Philips Satinelle Advanced Wet & Dry Epilator Review

Product Overview

The Philips Satinelle Advanced wet & dry epilator is a competitively priced, versatile epilator and shaver, when compared with other similar products on the market.

It is fully rechargeable for cordless use only, and can be used wet (in the shower or bath) or dry.

​As with all the legs and/or body epilators we have found, it has dual speed settings so that you can opt for a slower speed for more sensitive areas such as bikini-line or underarms and higher speed to clear thicker, coarser hair on larger areas more quickly.

Other epilators in the Philips Satinelle Range include​ the HP6401/50, which is a much cheaper, basic epilator, or the Prestige BRE650/50 at the top of the range, with its 9 accessories, including an exfoliation brush and body massager.

What You Get

In the box:

What you get in the box

• Philips Satinelle Advanced Device with epilator head attached
• Shaver Head
• Shaver Comb Attachment
• Massage Cap
• Facial Cap
• Delicate Area Cap
• Charging Adaptor
• Cleaning Brush
• Drawstring Pouch
• Instruction, Caution and Guarantee Leaflets

Product Features

Ergonomic Design​

The device is ergonomically designed with a unique,               S-shaped handle which is narrower at the bottom and widens at the head. 

​It is specially shaped in this way to make it easy to steer and provide maximum control and precision.

I must admit, I found it nice and comfortable in the hand in comparison to some of the wider models I have looked at - making it easier to ​use for harder to reach areas.

I also found that it is not too heavy in the hand, it measures in at 15 cm from ​top to bottom (just over 6").

​

Epilation Head with Ceramic Discs

The epilation head measures 30 mm across, so it provides good coverage for quick and efficient clearing of larger areas.

Close up of epilation head showing ceramic discs

The head is made up of 17 ceramic discs that provide 32 catching points for removing the hairs.

The ceramic material which makes up the head has a rough surface, to ensure that even the finer hairs are gripped well and firmly.  ​

The epilator head is easily detachable, for cleaning or changing with the razor head, by pressing the button located on the back of the device (as shown above).

​It is relocated by simply clicking firmly back into place.

Dual Speed​

There are 2 speeds, the faster speed (II) is for efficiency and the slower speed (I) for harder to reach areas or those with less hair.  I always also use the slow speed for sensitive areas such as bikini-line, face and underarms.

When you switch on the appliance, it automatically starts with the faster speed, because it is the most efficient for covering areas quickly.

If you press the switch again it toggles to the slower speed, and a third time will turn the device off again.

As you can see from the pictures, the relevant setting lights up to confirm which speed you have currently selected.

Wet or Dry Use

Battery indicator shows when the device needs charging

The Philips Satinelle Advanced epilator is complete with fully rechargeable batteries for use wet or dry.

There is a battery indicator light on the front of the epilator, at the bottom, which lights up orange to show that the batteries need charging.

The batteries charge in about 1.5 hr for up to 40 minutes use.

The charge indicator flashes white whilst it is charging and stays continuously white once fully charged.

When first plugged in to charge the white light flashes quickly, but after about 15 minutes this changes to slower flashes.  This indicates that there is sufficient power to use the epilator for about 10 minutes.

Optilight​

Light shines on epilation area

There is an integrated light set in the head which shines on the immediate area which is being epilated.

This is designed to ensure that you don't miss any particularly fine or difficult to see hairs and reduce the need to epilate more frequently.

The light goes on automatically when the device is switched on.

If you wish to turn the light off, it can be done by keeping the on/off switch held down for 3 seconds when first turning on the device.​

Facial  Cap​

Facial Cap

The facial cap is the one which has the narrowest opening.

As you can see, it has the effect of reducing the number of catching points available, for more precise and gentle epilating of the facial areas.​

It is very simply attached over the epilating head by just pressing into place.

I would advise that you also select the slower epilating speed in conjunction with the facial cap, at least until you have tried it out.

Delicate Area Cap​

Delicate Area Cap

The delicate area cap works in exactly the same way as the facial cap, but has a slightly wider opening to allow a few more catching points.

This is for use on sensitive areas such as underarms and bikini-line and again, I would suggest you also use the slower speed for these areas.​

When epilating the bikini area, I would advise that you wear either your bikini bottoms or a pair of panties, so that you can see the area to epilate and to protect the genital area.​

Massage Cap

Massage Cap

The massage cap has rollers on either side.

This is attached to the head in the same way as the other caps, but leaves the whole head free for maximum area coverage.

The rollers are designed to massage the skin as the epilator glides over the surface, with the aim of making the process more comfortable.​

It has the added effect of ensuring that the epilator is held at the correct 90 degree angle to the skin, when both rollers are in contact with it.​

Shaving Head and Trimmer Comb​

Shaver Head with Trimmer Comb Attached

The shaver head is easily interchangeable with the epilation head as described earlier, and simply clicks into place.

The trimmer comb can trim hairs to a length of 3 mm, as is simply clicked onto the shaver head.​

The shaver head is a good addition for the epilator if you are going to use epilation as your main hair removal method, and shaving for certain areas or to trim hair prior to epilating. 

