Inez Laval is the smart and talented CEO/owner of the spa ZENii by Inez . She’s been an esthetician for 13 years and has transformed the idea that waxing has to be painful. You usually hear about ladies sharing spa experiences regarding waxing, but Inez’s clientele consists of men and women. The name of the business is Inez spelled backwards, but she added an extra ‘I’ to the end to represent inclusive services to men as well.
Inez spilled the tea on all-things waxing, including why it shouldn’t be painful, why women of color should do it and whether or not men are waxing their man parts! It was a fun and extremely educational chat—checks it out!
What inspired your interest in becoming an esthetician?
I was going back to school to become a lawyer and I went to register for classes for law and the core classes were all taken. There was a spa course and I thought “This would be an easy A. I’ll just go through it to get the classes I want next semester.” Someone told me there was a 3 year waiting list for the program, so on the day of registration I figured if a spot was open I’d take it. It was open, I ended up loving it and the rest is history.
You’re known for pain-free waxing, what advice do you have for folks who think it will inevitably hurt?
I’m originally from San Francisco and I moved to Los Angeles, and they’re two different worlds. My clients in San Francisco were very knowledgeable about beauty and asked 20 million questions. You had to be on your toes about being able to do a wax, facial or anything. When I moved to LA, I found it to be completely different. Clients had no idea how to take care of themselves or that waxing doesn’t have to be painful. So, I started educating clients on how to take care of themselves.
What about women of color who fear waxing?
I want to change women of color’s perspective on waxing, whether they’re African-American or Latina because FYI, we’re the best candidates for waxing. It’s a whole different science. Women of color are the easiest to wax and my redheads and blondes are the hardest. Not because their hair is lighter, but because of the size of the hair follicle (not the texture). This also helped me come up with my SpaJin technique that makes waxing comfortbale for everyone.
The fear of waxing is what inspired your SpaJin technique. Tell us more about this process.
For this process, I used a very high-quality wax, and practiced taking their comfort-level and the way hair grows into consideration and letting clients know that I was in control to make them feel comfortable. Clients in LA are very in-and-out, I found that through that I developed a technique that was quick and efficient and painless. The more I started doing it the more clients said “That was the most painless wax I’ve ever had.”
You service male and female clients. How do you keep your male clientele consistent?
I think it’s my demeanor and being knowledgeable of what you’re doing. Most of my male clients are referrals from my female clients. I have a lot of couples that come in or male clients who find me and recommend me. Men might not say they’re vain or worried about certain things, but they are and it can be intimidating to get waxed.
Is waxing the pubic area really popular among men?
It’s been pretty consistent. It’s getting bigger. I think men are still afraid to talk about it. I’m not afraid to talk about it; I ask guys “Why don’t you wax?” I think that they don’t want to do it from others saying it’s painful. Once they do use it, they love it. They say they don’t have to use clippers, they don’t have ingrowns and it doesn’t grow back itchy. Most people think OMG, they must be gay, but most of my clients are heterosexual men.
What advice do you have for people trying to avoid/get rid of ingrown hairs?
Ingrown hairs are a form of acne on the private are and you have to treat it in the same way that you would acne on another part of your body. Our area down there is filled with skin, a light exfoliation every day and moisturizing is great. I always recommend coconut oil to my clients. It’s antifungal, antibacterial, and it hydrates and penetrates into the skin for great absorption. Because of this, it keeps skin super-soft and softens follicles and keeps that area moisturized, which helps with maintaining your Brazilian or your manly parts between visits.
I know coconut oil is coined as the solution to just about everything, but I never considered using it down there!
It’s all-around amazing. There’s so much stuff that has impurities and junk in it and this is an awesome way to keep that area balanced. It’s great as an all-around moisturizer. Anywhere you wax—from the front to the back—you want to moisturize, and that makes all of the difference. It’s mandatory for all of my regular clients. I’m in the works of formulating something very natural, but in the meantime we see the difference with coconut oil.
I’m one of those women of color whose minds Inez wants to change about waxing. Honestly, after this interview, she pretty much has! I think I should give it ago. I’ll be sure to load up on coconut oil when I do!
Ciao Bellas,
