Sugaring hair removal - the cleanest & safest way to remove body hair
Remedy for ingrown hairs? Yes, there is such a thing. First! Throw out your razors and waxing strips. Second! Switch over to this much gentler, natural method: SUGARING! A hair removal method as old as ancient Egypt, thought to have been used by Cleopatra herself. A completely natural and farely sustainable product (compared to its petrolium based cousin, wax) made from sugar, water, and lemon juice. By gently boiling these three ingredients a beautiful, amber colored paste forms which is then used to remove body hair. No strips required, and no messing around with hot, dripping wax that literally gets on evvverything! The paste is also pretty easy to make, not to mention cheep, and it lasts pretty much indefinitely. In this blog post I will give you my recipe for making a sugar paste at home and also some basic instructions on how to use it. It takes a little bit to get used to, requires some basic level of patience, and can be a little messy the first few tries, but once you get the hang of it and figure out the right technique you are going to experience a whole new level of smoothness you never knew was possible. I haven’t picked up a razor in 10 years since I learned the art of sugaring. Ready to kiss you ingrown hairs goodbye for good? Sweet, let’s begin!
SUGARING
100& natural, no skin irritation.
Applied at body temperature and cannot burn the skin.
Watersoluble and easy to clean off skin and surfaces.
Does not adhere to skin cells and can be applied more than once to the same area without peeling the skin and causing irritation.
Ingrown hairs are rare as the hair is removed from the follicle in the natural direction of growth.
VS
WAXING
Wax is a petrolium byproduct
Heated at high temperatures which can lead to burning and scarring.
Requires chemical solvents to remove from skin and surfaces.
Known to remove more than just the hair and can cause peeling of the skin. Cannot be applied to the same area more than once.
Hair is removed in the opposite direction of growth, which may lead to broken hairs, early regrowth, and ingrown hairs.
If you’re only planning on using this sugar paste to remove hair from your legs then the paste alone is fine. But if you want (..ahem, feel brave enough!) to attempt your armpits and bikini line as well then you’ll need some sort of powder to keep things dry so that the paste doesn’t glide around, or worse, gets stuck to your skin. Don’t worry though if this happens, like I said before it’s water-soluble so all you need to do is rinse it under hot water and it’ll eventually dissolve off your skin. So for this purpose I am also including my homemade, talcum-free baby powder recipe in this blog post.
baby powder:
1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 cup kaolin or bentonite clay
1/4 arrowroot powder
small mason jar or an old spice shaker
Sugar paste:
1 medium lemon, squeezed and strained
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
silicone spatula
wide mouth glass container that fits your whole hand
Instruction:
Heat up all the ingredients in a small sauce pan on medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Stir frequently.
Once dissolved and boiling turn down heat a little bit and let simmer for 20 minutes or until it turns a dark amber color. If it’s golden it still needs some time, but if you leave it too long it will become rock solid and very challenging to use.
Once amber color is reached, take off stove and pour into your glass container, scraping the sides with your spatula. Let your pot soak in hot water for a few minutes to dissolve the remaining paste before you wash it.
Let your paste set over night on your counter top or until body temperature and fairly solid. When ready to use, pop in the microwave for 30sec to soften up a little bit and then scoop out your needed amount.
To make your baby powder, simply mix all the ingredients together and.. that’s it! Ready to use.
hair removal basics:
When removing hair from the body, whether it’s with sugar, wax, razor or any other way, the most important rule is CLEAN SKIN! The best thing to do is to take a shower before you start and thoroughly clean your skin with a gentle soap. Once your skin is clean it’s super important to not apply any oils or moisturizers as that will prevent the sugar from adhering to the hair and just slide around. Start practicing on your legs as they are usually easy to access and also less painful than other areas of the body. When sugaring it’s important to pay attention to which direction your hair grows. You will apply the sugar against the grain 2-3 times before ripping the hair in the direction the hair grows. It’s kinda like a nice wave movement; apply, apply, apply, rip, rip, rip. When ripping it’s important to firmly hold your skin with your free hand the above the sugar so that the skin is nice and tight. This prevents the sugar from tugging the skin and also makes it a little less painful. I have added a short video tutorial below if the technique is still unclear.
Once you are done, simply chuck your sugar clump in the garbage or compost bin and rinse your hands with warm water. Clean off any excess sugar either with a warm face cloth or by taking an other shower. Once fully hair-free and clean, finish by applying a calming and soothing body oil like this Meri Soothing Lilac Oil, or just straight up aloe vera gel to reduce redness and prevent infection as you are now basically having hundreds or microscopic little wounds from the open hair follicles. For the next 24h avoid tight fitting clothes, saunas, hot baths, and sweating (that includes working out). With time, your hair will grow thinner and sparse, and even if you do need to let your hair grow to about 1/4 inch to successfully remove it with sugaring, your hairs will be so soft you will barely know they’re there.
