When I heard about sugar waxing—the process of waxing with sugar—I knew it was probably legal. I distinctly remember at my eighth birthday party my cousin stuck a lollipop in my hair and no matter how much I pulled it he couldn't get it out without ripping my hair out too. . In an act of frustration (probably because I couldn't stop crying), my mom just cut off a small piece of my hair and finally pulled it out. That, my friends, is the power of sugar.
After some research, I discovered that this method of hair removal is actually quite ancient. People have been using sugar wax for hair removal for years, especially in the Middle East. Unlike regular hot wax, sugar only removes hair from the roots. Plus, it’s a great skin softener and exfoliant made from natural products!
What makes sugaring even more appealing are the two ways you can use it to remove hair. There is a soft wax method where you apply warm wax to the area and then use strips to remove the hair. Secondly, there is the hard wax method, where you roll the cooled wax into a ball, stretch it over the area, and then tear it off using only the wax. Sounds easy, right?
this experiment
Knowing that razors can be expensive and that I'm lazy in the shaving department, I decided to try sugaring them. I've never waxed my legs before, but I know it can prolong hair growth (yes) and also reduce hair regrowth (double yes). My frugal side was also excited to learn that I could make sugar wax at home with just a few simple ingredients.
To try this, I first made sugar wax on the stove and then tried it on the lower half of my legs. I wanted to go with the hard wax method because it seemed to involve less mess and less material than the soft wax form. If all goes well, I know I can replace my bi-weekly shaving ritual with a new form of hair removal that better suits my needs.
Batch 1 (yes, there are more after this)
I really wanted to make sure I was doing it right, so I looked up a lot of YouTube videos and read a few articles about how people make their own sugar wax. Most people use the same formula and the same method to get the perfect hard wax, so I think using this one is a safe bet as well.
The most distinctive recipes include:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon/lime juice
- 1/4 cup water
- pinch of salt
After putting all the ingredients into the pot, I turned the stove to medium-high and waited for it to boil. Once it's done, I turn the heat down to medium-low so it cooks until it turns a deep golden brown. I stirred the sugar until it started to brown to the color I recognized in the video, thinking it would darken as it cooled. Once the color was right, I waited a few minutes and poured the contents into a clean glass bottle (I don't have marble countertops).
Now that the cooking was done, I just had to wait until the sugar cooled before I could actually use it. I spent this time quickly cleaning the pan and everything covered in sugar because the sugar becomes very hard (and harder to clean) after it cools. I was fairly confident that I made the sugar the right way, so I set it aside overnight.
The next day I tried rolling it into a ball like in the video. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that this was nearly impossible. My sugar was still too soft to roll, instead it just coated my hands. I couldn't even touch anything because my hands were literally covered in caramel substance. I tried to save it by putting it in the microwave to heat it again, but to no avail. Every time it cools down I'm still left with a very sticky sugar which obviously doesn't work like hard wax.
Batch 2
I checked out more videos again (focusing only on the cooking aspect this time) while pulling out all the ingredients again. That's when I noticed that the color of my sugar was too light compared to the dark amber wax in the video. A little frustrated, I made a second batch using the same recipe but left the sugar on the stove longer until it darkened in color (35 minutes). I then poured it back into a clean glass jar and waited for it to cool.
When I came back, I encountered another sticky substance that wasn't hard enough to pull on its own. I tried microwaving it again but it still wasn't hard enough. So I tried the soft wax method. I found an old T-shirt and cut it into strips. I then applied a thin layer of sugar wax and pressed and rubbed them to make sure it was really set.
1, 2, 3, tear it apart!
The pain only lasted about a second, but my annoyance increased when I discovered that I still had a lot of hair left on my legs! I looked at the strip and saw only a few strands of hair, which luckily had been pulled out by the roots. However, all the pain from just a few threads doesn't make it go away. I tried a few more times and it just seemed to hurt and not continue with satisfactory results. I threw that batch away.
Batch 3
By this point, I had made up my mind. My leg hair is quite long and I am going to get rid of it. I looked up more videos and finally found one made by a pastry chef. She shares more details of the cooking process and offers a way to see if the sugar is indeed cooking correctly and reaching the correct hardening stage. I followed her recipe and suggestions until my sugar turned amber again, then poured it into a ceramic bowl.
Unlike other videos that tell me to let it cool, she stirs it in the bowl every few minutes until it's ready to use. I stirred over and over again, finally trying to get the spoon to actually turn. When this happened I thought I was ready and tried to grab some with my hands. There's still water flowing! I chalked it up to it being still too hot, scooped it into a glass jar, and left it alone.
result
The next day it was very cold at my house, typical summer weather. When I poked the sugar wax it was slightly dented but still hard. I prepared a towel and some damp cloth on the floor and grabbed a piece of candy with my hands. After kneading it a little, I applied it to my legs, slowly applying it a few times to my hair growth, and then tearing it in the direction of my hair growth.
I was definitely in pain for the first few parts, but I got used to the feeling after a while. I was able to use the same sugar wax ball for a long time until my body heat/constant tugging made it too sticky to come off in one piece. I was also able to remove some hair until my skin became irritated from the constant peeling of the wax.
When using the wax, I try to focus on different parts of my legs, alternating each leg to avoid chafing or irritating my skin quickly. Once I've gone through all the "sections," I'll go back and start over to see if I can remove more hair. I did this for about an hour. Unfortunately, even though I spent a lot of time waxing the floors, the process still left a lot of hair on my legs.
my conclusion
To be honest, I probably underestimated how difficult it would be. I believe I'm a decent baker and can make something to survive, so I don't worry about boiling a pot of sugar. But after trying it three times (and using six cups of sugar in the process), I realized that boiling sugar is an art I'm not quite up to yet. Some people use candy thermometers, but most people who make sugar wax don't, and I didn't have one to begin with. In retrospect, that probably helped me do better.
I also didn't realize I would get as sticky as I did. I know this is unavoidable because working with sugar can definitely get messy. However, I was literally covered in caramel and could barely touch anything! There was also sugar all over my floor, my hair, my clothes, and anything else near me. This is not a fun cleanup.
I'm hoping someone can help me with the cooking process and have successfully waxed sugar before. Although I watch a lot of YouTube videos, nothing is more important than being with you. Due to the impossibility of predicting whether your sugar will be cooked correctly (even if you follow the steps), and the time it takes to wait for it to cool down/the surrounding area to be at the right temperature, I don't think I'll be doing this again anytime soon.
I'm sad it didn't work out in my favor. If I could find someone to help me, maybe I'd give it another try. I know it's possible , and some people have mastered it (hat's off to you!), so this is entirely something I'm doing wrong. I may need to keep practicing. But for those of you who are impatient, have trouble cooking, or love cleanliness, this beauty tip may not be in your best interest.
Image: Author's own
