Why choose hair removal using sugar paste?
Sugaring or caramel depilation is perhaps one of the simplest available ways to remove hair for a long time, not with a cosmetologist during a salon procedure, but at home. This is also an additional peeling of the upper layers of the dermis during removal, a vitamin mask, a long-term effect that is available at home.
There are practically no contraindications for hair removal with sugar. The exception will be serious mechanical and thermal damage to the epidermis and local bacterial ones. The procedure is distinguished by an affordable price and does not require special skills to perform. Another undeniable advantage is that it is easy to cook sugaring paste at home. Of course, there are professional formulations available, or you can always go to a salon specialist. However, homemade sugaring paste is not inferior to professional options.
Advantages of sugaring:
- Affordable price. Removal performed by a professional has a high cost. The ingredients for sugaring paste are not exclusive. They are available in, perhaps, every kitchen.
- Versatility. This form of hair removal is suitable for all parts of the body. It can also be used for areas with high sensitivity.
- Economical mass consumption. One prepared portion is enough to remove hair from several areas.
- Sugar paste contains only three natural ingredients. It will not provoke allergies (irritation after the procedure is not an allergy). An exception would be citrus intolerance.
- Gradual decrease in hair growth. During the procedure, the hair is removed along with the follicle, which leads to thinning of the hair shaft. No, the hair will not disappear completely, but over time the breaks between sessions will become longer and longer.
- Caramel removal is almost painless. Due to the fact that hairs are pulled out according to growth, and before the procedure the skin is steamed and scrubbed. Mechanical instant hair pulling causes virtually no pain.
- Improving the condition of the skin. The procedure involves gentle peeling of the upper layers of the dermis. After the session there are no ingrown hairs left.
- No need to grow hair. The minimum height allowed for work is 3 mm.
- Unlike a wax procedure or photoepilation, it is very difficult to get a thermal burn during a caramel procedure. Sugar for sugaring at home is heated only to 37 °C.
- Sugaring is a hygienic procedure because the integrity of the skin is not compromised. Also, due to the high concentration of sucrose, bacteria cannot reproduce and survive. This reduces the likelihood of bacterial infections.
- The procedure can also be performed with varicose veins (grade 1-2, this is not an obstacle to the procedure). Sessions are also possible during pregnancy (if the procedure has already been performed before).
The procedure has a minimal number of contraindications. Mechanical hair removal is not recommended immediately after:
- chemical peels;
- solarium;
- sunburn;
- laser skin resurfacing.
Any mechanical impacts are allowed only after a year.
How to use sugaring paste
Sugaring masters claim that the ideal hair length for removal is 4-6 mm. Too short ones will not be removed, and long ones will break off, but not be torn out by the roots. But it all depends on the thickness of the hairs and the depth of the hair follicles. So you will reach the optimal hair length on your own in a few sessions at home.
Preliminary preparation:
- Scrub treated area the day before the procedure. This is necessary in order to remove excess scales from the skin and lift hairs, as well as free ingrown hairs.
- Immediately before epilation disinfect the skin with Chlorhexidine, let dry. You can sprinkle the area with baby powder, but this is all individual, you can do without it.
- Preheat the pasta to the desired temperature in a water bath or in the microwave.
Operating procedure:
- Take a piece of pasta about the size of a teaspoon and knead it thoroughly with your fingers.
- When applying, consider hair growth – apply the paste against hair growth.
- With a vigorous movement along the body, tear off the paste along with the hairs in the direction of hair growth. Pull the skin with the other hand in the opposite direction. Do not pull upward, but rather pull the paste along the body . Follow this technology to prevent ingrown hairs after sugaring.
- At the end of the procedure, immediately remove any remaining paste from the skin and disinfect the skin again.
- Remaining remove hairs with tweezers, apply cream with panthenol to the treated area or sprinkle with thermal water.
- The paste can be applied to one area no more than three times in one session , otherwise the hairs will still not be removed, and you will definitely damage the skin. It won’t be noticeable right away, but the next day the picture, especially on the face, will become too obvious and ugly.
- A piece of paste can be used as long as it serves its purpose . If hairs cannot be removed, the consistency of the paste may not be suitable for the area.
- For several hours after treatment, you should not apply foundation, powder, deodorant or any other substances with aromatic fragrances to the skin (it all depends on the area that was subject to surgery). Let your skin recover.
