DIY Sugar Wax: How to Make It and How to Use It to Remove Hair

If your TikTok feed has been inundated with sugaring hair removal videos (same) and you are thisclose to pouring sugar on your body and giving it a try at home (same), then hi, welcome. Although this method of hair removal might be new to you, sugaring actually originated in ancient Egypt and has been consistently and popularly used ever since. Basically, it existed long before your TikTok.

Still, if you don’t know much about sugaring but kinda, sorta, most definitely wanna try it, I’ve got you. I turned to Daria Nartova, founder of Sugaring NYC, for all the best DIY sugar wax advice and answers to the millions of questions I know you have, because I most definitely had them, too.

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Is waxing or sugaring better?

I’ll present you with the facts and let you decide. First of all, sugaring is known to be the gentler option. Waxing is notoriously ouchy, and that’s because not only is it removing the hair straight from the follicle, but it’s also taking off the top layer of skin with it. Nartova explains that sugaring, on the other hand, doesn’t stick to the skin, so you’re only getting the pain from removing the hair. Even still, neither waxing hair-removal method should be used on area where you use retinoids (or if you’re taking Accutane), since they can make your skin ultra-sensitive and fragile.

Secondly, wax needs to be warm or hot to work, which means you run the risk of burning yourself if you’re trying to do an at-home wax (it’s not a super-high risk, but still a very possible one). With sugaring, however, the paste works best at room temperature and with the warmth from your skin, so there’s no burn risk.

And lastly, the direction the hair is pulled makes a big difference. When you wax, you apply the wax in the direction of the hair growth, then rip it off in the opposite direction. With sugaring, you apply it in the opposite direction and then flick it in the natural direction of the hair growth.

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“We try to mimic the direction of the hair growth so the follicle on the inside of the skin is not disturbed,” says Nartova. “This helps reduce the risk of inflammation and any post-treatment bumps.” So you tell me, which sounds like the better option? If we’re talkin’ about Brazilian waxes and bikini lines, I would much rather go with the less painful one, but again, it’s up to you.

Can you sugar wax at home?

Can you? Yes. Will it be as quick and easy as an experience at the salon? No. “It’s definitely going to take you a little bit longer, and it might be a little bit more painful when you flick it off if you do it yourself,” Nartova explains. The reason, she says, is because there’s a special flick to to the removal—something that, obviously, professionals learn over time.

“A lot of people when they try sugaring at home try flicking the sugar up, instead of parallel to the skin, which is more irritating,” says Nartova. Once you get the hang of it, sugaring at home is doable, but she always recommends those with sensitive skin see a professional if possible. “Some people have irritation right away, and that’s why they really need to make sure every single hair is removed in the natural direction of the hair growth,” she says.

Is sugaring at home easy?

“Easy” wouldn’t be the first (or second or third) word I would use to describe sugaring, let alone a DIY sugar wax. That said, Nartova says it is still possible to try it at home. If you do it at home, Nartova says the easiest way as a beginner is with the strip technique similar to how you would with a strip waxing kit. However, because the hair is growing in multiple directions and you’re not able to maneuver the strip as easily as your fingers, the strip won’t be as precise as the manual flicking technique, so just keep that in mind.

And then, of course, you have the challenge of figuring out how to make sugar wax. Nartova explains that different consistencies of the sugar paste (soft, medium, and hard) are better for different hair types, different skill levels, and methods (i.e., a strip would require a runnier sugar wax while the flick method would require a harder wax). So getting the right texture for your needs is a battle in and of itself.

If you’ve read up to this point and you’re still not deterred (wow, that’s some dedication), keep reading for how to make sugar wax and how to use it.

Sugar wax ingredients:

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Even the bleakest kitchen pantries probably have all the ingredients needed to whip up a homemade sugar wax:

• sugar
• lemon juice
• water

…Yup, that’s it. All you need are three simple, straightforward ingredients to make the sugar paste, but if you’ve ever attempted it before, you know nothing about making this stuff is simple or straightforward. Getting the right consistency takes a lot of trial and error (I know because I tried it for the sake of this article), so don’t feel like a total failure if the first couple batches go straight down the drain. And if all else fails, you can easily buy some pre-made online (see below).

How do you make sugar wax?

