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Beauty

Skip Shaving This Summer with This Simple DIY Sugar Scrub

If there’s one beauty regimen I hate the most, it’s shaving my legs. Yes, even more than plucking my eyebrows. Ever since my teens, it’s been a struggle to keep those sharp razors from endlessly nicking me while I attempt to keep my legs smooth. Since my skin is so sensitive, the idea of going to a salon for a wax sounded even worse — until I heard about sugar wax.

Although it’s not completely pain free, it doesn’t rip out anything other than the hair you’re trying to remove — meaning less irritation. But most importantly, it’s totally easy to make at home. Most recipes call for just three ingredients: brown or white granulated sugar (never powdered), lemon juice, and warm water. Depending on how much you’re wanting to make, you’ll need about a cup of sugar, 1/8 cup of the lemon juice, and 1/8 cup of water.

The most difficult part is making sure you don’t burn the sugar. I start by using a large pot (so nothing boils over), then I heat the ingredients until they are completely liquified. Keep stirring and mixing, and as soon the mixture starts to change color from clear to golden brown, it needs to be taken off the heat. It should now be a thin consistency, but if the mixture is thick like honey, heat it on low for a little bit longer. 

Once you have your wax mixture, let it cool down before applying it to your skin — you don’t want to burn yourself with piping hot globs fresh from the pot. You can then use a butter knife, a popsicle stick, or your bare hands to apply it to your legs or any other area you’d like to remove hair from. Spread out a thin layer, wait a few seconds until it sets, then pull it off in the opposite direction of your hair growth by grabbing one of the corners. Again, it does hurt a bit, but not too much worse than taking off a particularly sticky bandage. You can even keep reusing the same wax until it’s no longer sticky — just roll it up in your hands to warm it back up, then spread it back out again on your next patch of hair.

Another great perk: Removing hair with sugar wax can leave your skin smooth for up to two weeks rather than just a couple days with shaving. Now you’re ready to show off silky legs all summer without any nicks, cuts, or bumps getting in the way! 

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