‘Is sugaring better than waxing?’ This is a question you will be asked by your clients again and again. Although it is easy enough to do the service and let the results speak for themselves, it’s even better if you can explain the benefits of sugaring to your clients. Here are the main differences in our comparison of waxing vs sugaring.
What are Waxing and Sugaring?
Waxing and sugaring are both forms of semi-permanent hair removal that removes the hair directly from the root (epilation). Waxing applies hot wax in the direction of hair growth and removes it in the opposite direction. Wax is applied using a wooden applicator stick and removed with a cloth strip.
In contrast, sugaring is applied by hand. A trained sugarist will apply the sugar against the direction of growth. The sugar is then quickly flicked off the skin, removing the hair in the direction of growth.
Waxing Vs. Sugaring: Why is Sugar Sweeter?
Though waxing and sugaring are very similar forms of hair removal, there are fundamental differences between the two methods. Read on as we discuss the significant differences between waxing and sugaring and why most people will choose sugaring once they understand these differences.
Difference in Temperature
Wax needs to be applied hot to remove the hair properly. You will hear horror stories of people getting burned during their monthly waxing appointments. This is usually a product of poor technique, but it does happen! Getting burned from hot wax, especially in the groin region, is an extremely unpleasant situation that can turn you away from waxing forever! Even with proper technique, clients often report inflamed and irritated skin after waxing.
Sugar, on the other hand, is applied warm. It is heated to body temperature and never gets much warmer than that. If the sugar paste was ever hot enough to burn you, it would be so runny that the sugar technician could not even remove it from the pot! Therefore, there is no chance that you will get burned during your sugaring appointment.
Direction of Removal
When it comes to removing the hair, wax and sugar are the exact opposites! Wax is applied in the direction of growth and removed against it. This technique can lead to increased breakage, resulting in increased ingrowns and hair that grows back more quickly.
Sugar is applied against the direction of growth and removed with it. Less pressure is therefore applied to the hair shaft, which leads to more hairs being removed directly from the root. You will end up with longer-lasting results and fewer ingrowns!
Ingredients
Wax and sugar contain entirely different ingredients. For example, let’s take a popular brand of wax, found in your local drugstore. The ingredients list is as follows:
-Hydrogenated Styrene/Methyl Styrene/Indene Copolymer
-Mineral Oil
-Silica
-Polyethylene Glycol
-Parfum
-Prunus Amydalus Dulcis Oil
-Tocopheryl Acetate
-Titanium Dioxide
-Hexyldecyl Stearate
Sugar, on the other hand, has a simple, all-natural list of ingredients:
-Lemon
-Sugar
-Water
That is it!
Eco-friendliness
Did you know that wax is non-biodegradable? It will never fully decompose, which means that if you have ever been waxed, that product is still sitting in a landfill! The chemicals in wax are non-water-soluble, making for a difficult clean-up that often leaves the skin with a sticky residue.
Besides the wax itself, many application sticks and fabric strips are used each appointment when waxing.
In contrast, sugar is an all-natural product. It dissolves immediately in water, has no harmful effects on our planet, and always allows for an easy clean-up. No strips or sticks are needed, since the sugar is applied by hand! Gloves are still required for the protection of both the sugarist and the client. One day soon these will hopefully be biodegradable as well!
Ease of Training
Let’s face it, waxing is much quicker to learn than sugaring!
However, with our detailed and comprehensive sugaring classes, and a little bit of patience, you can become a master sugarist! At SugarSMAC we offer a personal guarantee: if after the course you still need help perfecting your craft, we will continue to support and help you, no matter how long it takes!
Are you interested in switching your salon from wax to sugar? Send us a message at jason@sugarsmac.ca. We will be happy to help you make the transition!