After you’ve gathered all three of your ingredients, watch the video above and follow the steps below. Trust me on this. I watched a lot of videos and even got out my own saucepan to try to a few different approaches, and I found this one to be the most helpful. If you think you can just wing it, good luck to you.

1. Measure your ingredients and mix. In general, you want a 2:1 sugar-to-liquid ratio. So if you use 1 cup of sugar, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of water. Pour all the ingredients in a saucepan and give it a good mix. Once all the ingredients are thoroughly combined, place your saucepan on a burner.
2. Turn your heat to medium high. You want the mixture to boil, but you don’t want it to burn, so don’t turn the heat all the way up to speed along the process, because it won’t work.
3. Heat your mixture and bring the temperature between 230 and 260 degrees. The thing about making sugar wax is that there is no set amount of time to leave the mixture on the stove. The cook time and the color of your sugar paste will vary greatly, so the best way to determine if your sugar is ready is to check the temperature with a food thermometer. The goal is to melt your sugar paste into whatever consistency you prefer to work with, and the more water that evaporates, the harder the wax will be. In other words, hitting somewhere around 230 degrees will give you a runnier consistency (which means it has more water) and reaching closer to 260 degrees will make your wax harder (less water).
4. Test a sample. Don’t have a thermometer? The video also suggests pouring a little sample out to check. When it’s bubbling and you think you’ve reached a good consistency, pour a small drizzle (like a tablespoon) into a bowl of cold water. If your sugar pour clumps and sinks, that’s a pretty good sign. Once it’s cooled down (never touch the hot sugar mixture right out of the pan!), grab your sample from the cold water, then roll it and squeeze between your fingers to test for consistency. If it’s squishy but still holds its shape, you’re done cooking.
5. Pour and cool. Once you’ve reached the right consistency, pour it into a glass storage container to let the sugar paste cool completely. Remember, we don’t pour hot sugar on our skin! Your sugar paste doesn’t need to be hot to work, so allow it plenty of time to cool before using it.

How to use sugar wax:

Making the sugar paste was only half the battle, y’all! Now you’ve gotta figure out how to use the stuff, which, by the way, also takes a lot of trial and error (are you sensing a theme?) The signature “flicking” technique also takes time to perfect, so watch and rewatch the video here, then read the steps below help explain the process.

1. Prep. According to Nartova, there isn’t a ton of prep necessary for sugaring. That said, your hair does need to be at least 1/8 of an inch (about the length of a rice grain) for it to work. If your hair is the right length, cleanse your skin and dry it thoroughly.
2. Scoop the paste. Use your fingertips to scoop out the room temperature sugar paste (Nartova says your body heat will warm it up plenty). Use your thumb to swirl it around your other fingertips and create a small ball.
3. Mold the sugar. Working on a small area at a time, press and spread the sugar ball onto the skin in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Repeat this petting motion a few times until it feels like the sugar paste has been thoroughly molded against the skin.
4. Flick. As you press the mixture into into the skin with your fingertips, quickly lift and flick the sugar wax in the direction of hair growth and parallel to your skin to remove the hair. Again, this takes time and practice so if things aren’t going according to plan, grab a cloth wax strip and press it against the sugar to remove it a little easier.
5. Cleanse. If you have any sugar left on the skin, or you freaked out and want to quit altogether, Nartova suggests using a little water to gently break it down (unlike wax, sugar paste is water soluble) and wash it away.

And that’s it! Repeat those steps with the same ball of sugar (Nartova says if you’re using the flicking technique, one sugar ball could last you a full session) wherever you want to remove hair until you’re finished. In between sugaring sessions, Nartova also says you’ll want to gently exfoliate the skin to remove any dead skin buildup and prevent ingrown hairs, but immediately following the treatment, just leave your soft, smooth, hairless skin alone.

The final takeaway:

Sugaring is much gentler than waxing, and it’s one hair removal method that is okay to try at home, but it’s not foolproof. If you don’t want to take the time to make your homemade sugar wax, you can buy some pre-made sugar paste, but if you also can’t seem to figure out the flicking technique needed for this type of hair removal, just make an appointment to have it done by a professional. Save yourself from all the effort—because it takes a lot of effort.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Recipe