Tropical weather means wearing summer dresses and denim shorts year-round. But this freedom in fashion can sometimes come with a (literally) irritating responsibility – hair removal. But don’t pick up that pesky razor just yet – there’s an ancient, completely natural technique on the rise that promises smooth pins without the cuts, burns and bump ingrowns. It’s called sugaring.
Sugaring is a beauty treatment that dates back centuries. It originated in Egypt and was reportedly part of Cleopatra’s beauty regime. There are many recipes out there for creating the sugar-based paste, but only three natural ingredients are used in the real formula – sugar, lemon, and water. Sugaring is on rise due to increased demand for organic, natural skincare cause caused a resurgence of popularity in this old technique, and for good reason. If you’ve never heard of it or have some lingering questions, read on to find out more.
How Does It Work?
The sugaring paste is made, warmed, then formed into a ball applied by hand. There are no strips involved in the procedure. The mixture can be made to form either a paste or a runnier gel. The paste is applied in the opposite direction of hair growth, then removed in the same direction that your hair grows. The gel is applied in the opposite way, which is the same technique as waxing.
What Are The Benefits?
1. It’s Perfect For Sensitive Skin
Sugaring is great for anyone with sensitive skin, or anyone who’s had previous reactions such as swelling or itching from the plasticizers and residue in wax. Another big bonus is that sugar paste does not need to warmed to a high temperature like wax does, so there’s also no risk of being burnt. If your therapist has ever applied wax that was a little too hot during a treatment, you’ll know how unpleasant it can be. Sugaring is simply more gentle on the skin in every way.
2. Faster and Easier Clean Up
Sugaring, unlike waxing, is water soluble, so it leaves no residue on the skin, and can be cleaned up easily. Waxing requires an oil-based remover in order to remove all the residue. You often walk out with sticky patches or oily residue left on the skin after a waxing treatment, but this is not the case with sugaring!
3. It’s More Sanitary
There’s no risk of double-dipping in the wax pot with sugaring. Your therapist will grab only one lump of sugar out of the pot per treatment, so there’s far less chance of contamination. Furthermore, high sugar content inhibits bacteria growth, so it’s difficult for any nasties to grow and multiply in the solution.
4. It Breaks Less Hairs
It’s estimated that waxing breaks around one third of the hairs during the removal process. Risk of ingrown hairs and infections increase when the hair breaks below the skin. It also means that the hair grows back much faster, which beats the whole point of getting a waxing treatment.
During a sugaring session, paste is applied against the direction of hair growth, allowing it to penetrate the follicle deeply. The hair is then removed gently in the direction of hair growth, preventing breakage and ensuring a cleaner finish.
5. It Provides Long Term Results
During the first phase of hair removal, the hair bulb is removed. Repeated removal cuts the bulb off from blood supply, leading the follicle to completely atrophy. This means that you’ll eventually be left with permanently hairless and smooth skin!
Most people will notice a reduction in regrowth in as few as three to four treatments. And because sugaring removes hairs directly from the follicle, you can enjoy hair-free limbs for up to 6 weeks depending on your personal hair growth.
What Are The Cons?
There are few cons involved in sugaring if you get it done by a reputable therapist in a clean and professional setting. Of course, any hair removal technique that pulls hair from the follicle is going to hurt. Pain is probably one of the only drawbacks of this technique, though most people find sugaring less painful than waxing. If you’re a seasoned waxee, you’ll find sugaring a walk in the park.
How To Get The Most Out Of It
Aside from choosing an established salon to get your treatment done, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of your sugaring experience.
Exfoliate Between Treatments
Exfoliating between treatments will decrease the risk of ingrown hairs and keep your skin smooth and supple. Book in for a full body scrub, use an exfoliating product in the shower or a dry brush three times a week for best results.
Avoid Using Creams or Lotion On The Day
Using lotion can prevent the sugar from adhering to the follicle properly. It also softens and conditions the hair, making it more susceptible to breakage.
AMO spa are now offering sugaring hair removal treatments. Visit our website or contact us via facebook or instagram if you want to get silky smooth skin the way Cleopatra did.
