Sugar waxing | Coffee, Clutter and Chaos

Feb, 2019

Why Do You Need Balanced Skin?

We frequently talk about balance in our lives. We balance our diets, balance the checkbook and try to balance our time. With all this talk about balance there is one more thing we need to balance and it is CRUCIAL. Our skin needs to be balanced too. Why do you need balanced skin you ask? I am here to tell you.

If our skin is not balanced, it can trick us into thinking it is one thing when it is not. Although we can discuss balancing the pH of our skin, but that is not the type of balance I want to talk about today. Today I want to talk about Basic balance, which I believe to be our water-oil balance.

Healthy skin has a perfect oil and water balance, which allows skin cells to do their job naturally and effectively.

If someone asks, you which skin type you have, what would your answer be? For most people it would probably be “I’m not really sure, it might be oily or dry”. Water-Oil balance is the basis of skin type, and once your Esthetician has determined what your true skin type is, he or she can create a skin care regimen that will work FOR you and not AGAINST you.

All skin requires moisture from both water and oil in order to function properly and do everything from looking and feeling great to keeping us looking younger longer. Depleted or imbalanced hydration – lacking either oil or water – is the first thing that causes our skin to become dull looking as well as increasing aging and fine lines.

So when our skin doesn’t get enough moisture either due to environmental factors, intrinsic factors or simply the wrong skin care regimen our skin becomes weak and sensitive. If we don’t have proper moisture in our skin, the skin creates more oil to combat the dryness and dehydration. When our skin is out of balance it cannot defend itself from these factors and therefore can’t heal and protect itself from damage. This can lead to common skin concerns such as rough texture, redness, dry patches, flaky skin, and even acne. When these things happen, we panic and may resort to stripping cleansers, over-exfoliation, neglect, the wrong products, or a myriad of other things we think are helping, but in fact are causing more problems. With all that said, here is what you need need to know about water vs. oil in your skin.

There is an important relationship between water and skin. When your skin doesn’t have enough water it is dehydrated. Since our bodies are composed 70% of water it only makes sense that we need it for our skin also. After all, skin is the largest organ of our body. Our skin cannot produce moisture on its own and relies on moisture from the water we drink and moisturizers we apply. Environmental factors can also increase the dehydration of our skin. Things like heaters in the winter, smoking, travel, and dry air can also dehydrate our skin.

When our skin is dehydrated it does the best it can to compensate……it creates oil. So our skin is now dry AND oily. So we feel oily and do what we think is right which usually strips the oil and makes our skin even more dehydrated.

Now some people do just naturally have dry skin. Dry skin makes the least amount of its own oil. Normal skin produces a normal amount of oil and oily skin produces the most amount of oil. Age, smoking and weather conditions can cause our skin to produce less oil, and using harsh cleansers can also remove our skins natural oil. So when our skin lacks oil, that is when it gets sensitive, red, blotchy and have acne. So your skin creates more oil to combat the dryness and the dry/oily/dehydrated cycle just keep repeating!

So how can you stay balanced?

With a Skin care regimen that is correct for your individual skin!!!

Finding products with the correct ingredients for your skin type, you may need to make changes during different seasons, and use the right amount of products. Too little can keep you dry and too many can be an overload.

Sugar and Skin, a mobile spa in Suffolk Virginia (Hampton Roads), offers a Consultation and Analysis so their Licensed Estheticians can examine your skin closely and create a regimen that will be right for your skin. At a price of $35.00 if you seek treatment in their North Suffolk studio, and $55.00 if they treat you in your home, (YES, they make house calls…..so awesome!!), this is one expenditure you will thank yourself for making! During the C&A your skin is cleansed, analyzed using a magnifying lamp and Woods lamp, and a corrective mask is applied to get your skin on its way to recovery. Then it is moisturized with a product suited for your correct skin type. Make your appointment today!!

Dec, 2018

Sugaring (Sugar Waxing). What It Is and How It Works.

