Sugaring is an ancient oriental waxing method using a mix of white sugar, lemon juice, salt and water (plus honey if you feel so enclined).
It was a total pain for years, having to purchase waxing strips from the store (the only ones I can use are full of chemicals, available only in certain countries, and expire/dry up if stored for too long), or gathering the courage to use the noisy, painful electric epilator (
here come my army of rotative tweezers, muahaha).
Sugaring proved a pretty perfect alternative:
- all natural ingredients
- either biodegradable or no waste (lemon peel - ideally salt & sugar are bought in the bulk section)
- ingredients available almost everywhere (if you are travelling and have access to a kitchen, no need to carry hair removal tools / strips in your suitcase).
- cheap (enough quantity for half-legs & armpits would cost $0.76 with organic lemons & celtic sea salt - I used regular lemons and the cheapest salt, so it's even less)
- extremely pleasant to use - sweet smell, warm/soft texture, no noise, hurts much less than other methods
- no loose hairs clean-up needed afterwards - just dispose of the wax ball
YES, you have to get the hang of it.
I made 10 small batches before understanding how to get the texture right, but it was SO worth it.
You will find my final recipe below (
cause, why not share the joy).
I also suggest watching as many online videos as you can (search for
oriental wax, or
cire orientale in French), just to understand basics of preparation and waxing technique.
Another few cents: make it cheap if you need to; but getting the best ingredients, even if only applied to your skin, can do not harm, and it will encourage healthy agricultural practices and businesses, for probably less than a dollar.
A warm hug to the three oriental ladies who consulted their moms to help me.
I hope this post will make them want to try it at home again!
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ORIENTAL WAX
Ingredients (this is enough for half-legs + armpits):
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- water (just enough to cover the sugar in the pot - water
not above the sugar, just
wetting all the sugar)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cooking Process:
1. put sugar + water + salt in a small pot > stir with a spoon to melt as much as you can (I think this mixes the salt well and prevents to get unmelted grains of sugar in the final mix)
2. put the pot on medium heat > wait until it boils > at this moment add the lemon juice and stir a bit to mix it in
3. let it boil without changing the heat, until it starts changing color > when it is BLOND (not white, not reddish brown), remove from fire
4. pour in a small bowl (make sure the bowl can handle the heat!) > let it cool down until it's really viscous (stir a couple times with a spoon to test) > when it is so viscous that you can almost make one ball with your spoon, it's ready!!!
Using the wax:
1. Here is the first big breakthrough that I had after 10 tries:
it's much better to leave the 'base' wax in that bowl as it is, and only take out small balls as you need them when you start waxing. If the 'base' becomes too hard, just warm up the bowl in the double boiler until it softens enough to be scooped out.
2. Scoop out about a tablespoon of the wax. (use a spoon, and help it with your fingers - don't worry, it's sticky but comes off the skin very easily too). It should still be a bit warm (don't burn yourself!!). Tip: dip your fingers quickly into the remaining half-lemon, it prevents the wax from becoming too sticky and then you can start kneading it with your fingers. [Also, in case you scoop it too early, do not panic: the wax will be extra liquid/sticky, but just keep on kneading, and at some point you'll see you can peel it out easily and cleanly.]
3. Kneading: second big breakthrough: DO NOT KNEAD TOO MUCH!!!
You just need a few kneading cycles with your fingers - the wax is transparent at the beginning, it will become more opaque, but don't wait until it's completely opaque (that's too late and you'll just be making salt-water taffy :)
Basically STOP kneading when you feel that you have a soft material that can be spread easily, and is a bit sticky, not totally dry.
4. START HAIR REMOVAL (good tutorial on the gesture at the end of
this video) and the wax will actually become perfect AS YOU ARE WAXING. It's handy to have a square of all-natural, unbleached wax paper lying about, for dropping or disposal of the wax ball.
5. IMPORTANT: always keep that partially used half-lemon next to you. Dip your fingers into it to wet them with a bit of lemon juice, when you manipulate the wax. It helps keeping it not too sticky.
WASHING UP:
gently warm water will dissolve everything; let the pots, dishes and utensils you used sit in warm water for a bit - the sugar will melt and be very easy to clean afterwards; any remainders of wax on your leg (even the failed experiments that can end up covering half your calf) can be easily washed away under the shower.
