Body sugaring is a method of hair removal that originated in ancient Egypt. It utilizes a ball of sugaring paste that is made with only three simple ingredients: lemon, sugar, and water. The sugaring paste is applied to the skin in the opposite direction of hair growth, and then gently flicked off the skin in the direction of growth for easy extraction. Unlike waxing, body sugaring does not involve sticks or stripes and therefore produces less waste.
In recent years, sugaring has exploded in popularity. It has quickly spread across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia! Many people are making the switch, and talk of a ‘new and improved hair removal’ is everywhere.
Despite its current popularity, sugaring isn’t exactly new. In fact, sugaring dates back to ancient Egypt!
The History of Sugaring
Hair removal in ancient Egypt likely started off with simple tweezers and pumice stones. Then, around 1900 B.C., the women of Alexandria began practicing a form of sugaring similar to what we use today. It is believed that they made their paste out of a honey mixture, known as ‘moum’, and it is rumored that Cleopatra herself used sugaring as her go-to hair removal method.
By 500 B.C. the women of ancient Egypt and Greece became inspired by Alexander the Great, who often charged into battle hairless and clean-shaven. Thus, over time, being hairless became the gold standard of beauty. Women of the era were considered clean and sanitary if they removed their body hair. Not only did this include the hair we remove today, but the hair on their heads as well. Lack of hygienic products contributed to this hairless trend, because most women did not have access to them. Since odor is more manageable when body hair has been removed, sugaring was an effective way for women to control this issue. They also utilized the fact that the high sugar content of their paste inhibited bacterial growth.
Sugaring Today
In recent years, the trend towards natural and eco-friendly products has continued, and consequently sugaring has also made a huge comeback. More and more women are discovering the advantages of sugaring every day. Sugar salons are popping up all over North America and around the world as more people switch from waxing to sugaring. SugarSMAC currently supply sugaring paste to clients from coast to coast across Canada and the USA! There are no signs of the sugaring movement slowing down as more people demand healthy and all-natural products to be used on their skin.
Are you interested in joining the sugaring industry? We invite you to send us an email at education@sugarsmac.ca. Whether you currently work in a salon or are just getting into the beauty industry, sugaring is for everyone. There are so many reasons to become a sugarist, and we would love for you to join the SugarSMAC team so we can share them all with you!