Sugaring Vs. Waxing

There are a gazillion hair removal techniques out there the oldest of which is sugaring, also known as sugar waxing. In fact, sugaring as a hair removal method, is believed to date back as much as 30,000 years! While both sugaring and waxing remove unwanted body hair with longer lasting results than shaving, that’s where the similarities end.

At Sugar Me Bare, we care deeply about our clients and the environment, which is why we’ve put together this article on the pros and cons of sugaring vs waxing, so you can make an informed decision about which hair removal method is best for you and your skin type.

Let’s start with the basics.

 What are traditional waxes and sugaring waxes made from?

Traditional hard waxes are typically made from beeswax, rosins, and oils while soft waxes are usually cream based with resins and oils. While high quality waxes may be safe, a number of them can contain paraffin wax, a by-product of manufacturing petroleum, which contains quite a few toxins and isn’t exactly environmentally friendly.

Sugaring wax is made from sugar, water, and lemon. That’s it. The only additives you may find are a few drops of essential oils, or botanicals like chamomile which do wonders for soothing the skin. Sugaring wax is not only great for your skin but is also cruelty free, vegan, and environmentally friendly.

Hair growth:

Waxing needs your body hair to be at least ¼ of an inch long for it to work. Sugaring, on the other hand, can remove hair that is only 1/8th of an inch long making it perfect for that pre-last-minute getaway clean-up.

Skin sensitivity:

The ingredients used in sugar wax are gentle enough to use on the most sensitive of skin types – especially since the best sugar waxes use all organic materials that are gluten-free, natural, and hypoallergenic.

Additionally, unlike waxing which grips on to your skin as well as unwanted body hair, sugar wax only grips on to your hair and dead skin cells. This means that you won’t see the redness and irritation you typically get with traditional wax.

Fun fact: Sugar wax doesn’t stick to your live skin cells because of their high water content and sugar being water soluble.

You don’t need to be a pro:

Unless you’re used to it, waxing can be painful – wax needs to be applied in the direction of your hair growth and then removed in the opposite direction using a strip. Also, once you’ve gone over a spot, you can’t go over it again if you’ve missed some hair. Sugar wax hair removal is relatively easy as you remove it in the same direction as your hair grows without the need for an additional strip resulting in a less painful experience. Sugar wax can be reapplied to the same bit of skin multiple times. DIY Brazilian waxes – here we come!

No risk of burns:

Traditional soft wax needs to be hot when applied to your skin and waxing burns from wax that is too hot is quite a common occurrence. Sugar wax needs to be about your body temperature when applied so there’s no risk of burns.

Easy clean up:

It’s easy to miss a spot while tidying up after a traditional waxing session and you can end up feeling quite sticky. To start off with, sugar wax doesn’t stick to your skin so there is barely any residue. In case it does, no worries! Sugar wax is water soluble, so all you need to do is rinse it with some water and you’re good to go.

DIY Sugar Wax

You can find plenty of recipes online about how to make sugar wax at home. While you can definitely give it a try, we won’t recommend homemade sugar wax, especially if you are new to the entire procedure. The consistency of the sugar wax needs to be perfect for the hair removal procedure to be as effective and painless as possible – add too much or too little water while making the mix, and you’ll just be left with a sticky mess.

At Sugar Me Bare, we offer sugar waxes for all skin and hair types and they’re all natural, organic, and certified cruelty-free to boot. If you’re new to the process, we offer a short instructional video on our website to help you get started. Browse our sugar wax products or get in touch with us to know more!