What will you need to make it yourself?
Making your own sugar paste for sugaring at home is quite simple. When preparing, you do not need any specific compositions or tools. Everything that could be useful for making sugaring paste can be easily found in almost anyone’s kitchen:
- a small saucepan (preferably one with a thick bottom);
- measuring spoon;
- spatula for stirring the mixture being prepared;
- granulated sugar;
- lemon juice (acid is suitable as a substitute);
- water;
- container for cooling the finished caramel mass;
It is ideal, but not necessary, to have a food thermometer to measure the temperature of the finished caramel.
Is the same paste suitable for different areas?
In order to answer this question, you need to decide which hairs need to be removed. Namely, whether it will be soft, thin, vellus or coarse hair. Cosmetology specialists recommend changing the viscosity of the paste depending on the type of hair being removed.
With some skill, even preparing sugaring paste at home, you can achieve a viscosity suitable for different hair types.
Recommendations by zones:
- Soft compounds are ideally used in combination with paper napkins to remove fluff.
- Medium viscosity paste is more dense. This composition is ideal for use on the limbs. It is used mainly with the bandage technique. However, it can also be used for spatula application.
- Viscous paste has a denser consistency. Suitable for removing thick, coarse hair, for example in the groin area. To manipulate this consistency, only manual techniques are used.
The viscosity of caramel paste depends on the amount of sugar used during cooking, as well as the time. That’s why it’s so important when cooking it yourself to follow the proportions of sugaring paste given in the recipe. The consistency with medium fluidity is considered optimal for beginners. In principle, it is even suitable for manipulations in the groin area. It’s just that in this case the hair removal session will take a little longer. This will happen due to the fact that a smaller area will be processed at a time.
Types of sugar paste: choosing the right consistency is the key to success!
- Soft and flowing like honey, the paste is suitable for removing fine and vellus hairs on sensitive parts of the body, such as the stomach. More suitable for bandage techniques with strips of fabric or paper than for manual techniques.
- Medium paste for hair of medium hardness. Elastic, stretches well. It doesn't spread like a soft paste, but it doesn't roll into a ball like a thick paste. This paste is best used in manual techniques for hair depilation on calves and forearms or as a bandage on small areas of skin, for example, for removing mustaches or correcting eyebrows.
- Dense - for coarse thick hair, which is located in the bikini area and in the armpits. Very viscous, rolls into a ball. Suitable exclusively for manual equipment.
Cooking tips
Few people can immediately cook the mass for sugaring at home in the correct concentration. But this is not a reason to give up - everything is possible with experience. Frequent mistakes are overcooking or burning of the mass due to lack of liquid. Many girls complain that in just a couple of extra seconds on the fire, the usable mass turns into candy. Strict adherence to the recipe and small tricks will help you avoid caramelization:
- You should always strictly follow the recipe and observe the quantities of ingredients indicated in it.
- If there is not enough lemon juice, reduce the proportion of other ingredients proportionately. If you ignore this recommendation, you will not be able to cook sugaring paste at home.
- It is better to use sugar with large crystals. You can discard powdered sugar immediately. It will not reach the desired consistency when cooked. Fine sugar is also not good - it cooks poorly.
- After squeezing the juice (not factory-pressed), it should be strained. This must be done to avoid unnecessary inclusions from the pulp getting into the prepared mass.
- To prepare the caramel composition without any problems, you should give preference to aluminum saucepans. The use of enamel and Teflon types of cookware is excluded. For example, ordinary saucepans or ladles with a significantly thick bottom are ideal for obtaining the desired result.
- As soon as the cooking process reaches the consistency required for sugaring, you should immediately pour the entire resulting mass into a plastic cup or jar. A glass container will also work. This recommendation must be followed promptly, otherwise the caramel will thicken as it cools. In this case, it will not be easy to remove it from the container.
There are basic recipes for DIY sugaring paste.
A popular option is lemon juice. This variation of the recipe is simple, the components are available, and is considered the easiest to make. You should prepare:
- 300 g sugar;
- Squeeze the juice from half a lemon;
- 30 ml water.
Cooking steps:
- First, put everything in a pan.
- Mix the ingredients.
- Heat over low heat.
