A Look At: How Sugar & Co. Body Sugaring Pastes were Created

Hi Sugars! Welcome to 2018!

We know it’s been a while since our last post, and if you’ve been keeping up with our social media you might have seen that 2017 was a big year for us! We endured lots of successes and hardships, and grew so much as a business and as individuals. In this new year, we hope to continue to provide practitioners and consumers with high quality sustainable beauty products.

To kick off 2018, we wanted to start by filling in all of our wonderful practitioners and followers more about who we are, and everything we know about body sugaring! So get cozy, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and let me tell you how everything started.

To be honest, the first time I heard about body sugaring was when I began to work with Sara and Samantha in the spring of 2015. I had no idea of what sugaring was! I mean,  I was familiar with waxing and all of the at-home waxing kits available at the drugstore – I had even tried a few (with varying success) myself. I had no idea that body sugaring was a completely different method of hair removal compared to waxing.

So, if you are like me and are unsure of what body sugaring is, let me tell you some of the interesting facts I have learned!

Waxing vs. Sugaring

 Waxing

Body hair removal by waxing is still one of the most common methods used today.  Commercially available waxes can be found in a soft or hard consistency, and often, require the use of strips to remove the hair. These waxes are made with petroleum based resins, and other harsh chemicals that can cause skin irritations, burning of the skin, as well as ingrown hairs. If you use wax often, you might notice that the sticky residue left on the skin is not water soluble, which means that you will need the help of oils or harsh solvents to remove it – and we know that the last thing you want to do after waxing is to put an alcohol based cleanser on your tender skin – OUCH!

Body Sugaring

Body sugaring originated in the Middle East, where is still commonly used, and it has many notable advantages when compared to waxing:

1. The sugaring paste is non-toxic and made with simple every day ingredients: lemon juice, water, and sugar.
2. Traditionally, Middle Eastern women prepared the sugaring pastes by heating a mixture of sugar, lemon juice, and water for a period of time and then let it cool into a putty-like consistency.
3. The body sugaring paste is water soluble which means that if you have any sticky residue left, you do not need any harsh solvents or oils to remove it, just use water!
4. The body sugaring paste is 100% natural and it works as a natural exfoliant helping reduce the appearance of clogged pores and ingrown hairs.

After discovering these facts, my mind was burning with questions; if sugaring is SO MUCH BETTER, why isn’t it the method of choice for hair removal? If it is only three simple ingredients, why can’t I just make it at home? Why are body sugaring products on the market so limited?

The problem:

So now that I had a good understanding of what body sugaring was, as a chemist, I had to look at the chemical composition of the sugaring pastes available on the market. I chose to really focus on the ingredients being incorporated, the quality of the product, and their effectiveness in removing hair. My results were shockingly not good.

• One of the key issues that I first encountered was that many of the body sugaring pastes on the market were not consistent. What that meant was that month to month, as new jars of sugaring pastes were used, the consistency from one batch to the other were completely different. This issue caused practitioners a lot of grief, as well as a loss of income.
• Another red flag was the fact that some of the products in the market, targeted for body sugaring, contained petroleum based chemicals, resins, and other additives to extend the shelf life of the product. This could cause skin irritations, skin abrasions, etc., to the clients.
• Another issue that I encountered, especially when speaking to the professional practitioners at Sugarbush Spa, was the fact that the sugaring products would:
• Breakdown upon changes in room temperature and high humidity levels resulting in ineffective removal of the hair.
• Harden too quickly – this issue caused practitioners to put a lot of strain on their working hands, resulting in a painful arm at the end of the day.

Criteria for an effective body sugaring paste

Knowing all of these issues with the sugaring products on the market, the next step was to innovate an effective product that would:

1. Be 100% natural – no harsh chemicals.
2. Perform effectively upon changes to room temperature and humidity levels.
3. Have an enhanced elasticity to allow practitioners use less product and relieve some of the strain on their arms.

