“Waxing, again..” how many times we had this thought crossing our minds? Although waxing gives us long-lasting results, it’s painful and might cause some unwanted effects for sensitive skin, like rashes or ingrown hair. Sugar waxing (or sugaring), however, is a different story. There are many sugaring benefits, but I wanted to highlight a few of them.
It’s natural
The most basic sugar wax is made from sugar, lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) and water. That’s it. If you DIY, you could add some additions like tea tree oil or chamomile oil, which is also natural. However, if you are looking to purchase it, look for products with natural/organic certifications and always check the label to make sure the product does not contain any unwanted ingredients.
It’s safer for your skin and less painful to use
The thing is, sugar wax only removes the dead top layer of the skin. If used correctly, it does not attach to and remove live skin, which means it can’t hurt it and make as much pain as wax. Don’t be mistaken, it’s still painful, the skin might still be red, but it lasts shorter and goes away faster. For the very same reason, sugaring lessens and prevents ingrown hair.
Easier to wash off
Sugar wax is sticky. But not that sticky compared to most other wax pastes. Because sugar melts so quickly in the water, the wax is easy to wash off after epilations. No rubbing needed!
It’s easy and cheap to DIY
This is excellent news for all of DIY and homemade cosmetics gurus out there. You are going to need: 2 cups of sugar; 1/4 cup of lemon juice (use fresh lemons or bottled juice, just not from concentrate) or apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup of water; essential oils like tea tree oil or lavender oil (not necessary). Other: wooden or any reusable material popsicle sticks for wax application; various sizes of washable cotton strips for pulling the wax off (smaller for face and larger for legs; depends on the area you want to use them on).
Process: heat up and mix all ingredients until the wax becomes completely liquid and changes its color to light gold. After it’s done, let the wax cool down to room temperature. You can leave the pan in warm water to allow the wax stay warm longer.
How to use: first, make sure it’s not too hot to apply to your skin (this is very important, you don’t want to burn yourself). Then, apply a small amount of lukewarm wax with a spatula in the direction of hair growth, place a cotton strip and pull it against of hair growth. You can do it vice versa – apply wax against hair growth and pull the strip in the direction of hair growth – whatever works for you best.
You can reheat the wax as many times you want during the epilation or store it for later use. Just remember, always let it cool down afterward and test before application.
Here is a great, very detailed video on how to make and use sugar wax.
However, there also are many sugaring products available to buy. The most popular brands that I know are Moom and Acorelle. Both providing a variety of sugaring products (including ready-to-use sugar wax stripes, cold sugar wax, etc.). My all-time favorite product is Moom Natural Face And Bikini Wax Strips with Chamomile and Lavender ($6/£4). Great for armpits too! Also, Moom Hair Removal Kit With Lavender ($14/£9) is great for beginners (you can get refills afterward).
Have you tried sugaring as the way of epilation? What’s your opinion?
I’m Inga, the creator of this online place called Organic Beauty Blogger. Since 2013, I’ve been on a mission to redefine beauty by sharing my insights into the world of green beauty.
