How to make Sugaring Paste from Home

Sugaring follows the same principle as waxing by using a product to pull hairs out of the skin directly from the root. Sugaring is however a 100% natural process, made from all-natural ingredients, and tends to be less painful and less harsh on the skin than waxing is.

With a few cheap ingredients and a little practice you can easily find yourself using the sugaring technique for all of your hair removal needs right in the comfort of your own home.

How to Make Sugaring Paste at Home

Here is a simple recipe for home-made sugaring paste. It is important to follow the directions correctly and to keep an eye on the color of the paste.

On the one hand, a too-light solution will most likely be too sticky, but a too-dark solution will be too dry.

We recommend using a heavy, stainless steel saucepan rather than a thin one as it is important to let the paste cook slowly and not overheat and burn.

A heavy saucepan will distribute the temperature evenly.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar (preferably organic cane sugar, but light brown sugar is also good)
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 4 tsp lemon juice

Directions

  1. Bring the ingredients to a boil in the heavy saucepan
  2. Leave to boil for 2 minutes then reduce the heat slightly to a light boil
  3. Stir regularly and watch the color of the mixture – once it turns to a light golden brown reduce the heat to a simmer (this will take about 20 minutes)
  4. Continue to stir regularly to avoid the mixture burning at the bottom of the pan.
  5. Leave to simmer until the mixture turns to a definite brown/dark amber color (this will take about 25 minutes).
  6. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the pan.
  7. Transfer into a container and leave to cool to room temperature.
  8. Paste is best used once the mixture has been left to settle for 24 hours.

You should be able to roll the paste into a small ball, apply to the skin and pull off without leaving residue.

How to Use Sugaring Paste

  • Make sure the skin has been exfoliated and is dry. You can apply baby powder to the area to help the paste adhere to the hairs. Sugaring paste can be used on hairs as short as 1/16 of an inch (any shorter and the paste will most likely not work).
  • Apply the paste in the opposite direction of the growth of the hair. You can apply the paste over the entire area that you are working on as there is no need to worry about it hardening. Smooth the paste down going against the direction of growth of the hair. This will ensure that the paste coats all hairs correctly.
  • Pull the paste off quickly in the direction of growth of the hair – this will ensure that hairs do not break beneath the surface of the skin. This process is different to the waxing process as wax is pulled off in the opposite direction of the growth of the hair.
  • If you miss any hairs you can reapply the paste on the stragglers and go through the steps again – as the paste is gentle and the process less painful than wax it shouldn’t irritate the skin. If it is your first time we recommend waiting a few hours before reapplying to see how your skin reacts.
  • Wash off any excess paste with water and moisturize your skin.

Here you can see a video of the procedure:

Advantages and Disadvantages

Pros

  • Easy to make at home
  • Super affordable
  • 100% natural
  • No need for spatulas or strips
  • Faster process than wax
  • No need to reheat the mixture once it has been made
  • Water soluble
  • Hypo-allergenic and more gentle on the skin than wax

Cons

  • Hair needs to be at least 1/16 of an inch for the paste to work
  • Tricky to get the right consistency at home at first
  • It may take a few sessions to figure the right application process out for good results
  • Difficult to find a professional in a salon who can/will perform the traditional sugaring technique. Most salons offer “sugaring wax” which is a blend of sugar paste and wax.
  • Still painful as it pulls hair out from the root, even if it is not as painful as wax.
Sue
 

For the past 12 months, I have been testing and playing with all sorts of hair removal products for Hair Free Life. My goal is to provide the most accurate and up-to-date hair removal consumer information on the internet. When I'm not photographing, reviewing and researching hair removal products I play the drums in a samba band and am a volunteer for the Swindon Lions! Got any questions? Write to us below:

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