Ulike, the Hair-Removal Brand That Grew Up Fast, and What I Put on Skin Afterward

Ulike, the Hair-Removal Brand That Grew Up Fast, and What I Put on Skin Afterward

Ulike was established in 2013 as a home beauty device company focused on hair removal, and it now sells in 17 countries and regions. Here are its IPL devices, the other tools people compare them with, and the cooling gels I keep in the fridge for after a session.

Ulike was established in 2013 as a home beauty device company focused on hair removal, which is a narrower origin story than most beauty brands have, and I respect it. Since then the brand says it ranked first in the Chinese market for seven consecutive years, from 2015 to 2022, and led the market in South Korea in 2021. It also reports five million units sold in 17 countries and regions. Those are big numbers, but I read them as a sign of scale, not a review.

IPL stands for intense pulsed light, and a home device flashes light at the skin to reduce hair growth over repeated sessions. It is a slow method, measured in weeks and months, not days. Results depend on hair color, skin tone and consistency, and the instructions that come with each device spell out who it suits. Read them before you plug anything in, and do a patch test.

Three Ulike IPL devices sit in the grid: the Air 10, the Air 4 and the Swift 5. Compare the specs on the brand's site side by side, since model numbers alone do not tell you which suits your skin. What I can say is that a device you find comfortable to hold is one you will finish the course with.

Shave the area first, work on clean and dry skin, and keep out of the sun. Take off jewelry, wear the eye protection the instructions call for, and never flash over tattoos, moles or broken skin. Work in a well-lit room, in small sections, so you can keep track of where you have been. A washable marker line at the edge of each patch is an easy trick.

Collage of IPL devices, epilators and cooling gels beside a photo of a pink cream blush compact, a lip tube and a pot of cream sitting in a mirrored silver tray on a soft pink surface.
Ulike IPL devices, other hair-removal tools and cooling gels for after.

Ulike IPL devices

Other ways to remove hair at home

IPL is not the only route, and it is not for everybody. Some hair colors and skin tones do not suit light-based devices, and some people simply prefer a different method. So here are the other tools I hear people comparing.

Silk'N's Infinity is a fast IPL device. FOREO's Peach 2.0 is another IPL device, in the brand's usual smooth, compact shape. Pursonic's IPL Hair Removal Device is a straightforward one, and Epilaser's 808 laser device is aimed at people who want a laser-style tool at home. These are all devices to read carefully about, and to compare on the safety sections, not the marketing copy.

Epilady's Legend 5 is different. It is a rechargeable epilator that pulls hairs out at the root, so the feeling is very unlike IPL, and it works on any hair color. It hurts a little, and I will not tell you otherwise. If you go that way, do it after a warm shower, on the first go, and have a soothing gel ready.

Epilators also need patience on the first few goes, and short hairs are the usual problem, so let hair grow to the length the instructions ask for. A tip for choosing: start with your hair and skin, then pick the method, not the other way round. And whatever you pick, use it on a small area first and wait a day to see how skin responds before you do a whole leg.

Other hair-removal tools

Cooling gels for the hours after

After hair removal, skin can feel warm and a little tight, and it wants gentle, cooling things. It does not want fragrance, scrubs or strong acids, and it certainly does not want a hot bath.

Laneige's Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Gel Moisturizer with mint extract is very cooling, the one I reach for first on legs and underarms. The Ordinary's Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan is a lightweight gel with a plain, quiet feel, good on the bikini line. Dermalogica's Calm Water Gel Moisturizer is a light water gel made for sensitive skin. Farmacy's Daily Greens is an oil-free gel with moringa and papaya, and Tata Harper's Calming Creme is made for redness and skin repair, a little richer than the rest. Dr. Jart+ Cryo Rubber Soothing Face Mask with allantoin is the mask option, a cold rubbery layer you peel off, and I keep it in the fridge.

What I would skip: retinol, exfoliating acids, and anything with a strong scent on the same day, plus swimming pools and saunas for a day or two. Also skip sun on treated skin, and wear sunscreen on the area whenever you go out. If skin blisters, burns or stays sore, stop and ask a doctor.

Soothing gels for after

A simple schedule to follow

My schedule is boring and works. Prep and treat in the evening, cool gel straight after, nothing else on the area that night, and a note in my phone so I do not lose count of the sessions.

Take photos at the start, so you can see change over weeks rather than trust your memory. Give the method a proper trial before you decide, and if a device ever causes pain or marks on skin, stop using it. If you have a skin condition, are pregnant, or take medication that makes skin sensitive to light, check with a doctor before starting. Smooth skin is nice, but comfortable skin is the goal. I keep the gel in the fridge door, the device in a drawer that is not by the shower, and the manual within reach, and I have never regretted reading it twice.