One of the first things that we did before experimenting with ratios and conditions to make the sugar paste, was by breaking down the components of the sugaring pastes and focusing on each of the ingredients chemical properties and how they would behave when mixed together. I won’t get into the details of the chemistry of cosmetics, but if this is a topic that interests you, leave us a comment and we will be happy to write another blog post on that topic!

To make a long story short, the development of our products was no easy task. We had to change our formula countless of times, and after two and a half years, we finally innovated two amazing body sugaring pastes: Soft and Firm.

Both products are 100% natural, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, non-abrasive, cruelty free, vegan, gluten free, and help reduce the appearance of ingrown hairs. Soft and Firm perform effectively upon changes to room temperature and humidity levels and we were able to enhance the elastic properties of the products to ease the work of practitioners.

So now that I have given you a bit of a glance on how everything went down, are you curious to try body sugaring?  Please let us know in the comments below if you have tried body sugaring or if you have any questions.

You can also contact Sugarbush Spa if you are looking to book a sugaring appointment! Feel free to contact Sugar & Co. Canada if you are a certified practitioner interested in using our products.

Until next time!

xoxo

Joanne – The Sugar Dr.

Oh! And don’t forget to connect with us on social media!

 

Beauty Favourites, 2016!

As the year comes to an end, I have to say my thoughts echo those of John Oliver’s exactly. NO THANK YOU, 2016!

But it hasn’t all been bad – the world gave us Stranger Things, Joe Biden memes and the breakup of Brange (good for me, anyway I have big dreams). 2016 also brought some new beauty favourites that I know will still be lingering in my bag in 2020.

Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector

To anyone who suffers from the constant and forever darkening under eye area – this corrector will save your life. If I was on a lifeboat and had an option between this and fresh water, I’d seriously have to consider my options – that’s how good it is.

I’ve tried EVERYTHING from drugstore to high-end could never find anything that actually corrected the darkness under my eyes and didn’t crease. The first time I tried it I was so skeptical it was actually going to work that when I put it on and noticed a difference right away, I thought no it’s definitely going to crease during the day. By the end of the day my under eye area looked the exact same – bright, and awake.

After months of use, I might love this corrector even more because it’s held up against everything, weather, hangovers, late work nights, you name it. It’s so good that I’ve even warn it alone, with no concealer.

Tip: I apply the corrector by hand, and I like to “warm” the product with the tips of my fingertips before applying.

Benefit Roller Lash

I hate mascara. It smudges, it smears, and it can give you raccoon eyes – not cute. Like clockwork every three months when my mascara ran out, I would go and try another new one someone swore by, only to be disappointed and try again. I’ve bought Benefit Roller Lash three times.

Roller Lash is incredible for so many reasons, it curls, lengthens and DOESN’T smudge. The applicator is incredible, there are never any chunks and it evenly distributes the product. After wearing eyelash extensions for two years, my lashes paid the price and were short and straight – Roller Lash grabs the small lashes that are pointing down and straight, and helps lift and curl them. 

It washes off like a dream – no more lingering mascara for days. Another perk,  it’s affordable and in my opinion, beats all other high-end mascaras (and I’ve tried them all).

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

Can you tell I have a thing for my under eye bags? They are the bane of my existence, and I would walk to the fires of Mount Doom in order to get rid of them forever. Since that is not an option, I have found the second best thing. 

Laura Mercier’s Secret Brightening Powder will set and lock your corrector and concealer in place all day. No creasing, no settling into fine lines, and it really gives the under eye area a pop. Less is more with this product, a small amount goes a long way. 

Tip: Apply this with a very damp beauty blender and let sit for a few seconds before lightly brushing off. 

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Face Palette

Becca released some of my favourite beauty products this year and another has made the list, the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Face Palette. Unfortunately this is a limited edition palette – which they should definitely reconsider because it’s that good. 

The two highlighters are heavenly and give you that ethereal glow without being too look at me. They’re both great for daytime or nighttime and are easily built up to create a more intense glow. 

