Make Hair Removal Wax at Home

It's nice to pamper yourself sometimes with a trip to the waxing salon, but sometimes you just can't wait for an appointment. If you want to skip the salon and try waxing on your own, this article will show you a simple recipe to make hair removal wax on your own.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (250ml) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (250ml) honey
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Steps

Making the Wax

  1. Melt the sugar. In a medium-heavy saucepan, add the sugar and cook over medium-high heat, without stirring—just an occasional swirl of the pan—until the sugar begins to caramelize. This will smell delicious!
  2. Stir in the honey and lemon juice with a wooden spoon. Be careful: the sugar will be very foamy, and very hot.
    • Continue stirring until the mixture has melted and has the consistency of pancake batter. If the mixture is too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have the right consistency.
  3. Let the wax cool slightly before you use it. If you want to use it later, let it cool, then refrigerate it.

Using the Wax

  1. Check the length of the hair that you want to remove. Your hair should ideally be between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch (3 mm and 6 mm) long.
    • If your hair is too short, then the wax won't pull the hair out by the roots.
    • If your hair is too long, you may experience a little bit of discomfort.
  2. Prepare your strips of fabric. If you don't have strips already, you can cut up or tear up a cotton or linen shirt.
    • To fix frayed edges, sew around the edges of your strips with a sewing machine.
  3. Dust the area with baby powder before applying the wax. Baby powder or cornstarch will absorb body oils and moisture, allowing the wax to stick to the hair (not your skin), making the process much less painful.
  4. Apply the wax. Using a wooden tongue depressor or a spatula, apply your homemade wax where desired. Apply the wax in the direction of hair growth.
  5. Press the fabric into the wax. Take a strip of cloth, place it on the wax, and smooth it in with the direction of hair growth.
  6. Let the wax cool completely. Pull lightly on the bottom edge of your fabric strip to see if it sticks well enough.
  7. Remove the strip. Hold your skin taut by pulling at it from a point underneath the edge of your fabric strip and pull the strip off against the direction of hair growth. Do this very quickly. Do not pull it off at a 90° angle, but in a more shallow angle.
  8. Store any leftover wax in the refrigerator. It should keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, or a couple months in the freezer.



Tips

  • If you wax a visible area, like your face, you can apply a cooling gel afterward to minimize redness. If you are prone to redness, consider waxing areas of your face on a day when you don't plan to go out.
  • If the mix leaves residue on your skin, then rinse the area with warm water. If this doesn't work, boil some water on your stovetop and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Let the water cool and rinse the area again.
  • If the mixture hardens before you apply it, use a double-boiler to reheat until it melts again.
  • About 2 days before you wax, exfoliate the area using an exfoliating cleanser or a loofah.

Warnings

  • Avoid reheating wax in the microwave. Microwaves heat wax unevenly and may create extremely hot patches. To warm up your wax, place it in a bowl of hot water instead.
  • Be sure to test the temperature of the wax very carefully before applying it to your skin.

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Sources and Citations

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