Sugar: A craving we just can’t kick, or the biggest trend in skincare?
While facials are our jam, we are also quite the experts in waxing and sugaring! Most of you are probably familiar with the term “waxing” and what it consists of, but sugaring is something that has recently popped up again in the skincare and beauty industry (note: it’s technically been around since 1900 B.C). So, what is it?
Although the recipe for Sugar sounds like something you could easily whip up at home, we highly recommend not doing so. The mixture consists of just sugar, lemon, and water, but can also include a chemical additive, depending on the brand you use (the brand we carry at Toccare is sans-chemicals). Waxing and sugaring are similar, but there are instances where you might choose the latter instead. Someone who has skin that is more on the sensitive side might opt out of waxing, and if someone has been using retinol and cannot necessarily handle wax, sugaring would be a great alternative for them!
Who can have this done?
Sugaring is beneficial for anyone, really, but there are a few specific types of people who would be perfect candidates for it. If you are someone who uses Retinol/Retinoid/ Retin-A, you would most likely know by now that waxing is a no-no, at least on areas where you use the retinol. This is because retinol causes our skin to be in a constant state of exfoliation, and does so by removing the outer layer of skin cells. Since waxing already does this on its own, mixing the two would cause you to lose yet another layer of skin, thus resulting in a “burn” type of reaction, and a whole lot of pain! Sugaring will only remove dead skin cells, meaning you don’t have to worry about potentially ripping off an additional layer of skin.
Other candidates for Sugaring would be people who tend to experience irritation from wax, such as redness, bumps, pigmentation, etc., or someone who may not have a high pain tolerance (It’s not just me, right?), or if you would simply prefer to use something more natural.
What are the benefits?
Natural alternative to waxing
Will not strip the skin of healthy cells
Delicate on facial tissue; won’t cause pigmentation
Less painful than waxing
Significantly slows down the rate of hair growth
Safe on sensitive skin
Does not leave residue behind on hair/skin
Removes hair straight from the root
How should I prepare myself?
Your esthetician will prefer that you have at least 1/8th of an inch of hair growth (similar to a grain of rice) in order to make sure there is enough hair for the sugar to properly grab onto. If you’re close to being on your period, or are currently on it, it’s important to note that your skin may be more sensitive during this time, thus resulting in what could be a more painful experience. For this, we recommend taking Ibuprofen beforehand, or if necessary, we can schedule the service around your cycle.
We highly suggest with all forms of hair removal that you avoid swimming, excessive sweating, and exercise post-treatment, as your pores will need time to heal afterwards.
What should I expect?
If you’ve been waxed before, the process will be pretty similar, but here’s a breakdown of what the service will consist of for you newbies.
Step #1:
You’ll enter the treatment room with your esthetician, and they will give you a short walk-through of what the service will include. They will then excuse themselves from the room so that you can undress and make yourself comfortable.
Step #2:
Once the esthetician returns, they will clean the area they’ll be sugaring, and then proceed to apply a powder to help soak up any oil and keep the area dry, as to make sure the sugar is able to grab every follicle of hair.
Step #3:
The sugar is kept in a warmer, so your esthetician will then dip her hand (while wearing gloves!) into the sugar pot, and pull out a ball-shaped amount of sugar that is proportionate to the area they’ll be focusing on. There are no sticks or strips required for this, and definitely no chance of double-dipping! The esthetician will continue to use this same ball of sugar until it has become over-oxygenated (you’ll notice this happens when the ball starts to turn white rather than the initial “honey” color).
Step #4:
The sugar will then be applied to the area against the grain and molded a few times before being flicked off in the direction of the hair growth.
The last step consists of the esthetician double checking the area to make sure all hair has been removed properly and that you are happy with the results. They will then exit the room again so that you may re-dress yourself, and you’re good to go!
Easy peasy, right?
How often should I have this done?
This completely depends on (a) how quickly your hair grows and (b) what area of the body is being sugared. Usually the hair in your underarms, or any area where you tend to sweat the most, grows faster than your legs or bikini area, so if you focus on those areas you may need to come back more frequently.
It also depends on how consistent you are with your follow-up appointments. Usually, the better you are at sticking to a routine, the further apart you can space your future visits.
Think a sugaring appointment could be in your future? Give us a call or send us a text and we’d be happy to help you schedule your next appointment!
Warmly,
Team Toccare
While we stand by our hair removal services, we want to make it known that Toccare also fully supports embracing your body as is. We will never push a service on you for the sake of what society has deemed “normal”.