Waxing and sugaring are often grouped together because both techniques lift hair from the root and have a longer effect on the skin than shaving. But truth be told, they’re two very different techniques. With the waxing process, sometimes a strip is used to remove your hair in the opposite direction of your follicle’s growth pattern. The opposite happens with sugaring, where the hair is pulled in the natural direction of your follicle’s growth pattern. Wax also tends to be hotter than sugaring, which is normally room temperature.

Sugaring is a form of hair removal that resembles waxing but is gentler on the skin and is all-natural (only sugar, lemon juice, water, and glycerin).”  Sugaring paste is made with a simple mixture of lemon, water, and sugar. The ingredients are heated together to form a candy-like consistency and applied in this form to the skin.

Sugaring tends to hurt less because it pulls less on the skin while still effectively removing the hair. This also means that you will have a lot less irritation and redness.”  The recipe described above is the standard recipe, some salons can add essential oils or honey in their sugar as well.  This may cause allergic reactions to the process.

Wax mixtures are slightly different. Hard waxes, which are applied to the skin and removed after cooling, are usually made from a mixture of beeswax, resin and oils. Soft wax, which requires cloth or strips to remove, is made with rosin, oils, and other additives.