Especially when travelling, it saves having to worry about packing, carrying and re-charging 2 separate devices.​

Patented Epilation System

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Where Can it be Used?

The epilator is suitable for use on legs, arms, underarms, bikini-line and face (cheeks, chin and upper lip).

When epilating the face, do not use anywhere near the eyes and eyelashes, it is not designed for use on eyebrows or scalp hair.

Remember to use the relevant cap and speed setting for each area - the facial cap is ideal for precise epilating of, for example, the upper lip.​

The device should not be used:​

If you have any of the following conditions, you should seek medical advice before using this device:

Philips Satinelle Instructions for Use

You should always take the time to read all the instructions provided with the device thoroughly prior to use, especially any precautions.  

I have outlined a summary below of the manufacturer's instructions to give you an idea of what to expect.

Inn addition to their advice I would add that it is a good idea to exfoliate regularly and prior to epilating to remove any dead skin cells and bacteria, and help prevent ingrown hairs.

General Advice

• Suitable for wet use and can be used in the bath or shower, or can be used dry
• For less painful epilation and a gentler feel, use on wet skin (with or without shower gel)
• The optimum length of hair for efficient epilation is 3 - 4 mm.  If your hair is longer, trim it - this will make epilation easier and more comfortable.  If too short, wait a few days until the optimum length is reached.
• The shaving head can be used for legs and body - it can be moved in 2 directions.  The shaving comb trims hair to 3 mm.

Using the Device

Glide slowly - do not exert pressure

• Select desired cap depending on area to be epilated
• ​Select desired speed - faster for larger, less sensitive areas such as legs, slower for delicate areas such as underarms
• Hold skin as taut as possible with your spare hand - helps to raise hairs up and prevent risk of pinching
• Place device at a 90 degree angle to the skin, without exerting pressure and glide slowly across the skin against the hair's natural growth
• Make sure that you go slowly - if you move the device too quickly you may miss some hairs and not get the smooth results that you desire

Cleaning and Storage

Epilating Head

• Hold device upside down
• Switch it on
• Rinse with cold water for about 15 seconds

Shaving Head

• Brush away hairs with brush provided
• Pull cutting unit out of head
• Clean all parts with brush (except foil)
• Rinse parts under tap and let dry completely
• Reassemble

Store the appliance and all its accessories in the drawstring pouch provided.

After Effects

You may experience slight irritation/redness after epilation, or tiny red blood spots.  This is normal and should disappear within a few hours.

It is advisable to epilate at night before going to bed, or when you are not planning to go out afterwards, at least until you are used to epilating and know what your skin's reaction to the process is.

Should you have any after effects lasting for 3 days or more, you should seek medical advice.​

Is it Painful?

Epilating is painful, especially the first few times that you do it and especially in delicate areas.

However, over time it does become a lot more comfortable as the skin builds a resistance to the process and regrowth becomes finer and sparser.

Make sure that you always use the correct cap and speed for the area you are epilating and that you pull the skin as taut as possible.

A warm bath or shower prior to or whilst epilating will help by opening the pores and softening the skin​ so that the hairs are pulled out more easily.

Why Choose to Use an Epilator?

There are several good reasons to choose an epilator for your hair removal rather than other methods:

Shaving cuts hair at the skin's surface, so although it is pain-free the results are very short-lived and there can be a stubble effect to regrowth.

Depilatory creams, notoriously obnoxious smelling although much better nowadays, they involve using strong chemicals, which can produce allergic reactions.  Also, can be pretty messy and involves ongoing expense.  Results are longer lasting than shaving, but shorter than epilating or waxing.

Waxing removes hair at the root, just like epilating, but it can be messy and also removes the top layer of skin along with the hairs.  As with depilatories, waxing involves fairly substantial ongoing costs.

Epilating is more or less a one-off cost - a well looked-after epilator should last for many years.  Results last anything from 2 - 4 weeks (certainly, with regular use, you should not need to epilate more than once a week).​

It is a very convenient method of hair removal, especially when travelling, as it can be done anywhere and many epilators allow for either wet or dry use.  In addition, side effects are minimal and short-lived.​

Philips Satinelle Q & A's​

Can it be used whilst it is plugged in and charging?

No - it is designed for cordless use only

How many tweezers does it have?​

This device has 32 catching points - giving the equivalent effect of 32 tweezers.​

Can you use it on the bikini area?

Yes, using the delicate area cap and the slow speed setting.  Do avoid the genital area though - I would suggest you wear bikini bottoms for this.​

Can it be used on underarms - will it damage the lymphatic vessels?

Yes you can use for underarms, using the delicate area cap.  There is no danger to the lymphatic vessels as they are located deeper in the skin.​

My epilator is not removing the hairs properly - why?

It may be that you are holding the device at the wrong angle - make sure that you hold it at 90 degrees to the skin.

Alternatively, check hair length - the optimum length for effective epilation is 3 - 4 mm, either trim or wait until it is at this length and then try again.

Other possibilities are that you may be moving it too quickly - the device needs to glide slowly against the direction of hair growth, or if you are using it wet, try dry use as it tends to be more efficient.​