Are you considering offering sugaring in your salon? Bernadette Soares, Founder of Pharo Sugaring, talks about about this ancient hair removal practice.
For those who don’t know, what is sugaring?
The earliest reference to sugaring comes from Egyptian Hieroglyphics and refers to how the slave girls serving the Pharaoh were expected to remove all body hair. Sugaring, developed by the ancient Egyptians, is one of the oldest methods of hair removal.
Traditionally, boiling sugar, lemon and water made a paste and this ball was used to remove the hair. The ball (or paste) is still used as a form of hair removal but in many cases has been superseded by the sugaring Gel or Strip Sugaring techniques.
Pharo Sugaring is a sugar-based gel with added Manuka honey, kiwifruit and aloe vera that offers some added benefits over the ball method of sugaring. It has the same application and removal techniques as waxing so no significant re-training is needed. Also, the application process is convenient and allows you to use modern application tools like roll-on cartridge heater.
What are the benefits of offering sugaring in salon?
The sugaring gel is a sugar-based product that’s applied at a comfortable 45 degrees. This is especially important for people with sensitive skin or in the treatment of sensitive areas associated with Brazilians. Any skin redness for sugaring treatments normally disappears in 15 or so minutes. Another benefit of Pharo Sugaring is the gel grips strongly to the hair but not to the skin – which is what we hear time and time again in client feedback that hair removal discomfort [is much less]. As a result, salons using sugaring are seeing a significant increase in the number of clients coming in for Brazilians.
Another major driver for salons to use sugaring is that it is cost-effective. [The gel] is applied as a thin gel so the product goes a lot further.
How easy is cleaning after a sugaring treatment?
Because sugaring is water soluble, clean up simply involves wiping down with a towel that’s been soaked in warm water – it takes no time at all and there is absolutely no sticky feeling afterwards.
What is the end result? And how long do the results last?
The end result leaves you with smooth hair-free skin with hair that has been removed from the root, lasting anywhere from four to six weeks. Regular hair removal with sugaring can significantly reduce the rate and density of hair re-growth. Skin is left soft, clean and smooth even without any post hair removal treatment.
How does it benefit the skin?
Pharo is a natural formulation available in different formulations that are targeted at different skin sensitivities. With Kiwi fruit, Manuka honey and aloe vera additives, the gel has significant skin enhancing properties, while the organic variant from organic sugar and rose water is suited for people with extra sensitive skin.
Sugaring is applied at 40 – 45 degrees, a temperature at which the skin does not bruise from the heat; redness and bruising is significantly reduced because the skin is not yanked as part of the hair removal process.
There are different types of sugaring formulations. What areas are these better for?
The basic categories of the Pharo gel are the warm gel and the firm gel. The Warm gel is applied to areas where there is moderate hair growth and the hair is less stubborn. Typically this would be arms, legs, backs and chest. The Firm gel is used to remove more stubborn hair. Typically, this is used for Brazilians, underarms or in some cases (for men typically) the back and chest.
Can sugaring sit alongside other hair removal techniques in a beauty salon?
The Pharo Sugaring can certainly sit alongside IPL in a salon as they target clients with different profiles and spending power.