Serum it works alongside golden chamomile, which soothes the look of redness, and purslane and aloe, which hydrate so freshly waxed skin feels comfortable.
Right after a wax the follicles are open and the skin is more reactive than usual, so the first thing it needs is calm rather than more exfoliation. That is the job Truth Serum was designed for. It contains no salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acid and no added fragrance, and you can use it once or twice a day between appointments, or as often as needed on skin that feels irritated. Used every day, it keeps the follicle calm and clear so hair can grow through the surface instead of curling back under it, which is how it helps prevent ingrown hairs.
Which ingrown hair serum do you recommend during pregnancy and nursing?
Truth Serum is the ingrown hair serum we recommend during pregnancy and nursing, because it contains no salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acid and no added fragrance. If you have specific concerns, check with your doctor.
Smooth Operator's own label says not to use it while pregnant or nursing, so this is one of the easiest recommendations I make. To round out the routine, a few drops of Nourishing Oil after the serum absorbs will hydrate the skin, and our Nourishing Oils contain no acids or actives, which is why we recommend them during pregnancy and nursing as well. Some scents contain sweet almond oil, so Plain Jane is the nut free choice.
When should I start using an ingrown hair serum after waxing?
Start right away. Apply your serum to clean skin immediately after your wax, when the follicle is open and most likely to trap a hair, and then use it every day between appointments.
With Smooth Operator, smooth on a thin layer, let it dry fully before you get dressed, and repeat once a day. With Truth Serum, spray it on, massage it in, and use it once or twice a day. Either way, finish with three to five drops of Nourishing Oil once the serum has dried, or two or three drops on the face. Nourishing Oils are made by us in small batches in Southern Oregon.
Exfoliation starts 24 to 48 hours after waxing, never sooner. If you use Truth Serum, adding a gentle scrub two or three times a week from that point keeps dead skin from building up over the follicle. If you use Smooth Operator, its acids are already smoothing the surface, so follow its directions and leave other chemical exfoliants and abrasive scrubs off that area.
Which serum should a waxing studio retail to clients?
Most studios do best retailing both, with Smooth Operator for clients who fight stubborn ingrowns and Truth Serum for sensitive skin, facial waxing, and clients who are pregnant or nursing. Keeping them side by side lets you choose per client, which makes the retail conversation feel natural rather than pushy.
Licensed professionals can buy Smooth Operator 3 packs and Truth Serum 3 packs at half of retail, which gives you one bottle for the room and two for the shelf. There is no application and no login, and you will find every PRO 3 pack in For the Pros Only.
If you are new to us, the Pro Retail Starter Kit with Truth Serum and the Pro Retail Starter Kit with Smooth Operator each pair a full size serum with a full size 1 oz Nourishing Oil in the scent of your choice, so you can use the routine yourself before placing a larger order. Each customer can receive up to four single retail products through our starter kits in total. Clients shopping on their own can find both serums in our Ingrown Solutions collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Smooth Operator and Truth Serum on different areas?
Yes. Many people keep both and choose by area, using Truth Serum on the face and brows and Smooth Operator on the bikini line, legs, underarms, or beard. Pick one serum for each area rather than layering them on the same skin.
Can I use an ingrown hair serum after shaving or laser?
Yes. Smooth Operator goes on right after waxing, sugaring, or shaving. Truth Serum works after waxing, sugaring, laser, tweezing, or shaving, on the face and body.
Which ingrown hair serum is best for the face?
Truth Serum is our first choice for the face because it is acid free and made for facial and brow waxing. Keep any serum away from the eyes, and patch test a small area first if your skin is very sensitive.
Do Smooth Operator and Truth Serum have a scent?
Truth Serum has no added fragrance. Smooth Operator comes in our regular scent, a clean herbal scent that fades in minutes, and in Dreamsicle, our orange vanilla favorite.
Can I use an ingrown hair serum on my beard and neck?
Yes. Smooth Operator is made for the beard and neck after shaving as well as the body, and Truth Serum is the gentler choice if your facial skin is sensitive.
