Nair is a hair-removal product manufactured by Church & Dwight. It was purchased from Carter-Wallace in 2001 via a partnership with Kelso. Also in 2001 Nair introduced its line of men's products. Nair is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsdepilatories that work by breaking the disulfide bonds of the

keratin Keratin () is one of a family of structural fibrous proteins also known as ''scleroproteins''. Alpha-keratin (α-keratin) is a type of keratin found in vertebrates. It is the key structural material making up scales, hair, nails, feathers, ho ...

molecules in hair. This reduces the tensile strength of the keratin so greatly that the hair can be wiped away. Nair's slogans include: ''"The Less That You Wear the less you have to fix your hair'', ''the More You Need Nair!"''; ''"Like Never Before"''; and ''"We wear short shorts, Nair for short shorts"''. The initial ad for the "short shorts" commercial won a

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλε� ...

. It was based on the 1958 song " Short Shorts". As of 2007, Nair had 25 products ranging from hair removal waxes to bleaches.

Active ingredients

Calcium hydroxide Calcium hydroxide (traditionally called slaked lime) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca( OH)2. It is a colorless crystal or white powder and is produced when quicklime ( calcium oxide) is mixed or slaked with water. It has m ...

is an active ingredient that chemically breaks down the hair for removal. Some formulations also contain potassium thioglycolate, which breaks down the disulfide bonds in the hair's keratin. The products often include softening agents, such as

mineral oil Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils. The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...

, to help offset the harsh active ingredients.

References

External links

Nair

Nair for Men
{{Church & Dwight Hair removal Church & Dwight brands Personal care brands Carter-Wallace Products introduced in 2001