Sugar waxing or sugaring is nothing new as far as hair removal goes. In fact, sugar waxing has been used for hair removal in the Middle East since 1900 BC! In those days since sugar was a scarce commodity, honey was boiled down to form a paste that was used in much the same way as sugar is used for sugar waxing today.
Unlike regular waxing, sugaring doesn’t remove the top layer of skin along with the hair making for a more pleasant waxing experience. Plus, it’s all natural and made with simple household ingredients which as you know, is my kind of recipe!
Table of Contents
- Sugar Waxing How To
- After Sugar Waxing
Thanks to my Native American and Scandi roots, I don’t actually have a lot of body hair. Pleasant as that may sound, it doesn’t make what hair I do have any less annoying to deal with. Sure, I’m a flower girl at heart in many ways, but the hair just has to go.
One reason I wanted to give at home sugar waxing a try is because it’s supposed to be fairly easy to do and has lasting results, typically 3-6 weeks depending on your body’s hair growth cycle. Unfortunately, from personal experience getting professional waxing done, my hair tends to grow back very quickly so it will be interesting to see if this makes a difference. I’m tired of shaving and I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg just for my hair to come back less than 2 weeks later.
After a bit of research, I came across this YouTube video on how to make both types of sugar wax:
Soft Sugar Waxing Recipe
The first type is called soft sugar wax and is amber in color, sticky, and a little thicker than the consistency of honey. It’s a bit messy when you’re first learning how to use it, but after some practice it isn’t too bad to deal with. I prefer soft sugar waxing because I find it much more comfortable to use with cloth strips. It’s pretty effective too as you’ll see in the photos below!
To make soft sugar wax you will need:
• 1 cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice (you may be able to use white vinegar but I haven’t tried it)
• ¼ cup of water
• Non-stretchy cloth strips (I cut up a 2 old handkerchiefs into 10 pieces each and had a few left to spare)
Keep in mind that you MUST use an acid in sugar waxing recipes in order to get the right consistency. Without it, the sugar will not be pliable or sticky enough to pull out the hair so don’t skip it!
The above recipe makes one batch of sugar wax which was enough to wax both legs below the knee and my underarms. However, I don’t have all that much hair, so if you have normal leg and underarm hair you will need to double or triple the recipe.
How to Use Soft Sugar Wax
1. Begin by adding all of the above ingredients to a small pot or sauce pan and bring it to a boil. 2. When it comes to a boil, turn it down to medium heat to prevent the sugar wax from boiling over. 3. Simmer like this for 7 minutes. 4. Next, carefully pour the sugar wax into a pyrex measuring cup. This will ensure that there are no accidents while reheating the wax. Mason jars can work but I would ere on the side of caution. 5. Let the wax cool for 20-25 minutes. You want it to be a little thicker than honey. 6. While you’re waiting, set up your waxing station. I made camp on the bathroom floor for easy clean up. Just make sure you have your strips ready and a butter knife or wooden popsickle stick for application as well as a large bowl of water to put your used strips in. You will also need a damp cloth for wiping your hands as you go. 7. As soon the wax has cooled enough and is no longer really runny, it’s time to sugar wax! 8. You must be very careful while doing this because you can very easily burn yourself! Begin by scooping out a bit of the wax and let it run down the knife/wooden popsicle stick a bit to cool it. Test its temperature carefully. 9. Once you’re sure the wax isn’t going to burn you, apply it against the grain of the hair in an even layer. I suggest starting at the ankles and working your way up the legs. 10. Immediately after applying the wax, firmly apply one of your cloth strips and then rapidly pull it off WITH the grain of your hair. Make sure the skin is taught as you do this. 11. Continue until the desired result is achieved. Make sure NOT to go over the same area more than twice or you may bruise yourself!
If the wax hardens too much, simply microwave the wax for 20 seconds and check the consistency. You can also put the pyrex measuring cup in a hot water bath for a few minutes to re-soften the wax.
To clean your strips, simply add them to a bowl of water as you finish using them. The sugar wax with rinse right out! Toss your strips in the dryer with your clothes or lay them out to dry and save them for your next waxing.
You can see how I used the soft sugar wax method below:
Hard Sugar Waxing Recipe
The second type of sugaring is known as hard sugar wax and is meant to be thicker, darker, and pliable in your hands. The acid from the lemon juice is what gives this wax its texture and stickiness.
To make hard sugar wax you will need:
• 2 cups of sugar
• ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup of water
Begin by bringing all of the ingredients to a boil, then simmer the mixture for 6-7 minutes.
Pour the wax into a pyrex measuring cup to prevent any accidents.
Allow the wax to cool for 20-25 minutes and then test the consistency. The wax should be quite thick and easily mold-able in your hand. Check the video above to see what I mean!
How to Use Hard Sugar Wax
1. Once cool enough, scoop some of the wax out and carefully mold it in your hand in to a disk shape that is a ¼ inch thick and about 2-3 inches across. This will ensure easy peeling! Anything thinner or larger may be difficult to pull off in one piece which can be very uncomfortable. 2. Apply this disk against the grain of your hair and press down firmly before rapidly pulling it off WITH the grain of your hair. 3. Press the disk to another section and repeat. You may have to use fresh globs of wax as you go. 4. Toss the used up wax in a waste bin. You will know it needs to be thrown away when it no longer pulls out any hair. 5. Make sure not to go over the same area more than twice or you may bruise yourself. If you missed hairs, either pluck them or wait a couple days before using the wax again. 6. If the mixture gets too hard to work with as it cools, simply microwave it for 20 seconds or put the pyrex measuring cup in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.
After Sugar Waxing
When you have finished waxing, you can wipe your legs clean with a damp cloth or hot in the shower. Be sure not to be too rough with your skin after waxing as it will be sensitive so no exfoliants for at least 24 hours. Also, if you wax your underarms, do not wear deodorant for at least 24 hours.
When your hair begins to grow back, use exfoliants to help prevent any ingrown hairs from forming. Wait until your hair grows back to half-length before waxing again to ensure great results.
Happy sugar waxing!
*** Update since starting this post: It’s been about a week and a half since sugar waxing and I can see my hair starting to come back! I’m not sure why my hair growth cycle is so short, but I will continue sugar waxing because it’s inexpensive and at least gives me SOME time hair free.
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