Sugaring, the Best way to Remove Unwanted Body Hair

It's summer time and let's face it, shaving sucks. Waxing is expensive, even if you know how to do it yourself. The products go into landfills and typically have weird ingredients that you can't pronounce. I shudder to think of where all my old razor heads are now. I learned how to sugar a few months ago via Google, YouTube, and experimentation and thought to myself, "Sugar paste, where have you been all my life?!"

So, what is this "sugaring"? Sugaring is similar to waxing, only it is a thick, sticky paste that does not require cloth strips for removal. It is also less painful because you pull out the hair in the same direction as hair growth. If you know anything about waxing, you pull against it. That not only hurts more, but is more likely to break the hair instead of pulling it out by the roots. Sugar paste is made by cooking the right proportions of water, sugar, and lemon juice together for what comes out be be less than $2. So why do people pay upwards of $70 to be waxed? Why indeed. Enough said, here is the recipe.

2 cups of the granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice (no pulp)
1/4 cup water

I suggest a metal saucepan. You will boil it over a medium heat until it is a dark honey color. If you live in a particularly cold climate, you will want to cook it just a minute less.  Overcook it by a couple of minutes if your waxing room is warm.  Hot weather revision (about 75 degrees and up), click here.

What you get is an interesting substance that is malleable with light pressure and hard with firm pressure. If left to sit, it will slowly melt, which helps you because this melting in grabs the hair better. Start with clean, dry skin. You just grab a handful, make it into a ball, apply it slowly and firmly to your skin in the opposite direction as hair growth, pet it a couple of times or let it sit for a few seconds, and pull it off (parallel to your skin) in the same direction as hair growth. (See quick demo video.)  What you are left with is smooth skin. Fold up the paste and use the same ball to do your whole leg, chest, armpit, whatever or until the paste becomes too hairy or too gummy. Throw it in the trash outside in case the ants like it.

If you are working in a sensitive area, dust your skin with corn starch or talc lightly before sugaring. This makes a huge difference in areas like the bikini or armpits. Sugar paste rinses off with just water. Avoid getting the area dirty after waxing for 24 hours. No deodorant if you wax or sugar your armpits either. (Awesome tip of the day, your armpits don't stink when you sugar. You don't have to use deodorant until it starts to grow back, even if you work out!)

This recipe is enough paste for at least two full sugarings. Store the rest in the fridge in a microwave safe, glass container and stick it the microwave for no more than 20-30 seconds when you want to use it again.

Some people wax/sugar every four to eight weeks, depending on their individual regrowth cycle. I like to touch up every week or two. I don't mind this because it's really fast once you get the hang of it. Also, you can shave until a week before you plan to sugar again so you can save up more hair to remove at one time. Yes, you can use it on eyebrows, too. Please don't wax them too thin, it looks creepy.

I have made a separate post on specifically sugaring your own bikini area. It's a bit tiring and you need a mirror and moderate flexibility but it's totally doable. I sugar *everything* myself. You can too.

I have also made a separate post on sugaring your own armpits.  You will need moderate shoulder flexibility.
I will also make a video on how to make the sugar paste. For the time being, just YouTube it.

*If this is your first time waxing or sugaring, scroll to the bottom of the post.

Troubleshooting.

1. The paste is too hard.

Unless you completely burnt it, you just need to work it in your hands for a minute or less. As you use it, it will become softer, stickier, and gummier.

2. The paste is too soft.

Okay, if you've already let it cool completely and it's too soft/gummy and it stretches when you pull it instead of coming off clean, you can either put it back on the fire for a few minutes or you can stick it in the microwave for a few minutes so it finishes cooking.

3. It's not coming off my skin.

Don't panic. Your paste is too soft. This could be because you didn't cook it long enough, you've used it too long, it's too hot out, or you're sweating. You can try to cool it off by stepping into a cool room and fanning it, then it should pull off. Throw it away and get more. If you're working in a sensitive area, you may be better off just rinsing it off with warm water, drying the area, and starting again with fresh stuff. If you are sweating a lot, you need to do this in a cold room. If you're using really bright lights, they may be causing the room to heat up too much. Some people have had success with using a cold, metal butter knife to pull off paste that has become too sticky. It will stick to the butter knife and should then come off your skin. I've never tried it. What I did try was spreading it and applying piece of an old T-shirt or other sturdy cloth, rubbing it in, and removing as usual.  This gets the paste off your sking and takes the hair with it.  If it doesn't work, stick to warm water removal.

4. I bruised.

This happens if you pull straight up instead of parallel to the skin in a sensitive area. It also happens if it's stuck to your skin and you keep trying to pull it off anyway. See above. The bruising will go away in about a week. I know, it looks incriminating on your bikini line (ask me how I know...).

5. The hair isn't coming out.

Make sure your hair is at least 1/8 - 1/4 inch long before you try to sugar. If it is, you may not be rubbing it in or letting it sit long enough before you pull. Sometimes you will get some stubborn hairs that don't come out on the first try. That's okay. A second pull is fine and it's perfectly safe.

*So, this is your first time sugaring/waxing. There are some things you should know. Does it hurt? Yes, but really only the first time you do it. Start with an area that is less sensitive/less hairy like your lower legs or knuckles. You will see that the next time you sugar there will be a lot less hair and it won't hurt nearly as much. If you are interested in doing your bikini, just do the very edge today. You can do more tomorrow if you want. DO NOT work in large sections. If you are trying to get through your bikini line, chest, or any area with thick hair and/or thin skin, get a smaller ball of paste and work on sections half of a finger width at a time. It's worth the extra time it takes. Next time you will be able to work in larger sections and it won't really hurt. Use the cornstarch/talc dusting before you start.

Set aside twice as much time as you think you will need. You will want to take your time and you probably won't be very good at getting all the hair in one shot. Also, sugar paste can be tricky to use when you first start. However, after a few months you will be an expert. Good luck on your quest for awesomeness and feel free to comment if you have any questions.