The blushes included have an amazing silky formula and are extremely pigmented. They glide beautifully on the skin and the colours are to die for. Again, mixing and matching lets you create the perfect blush. Travelling can be exhausting and packing even more so, but this palette is great to throw in your bag and go. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer

Having an olive complexion can be great, I tan easily and I don’t have any redness but that also means in the winter months my complexion turns ugly and sallow. It looses all colour and I feel like I look sick. Pop some Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer on and I am transformed into a healthy, bronze goddess reminiscent of Gisele herself. Or not. 

It helps naturally contour the face and gives a natural bronze glow – nothing fake or harsh. The colour isn’t too orange, dark, or shimmery – it imparts a nice sheen that is subtle. A sun kissed look all year round never hurt anyone who doesn’t live in California.

Sugar & Co. Products

Last, but certainly not least Sugar & Co. body sugaring products have left my skin smooth, soft and hairless. Made with all natural ingredients, sugaring is a gentler, less abrasive form of hair removal. 

Waxing has been the mainstream form of hair removal for centuries, but why? Sure, it’s fast but is leaving with a patch of your skin missing sexy? No. Sugaring cannot burn, lift or tear skin and can be used on all skin types. 

I’ve said goodbye to razors, razor burn, ingrown hairs, and irritated skin. And I guarantee once you try sugaring, you’ll join me in realizing that #sugaristhenewwax.

Sugar & Co. would like to thank everyone for their continued support and for pushing us to create products that our practitioners and client’s alike love. We have big things in store for 2017 and we can’t wait to show them to you. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you and yours!

See you in 2017,

Samantha x Sara 

Micellar Water, Yas Please!

Is there a better feeling than taking off your makeup at the end of the night? I love washing off my makeup just as much as I love putting it on; but there is nothing worse than cleansing your face and having it feel as parched as the Sahara desert.

There are so many cleansers on the market – wipes, balms, milks, gels, it can be hard to differentiate which are good, or bad. When we developed our product line we knew we didn’t want our cleanser to have any harsh chemicals or alcohols that cause that tight, dry feeling. When we discovered micellar water, we knew we had hit the Adele of cleansers.

So why is micellar so much better for your skin than it’s alternatives? Micellar contains micelle molecules that are made of hydrophilic (water-loving) heads with a lipophilic (oil-loving) tail. When poured on a cotton pad (which is also water-loving) the hydrophilic ends are attracted to it leaving the oil-loving tails upwards. This means the oil-loving end sticks up attracting all the dirt and oil from your face, much like Taylor Swift gathering models for her squad.

Because oil and water don’t mix, traditional cleansers aren’t able to efficiently grab the oil from your face. Micellar grabs the bad stuff but leaves the good stuff intact, because it isn’t drying your skin will feel hydrated and clean. It’s great for all skin types especially sensitive and acne prone skin that is easily irritated.

Ever had one of those amazing, filled with pizza (or wine) nights and you’re too lazy to remove your makeup? Just put some micellar water on a cotton pad and you’re ready to go, you don’t even need moisturizer. Even though it’s called micellar water, there is no water or rinsing needed. Be aware though: if you’ve gone full Kardashian with your makeup, micellar water won’t be strong enough alone to remove waterproof eyeliner or heavy foundation.

Micellar came to popularity because of the French; their harsh water conditions were hard on the skin, so they completely cut it out by using micellar water instead. The first time I used it to cleanse my face I felt the difference immediately. My skin felt clean but moisturized and it wasn’t long before I was saying “cleanse me like one of your French girls.” 

Sugaring and micellar water are the perfect companions. For us to provide the best sugaring service we need clean skin and micellar water works easily and efficiently. Our products are simple but effective – we want to achieve smooth, healthy skin without using harsh ingredients that are bad for you or the environment. Sugar & Co. micellar water is a great pre sugaring treatment to prep the skin, or used in the comfort of your home.

 

#sugaristhenewwax