Sugaring, sugar waxing, or Persian waxing is a method of

hair removal Hair removal is the deliberate removal of body hair or head hair. This process is also known as epilation or depilation. Hair is a common feature of the human body, exhibiting considerable variation in thickness and length across different po ...

that has been in use since 1900 BC. Historically,

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

was confined to the regions surrounding Persia until the first millennium AD. As a result, it is speculated that

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

was the first sugaring agent. Sugaring was also known as ''sukkar'' or ''ḥalawa'' in the Middle East, as ''ağda'' in Turkey, and as ''moum'' in Iran. Sugaring is often compared to standard waxing. During the process, a sugaring substrate sticks to and essentially removes hair without attaching to the skin, making it far less painful than waxing. The substrate can be applied at room temperature or heated to a lukewarm temperature, minimizing the risk of burns. For this reason, sugaring is generally preferred over waxing when it comes to removing hair from larger areas of skin. If someone has sensitive skin, sugaring can nevertheless result in skin irritation and reaction. However, this can sometimes be prevented by taking an

antihistamine Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provides ...

. Sugar itself is otherwise hypoallergenic. There are some distinct differences between home and professional-use sugar paste. The majority of store-bought products contain wax, while homemade pastes often utilize sugar and other natural ingredients.

Sugaring paste

Sugaring paste can be prepared with common household food items such as

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

lemon juice The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

cornstarch Cornflour, cornstarch, maize starch, or corn starch (American English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken s ...

and

molasses Molasses () is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction, and the age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usuall ...

. Lemon juice is added for its acidity, which breaks up the sucrose into fructose and glucose. As in candy making, this gives the finished sugaring wax a non-crystalline, or

amorphous In condensed matter physics and materials science, an amorphous solid (or non-crystalline solid) is a solid that lacks the long-range order that is a characteristic of a crystal. The terms "glass" and "glassy solid" are sometimes used synonymousl ...

, structure. Getting the correct consistency takes practice for most users. Pre-made sugar paste is also sold. This includes professional and retail versions, which may contain

guar gum Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan polysaccharide extracted from guar beans that has thickening and stabilizing properties useful in food, feed, and industrial applications. The guar seeds are mechanically dehusked, hydrated, mi ...

for texture or essential oils to condition skin. Since sugaring paste is water-based and water-soluble, the substance can be easily cleaned up with warm water. Sugaring is sometimes preferable to waxing because it has no resins, except for

guar The guar (from : gvār) or cluster bean, with the botanical name ''Cyamopsis tetragonoloba'', is an annual plant, annual legume and the source of guar gum. It is also known as gavar, gawar, or guvar bean. The genus name ''Cyamopsis'' means '' ...

Process

With the strip method, known as sugar waxing, the area to be epilated is typically dusted with powder (commercial or corn starch) prior to application of the sugaring solution, which is spread on with a

spatula A spatula is a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift material including foods, drugs, plaster and paints. In medical applications, "spatula" may also be used synonymously with tongue depressor. The word ''spatula'' derives ...

or tongue depressor. After the sticky paste is applied to the skin in the same direction of hair growth, a strip of porous cloth or paper is pressed into the preparation and quickly removed, with the strip taking hairs along with it. In contrast to traditional waxing, any sugaring paste residue left can be washed off with water. The process can be repeated after 8–10 days of hair growth, unlike the 3–4 weeks worth of hair growth traditional waxing requires. Traditional sugaring is done with only a ball of sugar paste and no strips are needed. This method includes applying the paste to the area against the direction of hair growth and removing the sugar paste in the direction of hair growth. This produces less pressure on the hair shaft, leading to less breakage, and resulting in smoother skin than traditional wax or sugar waxing.

References

External links

* wikibooks:Body Hair Removal/Equipment#Sugar *{{cite web , url=http://hairremoval.about.com/od/sugarwaxing/ss/sugar-hair-removal-recipe.htm , title=Sugaring Hair Removal Recipe , work=About.com Hair Removal , accessdate=29 July 2012 , archive-date=4 August 2012 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804054347/http://hairremoval.about.com/od/sugarwaxing/ss/sugar-hair-removal-recipe.htm , url-status=dead
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