I’ve heard a few conversations about how we’re managing our “grooming” over the past few weeks as stay-at-home-working-homeschooling mothers, with beauty salons shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In my 20’s I used to go to a salon for occasional waxing. As time became more precious and prices crept up I started DIY waxing at home. It’s fast, easy and convenient.
I didn’t like the inherent waste involved in using the waxing kits you buy at the shops. Warming wax pressed onto plastic strips against your legs might look easy, but wasn’t effective for me. Not to mention the waste involved…
This is what I do for zero waste hair removal instead.
Waxing Equipment
- Cloth strips about 10×20 cm (I made mine by cutting up an old cotton sheet)
- A flat tool eg a spatula or icy pole stick (I’ve even used the back of a butter knife)
- Waxing solution (see instructions below)
Homemade Waxing Solution
- 1 cup sugar
- Half a lemon for the juice
- 1/4 cup honey
Mix lemon, sugar, and honey in a bowl. Pour into a small saucepan and heat on the stove top until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool. Store it in a small plastic or glass container that will easily fit into a bowl of hot water.
Waxing preparation
- Your hair needs to be at least half a centimetre long.
- Warm up the wax by sitting the storage jar in a little hot water until it softens.
- Make sure the area you’re waxing is clean and dry. I don’t recommend using talcum powder, but a dusting of cornflour can help if it’s humid.
Waxing method
- Dip your flat tool into the warm wax and spread a thin wide layer of wax across your skin in the direction that your hair rests on your skin. (If your hair grows in downward direction, then spread the wax downwards).
- Take a clean cloth strip and smooth it firmly over the wax. Rub the strip with the palm of your hand back and forth 3-4 times.
- Now hold down your skin at the bottom of the strip with one hand and take hold of the cloth strip with the other. Quickly pull the cloth strip off your skin in the opposite direction of the hair growth.
- Most of your hair will stick to the cloth strip and pull out of your skin. If some hair remains, then repeat. Hair that is not long enough will not come out. You can use each cloth strip several times. Once the strip is clogged with hair-filled wax, set aside and use a new strip. Continue until you have removed all unwanted hair.
- Once you’re done, take a shower to wash off any residual stickiness. After drying off, apply Organic Skin balm for silky smooth moisture.
To clean up, I use the spatula to scrape the hair-filled wax off the strips for the compost bin and rinse the strips in hot water to dissolve the remaining wax solution. I then wash and dry the strips with my usual laundry ready for the next use.