Many new Sugaring clients have make a comment that makes me think I need to write a blog to tell you all exactly what Sugaring is and what it is not. Quite a few clients have come in for their appointments, and been surprised when I show them the jar of sugar paste. Because they have never heard of Sugaring they think I am going to put sugar on them (granulated sugar) and somehow remove their hair. I wish it were like that. That truly would be sweet and pain free hair removal. However, that isn’t exactly how Sugaring works.

The ingredients of sugar paste truly are ONLY sugar, lemon juice and water, but they are combined and heated so they create a sticky paste that is a phenomenal way to remove unwanted hair. I purchase my Sugar from a wonderful company called My Gold Sugar that makes an awesome professional sugar paste. The owner Grace Powers has been Sugaring for many, many years and is dedicated to educating and supporting Certified Sugarists.

Because sugar paste is made from sugar, lemon juice and water it is natural and has NO chemicals or additives in it. This is awesome, because most hair removal waxes (both hard wax and soft wax) have chemicals added in to make them smell a certain way, or be better for sensitive skin, etc. Additionally, both soft and hard wax have ingredients added to them that can be allergenic for some people. Since sugar paste is used at room temperature, there is no possibility of being burned when you are Sugared. Wax is heated and then applied, and anyone who has been burned by hot wax (raising my hand here) can attest to how uncomfortable that is. Also, the sugar paste only adheres to hair and dead skin cells so there is no way for you to have any live skin removed. Anyone ever had their skin taken off with the wax? (Raising my hand for that too). In fact I have permanent light areas above both my eyebrows from damage to my skin caused by pulling my skin off during eyebrow waxing. Sugaring does not pull your skin; therefore it is safe for use ANYWHERE, which is why it is such a wonderful medium for Brazilians. Sugar can safely get ALL the hairs, even inside the labia.

To prep the skin for sugaring I spray some witch hazel on a gauze pad to clean the skin, and then apply powder to ensure the skin is dry. (Sugar paste doesn’t adhere well to damp skin). Once that is done I put on clean gloves and grab a ball of sugar paste to apply and remove the unwanted hair. One of the great things about sugaring is I use the same ball of sugar on only one client so it is hygienic and not wasteful. No sticks or strips to fill up a landfill. Once I have completed the Sugaring service I simply remove my gloves with the sugar ball inside and throw it away.

Besides being completely chemical free, and applied at rom temperature, sugar paste is also different from wax in the way it is applied and how it removes the hair. Wax (both soft and hard) is applied in the direction of hair growth and pulled against the direction of growth. As you can imagine this can cause many hairs to break and the Esthetician unable to remove the entire hair from the skin. With Sugaring, the sugar paste is applied against the hair growth and hair is removed in the direction it grows. The benefit of this is that it hurts less (however it is NOT painless) and because you remove the hairs in the direction they grow, you are more likely to remove the entire hair, making it take longer to grow back!! With Sugaring clients can expect the hair to stay gone for 3-4 weeks, and as they get Sugared regularly that can even go to 4-5 weeks of hair being gone. Whaaat???

When you schedule your sugaring appointments monthly you will have the best results from Sugaring. This is for a couple of reasons. Firstly, hair grows in stages, and it is possible for some hairs to come back within a few weeks if they were in the final stage of growth (Telogen) when they were removed. During this stage of hair growth there is already a new hair at the root pushing that hair out and a new hair was already on its way to the surface. When you get Sugared monthly. After a few sessions, all of the hair will be growing in the same cycles, and this won’t happen. Secondly, because Sugaring removes the hair at the root, it is possible some hair follicles will become damaged and those hairs may not grow back at all, or if they do they can be finer and softer. Yes please!!

Hopefully, this has answered some questions you may have about Sugaring and how it is done as well as the results you can expect.

If you are now ready to book your Sugaring appointment, simply head to Sugar and Skin Spa website, click the Sugaring Services tab on the website and book your Sugaring (Sugar waxing) appointment now!

Nov, 2018

Why Sugaring is Better Than Waxing

Here at Sugar and Skin Spa we feel it is very important to educate about Why Sugaring is Better Than Waxing!