- Close with a lid.
- Caramel should not be opened before boiling.
- Once it boils, you won't need a lid.
- The sugar solution is stirred until it acquires an ocher color.
The readiness of the mass is easy to determine. To do this, just drop a little caramel into the water. If you crush it, and provided that it becomes similar in density to plasticine, everything is ready. With this consistency, the pan can be safely removed from the stove. If the sugaring paste turns out to be liquid, you should keep it on the stove a little longer.
The finished paste with a plastic consistency is used in conjunction with bandage strips. And the viscous variation, which resembles plasticine, is stretched with your fingers.
The second popular cooking method is based on citric acid. When there is no lemon, you can always replace it (without losing it as a future mass) with citric acid. The composition prepared in this way is soft and elastic. The secret of success is in precise adherence to proportions. This recipe requires the following:
- sugar - 300 gr;
- water - 80 ml;
- acids - 10 g.
The recipe is simple:
- All elements are mixed in a container (preferably with a thick bottom).
- The mixed components are heated by selecting the minimum temperature (one minute). They are filming.
- Allow the mixture to cool.
- Then heat for another 4 minutes, stirring continuously.
When the mass acquires a beautiful ocher color, it is removed from the stove. But you shouldn’t go by color alone.
It’s quite easy to make a sugaring paste at home, using a microwave to heat it evenly. Required ingredients for cooking pasta:
- 200 g sugar;
- 50 grams of honey;
- 50 ml lemon juice.
It is worth paying attention to one nuance. With this method of cooking, the pasta is cooked instantly; it is important to be careful not to burn the finished composition. You need to set the maximum power, and the time of one cycle should be no more than 15 seconds. When the oven completes the heating cycle, the mixture needs to:
- pull out;
- to stir thoroughly;
- check readiness.
At the last point, take out the container and drop a drop into the water. If necessary, cooking will need to be repeated. Boil a little more until a yellow tint appears and the viscosity of caramel appears.
Bikini, legs, where else can you do sugaring?
Sugaring (sugar depilation) is a universal procedure. It is used to remove unwanted hair on the legs, bikini area (including deep bikini), armpits, arms, face, chest and back (for men). Sugaring is even used for beard correction! Master virtuosos masterfully work with eyebrows, ears, and nostrils. Sugar paste can be used to treat any area except the mucous membrane.
The list of contraindications to the procedure is rather general. Thus, sugar depilation is not recommended in the presence of dermatitis and inflammation of the lymph nodes. Relative contraindications include: diabetes mellitus, diseases of the cardiovascular system, a history of an allergic reaction. During pregnancy, sugaring can be performed, but preferably not in the first trimester and provided that this is a repeated procedure.
What can be added to the composition?
Some girls prefer simple options without additives. However, there are variations of sugaring paste without lemon and citric acid. Some people like it when honey and essential oils are added to the composition. Such masses help to additionally nourish the skin with beneficial elements and have an antibacterial and soothing effect. Girls with allergies to citrus fruits should not worry either. In such a situation, a mixture with vinegar (prepared without lemon juice) will help.
Before preparing sugaring, you should check the presence of:
- 40 mg vinegar;
- 300 g sugar;
- 80 grams of water.
The recipe is simple:
- Mix all ingredients.
- Heat until boiling.
- As soon as bubbles appear, the temperature can be increased slightly.
- The composition must be stirred so as not to burn.
- The mixture is cooked until it becomes honey colored.
You can add essential oils to the paste (no more than 3-5 drops). They will help relieve irritation and disinfect the surface of the skin, and add a light aroma.
How else to cook sugaring? You can use a decoction of herbs instead of water. This cooking option will also have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin.
Features of work
It is important to choose the right type of composition for removal. A different mixture will be used on areas of the body. Main types of consistencies:
- Soft. For sensitive skin.
- Average. For application to key areas for removal.
- Dense. For coarse hairs.
But there are also options - very soft and very dense. Depilation with thick paste is recommended for sensitive areas. For legs and arms, the golden mean is suitable. A soft one will be needed if a girl cleanses her skin of unwanted hairs manually.
The operating temperature of most pastes is 36-37 °C. But there are pastes that require lower heating - 27 °C.
