How (& How Not) to make your own (All Natural) Sugar Wax!

Sugar wax: (n) a sugar based goop that you can use to pull the hairs from your body in one fell swoop (or many fell swoops, depending)

"OUCH!" you say, "Why would you want to do that?" Well probably because, growing up in a time and place where we are taught that one's outer appearance is the truest form of beauty and that girls aren't supposed to have hairy legs or pits or faces, I have come to view my own body hair as "icky". And while I realize that this subconscious notion is wrong, and that all bodies are beautiful just the way they are, its too late- already built in. So being from an exceptionally hairy peoples shaving just doesn't 'cut it' anymore (tee hee) and of all the waxing methods I've tried sugaring is the the easiest on my skin, and easiest to clean up.

And its ALL NATURAL and you just need 3 SIMPLE INGREDIENTS. So here's how I made mine.

Things You'll Need

• 1 Lemon
• 2 cups sugar 
• 1/4 cup honey
• saucepan
• scrap cotton fabric (old sheets work too!)
• scissors
• a wooden stick (big Popsicle sticks work best) 
• a mason jar for storing wax

 Lets get started!

 

My Lemon Juicing Rig

Step 1) Mix Sugar, Honey, Lemon Juice

First begin preparing your lemon. I used a paper coffee filter over the lip of the mason jar (secured with a rubber band) and squeezed all the juice I could manage. That way it filtered out all the pulp. This will take a few minutes. So meanwhile, measure all your ingredients into your saucepan. I'm sure any 2 cups of sugar would work, but I was running a wee-bit low on plain sugar so I used 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar (my wax ended up being quite dark, so this may be why). Then add your 1/4 cup honey and your filtered lemon juice. (Don't toss out that lemon peel just yet!)

Step 2) Heat and Stir

I wanna say that I did this step in a way I'd never want to do it again. so DONT: melt down the sugar and then add honey and lemon juice. It will boil and bubble and probably splatter and burn you like it did to me. Instead, DO heat all ingredients together over medium to medium-high heat until they begin to melt together. As the sugar begins to melt and caramelize  be sure to stir often so that it doesn't burn. For me this took a good 30-40 minutes. (Sugar has a high melting point.) Once it gets to a light honey color take it off the stove. Pour it into a clean mason jar (wide mouth is best) and let it cool. It will continue to thicken and darken (and if you use brown sugar like me it will end up dark as molasses).

Oh and be careful when mixing the sugar at first. Its quite thick and I broke my favorite bamboo spatula!

Step 3) Wax Those Hairs!

Cooled Sugar Wax that's Ready to Use!

Break out those scissors and start cutting some strips out of that scrap cotton or old sheets! I forgot to pre-wash my muslin, so It was one time use for me (as they shrunk in the dryer), but if you use old sheets, you should be able to easily wash and reuse them! Cut them whatever size you need- I waxed my legs so I cut them into 2.5"x5" strips. Make sure the wax is cool enough not to burn you, but still warm enough to easily spread. Apply wax using your wooden stick (I used a thick kabob stick-because that's all I had around) Make sure to spread it on in the same direction as the growth. Smooth a cotton strip over it- again be sure to smooth in the same direction as hair growth. Then brace yourself, take a deep breath, and yank that sucker off of there in the OPPOSITE direction than the hair growth. OuchYay! You did it! (I don't have a picture of that part because my legs were insanely gross AND the pictures didn't turn out well *phew!*)

Cleaning Up!

Clean up should be pretty easy. Use warm water to rinse all your strips if you want to reuse them (or toss em out if you don't). Any leftover wax on your skin can also be removed with warm water.

Also, like any other waxing, sugaring may leave your hair follicles a little red, so I use those LEMON PEELS that we saved from earlier and rub them on the waxed areas. Not only does it smell good, but it seems to help keep the inflammation and stinging down. :)

Re-Using Leftovers

Don't waste your leftovers! Once cool, put a lid on your jar and store it in your fridge. All you have to do to REHEAT your wax is place your jar in a pan of boiling water (just enough to reach the wax level in the jar). It will get all soft and pliable again. Remember to keep your washed cotton strips too!

Happy Waxing!!