Sugaring for hair removal: The eco-friendly pick?
Today we're featuring a guest post from Cassandra Sadek.
I've been reading Ecoholic by Adria Vasil, and have felt the call to make a concerted effort to lessen my footprint on the environment. So when I read the part about the ways that disposable razors and foaming shave gels negatively impact the environment, I decided that perhaps THIS was my opportunity! THIS would be step 1 in my new drive to make the world a better place!One of the eco-friendly solutions to hair removal is the ancient process of sugaring. It's much like waxing, but without the toxins and gunk. Plus, the cloth strips are easily washable with a little hot water, and therefore reusable. Bonus!After a bit of Googling I found the universal recipe for successful sugaring:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
I bought some basic cotton fabric and cut it into strips. I bought a hefty bag of sugar and a lemon. I got a candy thermometer to ensure I got it to the precise 250 degree temp. And I set to work.
The directions were followed, but as I was waiting for my sugar-licious mixture to cool down to the point where I could slap it on my legs without needing a call to 911, it started to harden. In a panic I tried spreading the amber mixture on my leg, and not only did it not stick to my leg because of the cornstarch I'd powdered with because this website recommended it for "tautness making it more effective," but it was also still WAY TOO HOT.
As it continued to set to a rock candy stage, I ran down to the kitchen to try and get it out of the glass dish before it completely set.
One foot of wax paper, a spatula, a spoon, and a paring knife later, I had a lovely little blob of artwork on my counter, and a dark amber dish you could have preserved a Jurassic mosquito in.
Mr. Man came to my rescue, and amidst giggling fits, helped me reheat the solution so the glass dish could be saved.
Moral of the story: Leave the sugaring to the professionals, ladies. There are much less stressful (and less messy!) ways to save the earth.
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June 3rd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Hi. Funny story. You're young - you'll learn. BUT, I would highly recommend buying sugaring solution. Once you have the cloth strips (and I've never found completely adequate material at the fabric store), all you have to do is buy the "sugar" jar. The method is quick, painless and I think cost effective, since it lasts quite a while. You can clean up stray areas (I always have trouble with the back of my legs - no hubby to help anymore) with depilatory or a razor.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
I'm not surprised you had trouble - the recipe on the Care2 site has an error in the instructions! You're only supposed to heat it to the soft ball stage, not hard ball as they say! Hard ball is for making hard candy.
If you use the correct temperature, it actually works well and you end up with a nice sticky syrupy batch that's pretty much identical to the "leg wax" you'd pay $12-15 for in a drugstore, but costs you only around 75 cents.
You might want to buy a commercial batch first (it's usually marketed as "leg wax" even though it's really sugar paste) so you can see what it's supposed to be like (and keep the strips from that one to use with your homemade stuff next time), but really, if you get the temperature right it's easy to do on your own.
Do make sure it's cooled enough first, though! Try a a drop on your hand first if you're not sure, and then if that feels OK, a drop on your leg before you start actually spreading it on. Bear in mind that your legs are likely to be a little more sensitive than your hands.
Also - doing your underarms and/or bikini line is WAY harder, and honestly, even after 30 years of waxing/sugaring my legs regularly, I still usually shave the pits, though maybe one day I'll get the technique down for that.
October 14th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Just tried it today for the first time - watched some youtube videos and started my batch. It worked perfectly, and I'm thrilled with it. Love your blog!