Soft paste for sugaring - how to use? It is somewhat reminiscent of honey. Suitable for ladies with thin, light or fluffy hair. Removal with this paste can be carried out on hard areas that do not have slopes. Very soft, recommended for thin, sensitive skin as it creates minimal irritation. It is better to work with a very soft paste if you have some experience in depilation.
Medium density is used by people with little or no experience. The consistency of the composition is suitable for application to any area. If you have hard, thick hairs, you can use sugaring paste with both medium and high density or combine it with other pastes.
They use sugaring paste in professional offices and at home. With proper understanding of what type of pasta should be, and having some experience, you can cook it yourself.
It is necessary to prepare for depilation. You need to prepare 48 hours before the procedure. Before the procedure it is prohibited:
- Visit the solarium. Sunbathing and performing procedures that may adversely affect the condition of the skin and cause burns or frostbite.
- The skin should not be inflamed.
- Avoid stressful situations, avoid excessive sweating.
- Check the integrity of the skin. If it is violated, cancel the procedure.
- Apply products with a creamy texture that make hair oily.
- You should check whether the hair is long enough.
- Before the procedure, thoroughly cleanse the skin with a soft scrub and apply lotion.
It is prohibited to scrub the armpit area!
Characteristics of compositions of different viscosities
Taking into account the recommendations of cosmetologists, you can correctly make a mixture for sugaring at home of different viscosities.
The soft consistency composition does an excellent job of treating large, uniform areas. For example, to remove hair from the abdomen, legs, arms.
Its main advantage can be called plasticity. To use it, it is not necessary to do additional heating. The warmth of your hands is enough for the mass to be evenly distributed on the selected segment of the skin. This consistency is recommended for use by beginners. It is with her that it is convenient to practice the technique.
The main disadvantage of soft mass is its sensitivity to ambient temperature. If the room where the procedure is being carried out is too hot, there is direct sunlight, there is a high probability that the paste will not harden on the selected segment. Accordingly, it cannot be used for work.
The second drawback is that this consistency is not suitable for spreading with fingers.
If we prepare sugaring paste at home with medium viscosity, then it is suitable for beginners and professionals. Can be used on all areas of the body.
Hard paste is suitable for operations with coarse, dense hairs. It is recommended for use by people with dark skin. Their hair is usually coarser than that of fair-skinned people. The main disadvantage is that the paste is difficult to apply. It is better to warm it up in hot water before use.
Reviews about which sugaring paste is best
Women who have purchased and tested store-bought sugaring pastes at home are ready to share their impressions of the sensations and results. An experienced hair removal specialist will comment on the reviews and add a few comments and tips.
Zhanna, 38 years old
For several years I removed facial hair with wax plates of the same brand. But, apparently, something changed in their production, and the quality of the product no longer satisfied me. I went to a specialized store to buy wax and unexpectedly decided on sugaring paste. It turned out that the bandage sugaring technique is practically no different from wax, but much more effective, or so I was told. I bought the softest sugaring paste, Gloria, and special cosmetic strips. I am familiar with the technology, so it was not difficult for me to perform the removal operation. The effect is really good. Perhaps I was so lucky for the first time, but the places that I touched with wax several times cleared up on the first go. Remaining paste is also much easier to remove from the skin than remaining sticky wax. If we talk about the product, the consumption is less and more economical, even taking into account the purchase of the smallest volume. Now I’m wondering if I should try treating my legs.
Expert's comment: Facial hair on women is such a delicate topic that many do not even mention it, and are simply embarrassed to go to salons. So, self-hair removal at home is a way out. To eliminate possible skin irritations, I recommend lubricating the treated surface with rosehip oil or sea buckthorn oil the next day. But do not use pharmacy calendula ointment - on the contrary, it dries the skin even more.
Nadya, 28 years old
My well-deserved epilator apparently decided that it had done everything it could and finally broke down. To be honest, the pain during the procedure and ingrown hairs did not make me happy, so I was not going to buy a new device. But summer was approaching, and something had to be done about my legs. I scoured the Internet, read reviews on websites and settled on Arabia sugaring paste (Aravia) Natural Caramel. I know my problems, so I chose the densest paste consistency. And the room temperature in summer promises to be high, which means the soft paste will spread and float. I had no previous experience, so I took the largest package to be sure. Prepared by online training, I took small pieces of paste (which, by the way, smelled very good), applied it and peeled it off in the right directions. Apparently, my hairs, having been repeatedly pulled with an epilator, were already weakened, so the first experiment turned out to be very successful. The irritation was much less than after the machine, and I think the jars of the mixture will last me all summer.
