THE HISTORY OF SUGARING
What is sugaring?
Sugaring is the simple process of removing body and facial hair from the root with a sugar based waxy substance, which is applied by hand against the direction of hair growth and removed with a quick flick in the direction of hair growth.
The sugar and citric acid composition binds to dead skin, which is what hair is also made of so you’re not only removing hair and fuzz, but you’re also removing the dead skin build up and giving yourself the best exfoliation your skin has ever known.
Where did sugaring originate from?
The simplest answer to that question is; India. The sugar cane which originated in New Guinea didn’t take continental roots until it arrived in the Indus Valley more than 6000 years ago.
The first records of sugar wax being used as a beauty and hair removal tool dates back to the earliest era of the Persian Empire about 3000 years ago, which coincides with the time that the Indus Valley was part of the Persian Empire.
But it wasn’t until a few hundred years later that Cleopatra popularized sugaring in ancient Egypt.
Sugar wasn’t even in the western world until 1000 years later.
I think it’s safe to say that sugaring was the first known method of hair removal in the world.
How do you sugar wax?
Sugaring wax is applied at room temperature. When the wax is cold it’s hard so we warm it up with just 10 seconds in the microwave or hold a hair dryer over it for about a minute. You want the sugaring wax to just be soft enough for you to scoop out a lump with your fingers. You’ll notice that you can roll it around your fingers and it holds together in one piece.
When you press the lump of sugaring wax onto the skin, the heat from your skin will soften up the wax and make it easier to pull over the skin and stick to the hair. We recommend the Triple Pull Technique, which means that you pull it on 3 times before you flick it off in one quick motion.
The skin has to be clean and dry. So if you have lotion or oil on, the sugaring wax will just slide and not stick. The skin’s natural reaction to hair removal from the follicle is to start to perspire, especially in areas like the bikini, underarms and upper lip, which is why we have created a clay based drying powder that you apply onto the skin before you apply the sugar.
Why is sugaring a better hair removal process?
It’s so much better than any other hair removal method for so many reasons and here are some of my favorite reasons why:
- It’s reusable so just a little lump goes a long way; you can’t say that about any other method
- The formula only sticks to dead skin and hair, not live skin cells, so it doesn’t hurt like waxing
- You’re removing the hair from the follicle in the direction of hair growth so you don’t get ingrown hairs and your skin stays smooth for weeks
- The more you do it the slower your regrowth time is and the hair grows back finer and less noticeable
- It’s natural, hypoallergenic and biodegradable so its super gentle on your skin and the environment
- It’s so gentle on the skin that sugaring is becoming the go-to method for youth, people with sensitive skin, and other skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis
- Super easy cleanup; it’s water soluble so if you get it in your hair or on your clothes it washes off with just water in seconds
There’s a bit of a learning curve when you start, and generally it might take a few tries until you get the hang of it but it’s so worth the effort and certainly beats shaving every day.