Many people, both men and women have facial or body hair they would rather not have. They don’t like it and would like to have it removed. They are many ways to remove unwanted hair: shaving, waxing, laser, tweezing, threading and sugaring. Today I want to focus on the pros and cons of Shaving vs. Sugaring. I want to talk about shaving because it is the most common form of hair removal. Probably because it is usually convenient and easy for most people to simply grab a razor and cut the hair down to the level of the skin. It would be like mowing the grass to the level of the ground. Mowing the grass is very similar to shaving in the way it reduces the length of the hair or grass as the case may be.

However, although it may be more convenient there are definitely some drawbacks to shaving. One statistic I think is interesting is the cost and frequency of shaving for women. Women who shave can spend up to $10,000 dollars in their lifetime on the items needed for shaving! 10K !!! That is a LOT of razors and shaving cream ladies! And most women shave 12 times a month!! That is a LOT of time spent in the shower or bath removing hair. Well, actually the hair isn’t really being removed, it is really just being shortened. So 10k a year, and 12 times a month to shorten the hair. It is still there, in the skin, just waiting to pop through. Which it will..…every time.

Also, shaving is time-consuming and can be rough on skin. Think about it: scraping your skin with a sharp razor. Cutting yourself and wearing down skin cells can occur. Not to mention, exposure to all the chemicals in shaving cream or soap can build up over time.

However, I think the thing I hear the most from my clients is the fact that they have decided to try sugaring because they are just really tired of the razor bumps they get when they shave. Red, itchy, painful……YUCK! I can’t think why anyone would want that!

Enter Sugaring.

What exactly IS Sugaring and how is it done?

Sugaring is one of the oldest forms of hair removal around. It dates back to Cleopatra’s time, and is gaining more and more practitioners and clients! The Sugaring technique uses a sugar paste made from sugar, lemon juice and water. This paste has NO sticky resins, chemicals, preservatives and dyes that conventional “strip” or “hard” wax contains. This makes it a lovely natural alternative that works even for clients with very sensitive skin!

The paste is warmed to room temperature, and applied against the direction of hair growth. It is then removed with a “flick” of the Esthetician’s hand. It is removed with the natural direction of the hair growth. Also, the sugar paste never adheres to live skin, but only to dead skin cells. The paste permeates into the hair follicle, effectively removing the hair and the inner root sheath (the white, waxy bulb you find at the end of your hair shaft). This removal is also a gentle, yet effective exfoliating treatment that leaves your skin silky, sweet and smooth after the process.

Where on your body can you get Sugared?

Anywhere, really! Legs, arms, bikini area, lips, even underarms—anywhere you’d like to remove hair as long as the hair is long enough to pull out. So what is the appropriate length? Sugaring requires one-eighth inch of hair, about the length of a grain of rice. This is the length it typically grows just five to seven days after shaving.

However because I like to be COMPLETELY transparent I also want to mention the pros and cons of Sugaring.

Pros:

Helps reduce the risk of ingrown hairs
Gently exfoliates while improving the appearance of skin tone and texture
Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive
Sugar paste is all-natural and hypoallergenic
Results last up to 4-6 weeks and if performed regularly, can lead to permanency
Hair only needs to be 1/8th inch long to be sugared
The mixture is water-soluble, so it washes off with water if any residue is left behind
Sugaring is eco-friendly and cost efficient. It requires no strips, popsicles sticks for applying or any other waste that is necessary for conventional waxing procedures

Cons:

Can take longer than traditional waxing, depending on body area being treated.
You need to ensure you are seeing a Certified Sugarist, because if not performed well, hair breakage and irritation to the skin is possible

While there are some cons to Sugaring the Pros greatly outweigh them!

So if you are curious, or convinced that Sugaring might be for you, I suggest you go ahead and book an appointment with Suffolk, Virginia’s sweetest spa, Sugar and Skin Spa, and gain more confidence with your body as our expert Sugarists rid you of that unwanted hair.

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