Expert's comment: A thick paste is ideal for working in the summer, especially if you apply it by hand. Sometimes, if the paste still sticks to your hands, proceed to applying it with a spatula. To eliminate the problem of ingrown hairs, there are special creams that prevent this unpleasant and painful problem. In between epilations (but not earlier than a few days after the procedure), you can additionally scrub your legs or use a hard washcloth.
Olga, 33 years old
When it comes to home hair removal, I consider myself an experienced specialist, so Epilogue immediately drew attention to the new type of sugaring paste. The new innovative product promised not only to remove hairs, but also to prevent their subsequent appearance. Well, I didn’t react too much to these promises, otherwise the entire laser cosmetology industry would have gone bankrupt. The oils in the composition also did not please me - after all, it is better to degrease the skin before the procedure. But the new composition with shungite interested me, especially since in the video the process looked like a mystical action. For the sake of experimenting, I ordered a package of powder (there are also granules). According to the recipe, the powder is diluted with warm water, the resulting black mixture is applied to the skin and dries for 15-20 minutes. The manufacturer promises epilation without ingrown hairs, but this cannot happen, because the paste does not work at all. That is, the paste came off easily, but without hairs, leaving them all in place along with black stains. This is where my experiments ended, it’s good that I didn’t order a couple of packages.
Expert's comment: Perhaps this consistency is not suitable for your hair type and hardness. Sugaring paste Gloria Monochrome appeared on sale quite recently, but has already proven itself to be excellent. The black mixture with mineral components is quickly applied, hardens immediately and removes hair without leaving any dark marks on the body. It is already used in many salons and copes with the toughest hairs and does not harm sensitive skin.
Is it worth cooking with a reserve, and how to store the pasta?
Since sugar, which is the basis of the remover, is a natural preservative, the mass can retain its working properties for up to 2 years. Therefore, you can cook sugar paste for sugaring for future use. It is important to follow basic storage rules:
- The jar for preserving depilatory paste at home should be tightly closed to prevent air from entering it.
- The optimal temperature to store the sugaring mixture at home should be no higher than 25 °C.
- It is necessary to ensure moderate humidity, since the mass easily absorbs moisture and loses quality.
- A refrigerator is suitable for storage. But you cannot freeze the composition. Once defrosted, it will become unusable.
- To prevent the sugaring paste from hardening, you need to ensure that the container in which it is stored is sealed.
- When the sugaring paste hardens, it can be heated in the microwave.
In the latter case, the main thing is not to overheat or burn out the composition (the burnt mass is not suitable for use).
Professional or home – which one to choose?
Everyone decides for themselves. Preparing sugaring paste at home gives you room to experiment with the composition. Buying a branded product saves time; the paste is guaranteed to have the consistency indicated on the package.
There are no particular differences in the quality of professional (industrially prepared) pasta from homemade pasta. In any case, everyone makes their own choice.
When choosing caramel hair removal for yourself, do not be afraid to experiment. You can try a branded sugaring paste (preferably two consistencies). But it’s worth trying to make your own composition that is as similar as possible to the professional one. Based on this comparison, you can already make a choice.
Sugaring is a great opportunity to take care of yourself at home. This is a simple cosmetic procedure. It does not require special skills or high costs.
The best soft density sugaring paste according to reviews
Sugaring paste “Soft” Start Epil
Sugaring paste “Soft” Start Epil
The majority of opinions unanimously chose the best paste with a soft consistency. Excellently removes even short hairs from 2mm, suitable for both bandage and manual techniques. Requires heating to 37 degrees.
Compound:
- fructose,
- glucose,
- water.
Volume:
- 100g (cartridge),
- 200g,
- 400g,
- 750g.
Advantages:
- effective removal of even short hair,
- very attractive price,
- variety of volumes, ease of home use and familiarity with the brand,
- hypoallergenic and natural,
- can be used for depilation of any area,
- economical consumption.
Flaws:
When used in summer, it is necessary to have an air conditioner in the room.
Price:
Price “Soft” Start Epil