Hair Removal : What is Oriental Waxing?

Oriental waxing, also commonly known as ‘sugaring’, involves covering an area of skin in a gooey, caramel-like substance and pulling it back off, similar to traditional waxing, and removing the hairs at the root. Unlike other forms of waxing, Oriental waxing doesn’t always need strips to pull the wax away. This is because the sugar paste sticks to the hair like wax, but also hardens in the process, forming a solid strip that you can grip and remove.

Oriental waxing is also said to be less painful than hot or cold waxing[1]. This is because Oriental waxing paste is less likely to stick to your skin. When removed, the paste takes away the hair and dead skin cells with it, thereby exfoliating your skin in the process. 

Oriental waxing paste is commonly found in cosmetic stores, and can be a very budget-friendly option compared to regular visits to the salon. Plus, you can administer this wax on your skin yourself. An age-old practise, Oriental waxing is a great option if you are a fan of natural ingredients. You can even make your own version at home using a combination of sugar, water, and lemon. But this is a very messy wax to make, and you could end up with a sticky kitchen!

A simpler option is to look for ready-to-use Oriental wax in the shops, either in the form of tubs, roll-ons, or strips. Veet’s version of Oriental Wax (Veet Spawax) is a budget-friendly option, containing nourishing essential oils. It is available in delicious Vanilla and Purple Lily fragrances with a gentle formula to remove hair at the first application, while leaving the upper layers of skin your moisturised. It boasts up to 4 weeks of smoothness[2], which is weeks longer than other options such as shaving.[3]

Temperature is very important when it comes to Oriental waxing. It is better to check the wax for the right temperature to avoid burns. At the same time, if it’s too cool, it may not correctly grip the hairs.[4] Luckily, Veet’s Spawax is very easy to heat – you can simply pop it in the microwave. However, be sure to follow the product label carefully, and never heat the wax for longer than the instructions indicate. The warm sugar paste is then spread on the with the spatula, and allowed to dry on the skin for a few seconds. It is then simply pulled off against the natural direction of hair growth, making it possible to remove hair as short as 2mm[5]. This also means the hairs are less likely to break during removal as they are pulled out right from the root. As the follicle has to rebuild the hair from scratch, when the hairs do grow back, they will often be softer, round-ended hairs rather than the course kind of regrowth soften experienced with shaving.[6]

Oriental wax can be used effectively on large areas like your legs and smaller, more sensitive areas like your under-arm and bikini line. Like waxing, sugaring can leave a residue on your skin, but because the formula is made up almost entirely of sugar, is it very easily dissolved with warm water in a shower[7].

If you are looking for a new hair removal technique, then Oriental waxing is worth a try. Why not try out one of Veet’s Spawax options, and see if you can achieve salon-like results at home?