Now, since the primary focus of this is to pass on what I know in relation to my field, let's move from something magical and sweet to WAXING. Yeah, I bet you all were just waiting for that. A lot of us have negative experiences. We get ingrown hairs, or two days after the ordeal we have sharp little pokers coming out of our skin. This is because we set ourselves up for failure before we even get into the back room to get our butts de-fuzzed.

The best thing you can do for waxing, and indeed the best thing you can do for your skin, is stop using soap. That means soap of any kind. I don't care how organically grown and dolphin friendly it is. Soap strips the acid mantle from your skin. This is why you get all dry and tight....which is euphemistically referred to as being "Zestfully Clean". Your skin surface is now dehydrated and it has no protection from invading bacteria or viruses. Your body responds by allowing the layer of dead skin to get a little thicker, giving us that lovely itchy feeling combined with some beautiful scales.

Often, when I wax someone, I have to pull twice on the same spot. You aren't supposed to do it, but when the first strip just pulls up dead skin, you have to go back because now a whole bunch more hair is revealed now that the dead crap is gone. This is why I am making the Folger's Switch to body sugar. Its not my favourite product but I can go over and over an area with it and it won't pull and tear on skin. Because its not resin-based, it can be heated at a lower temperature, too.

The best thing I have found for skin care is Tea Tree Oil. If there is one thing to have in your medicine cabinet, this is it. For professional skin care, my suggestion is Australian Body Care . I'm not certain if this site is their official site but its a start. Its a professional product in North America, so you have to buy it at a salon but theirs is one of the few essential oil lines that carries a DIN on the products. What this means is that groups like Health Canada have tested their claims and found that there is a consistent and standardized amount of Tea Tree Oil that works like it says it does. This is important because in the absence of legislation, most "alternative" products do not carry the amount that the labels say they do, and the quality can stink.

Anyway, exfoliate your skin a couple of times each week by mixing a cup of salt with 1/2 cup of olive oil, while you are in the shower. In between this, use something like Australian Body Care's Cleansing Milk. But it doesn't specifically have to be this brand. Go to a health food store and tell the clerk that you want a body cleanser that has no soap, coal tar derivatives, mineral oils, or dyes. They might look at you like you have six heads or they may point you to the right stuff. When you are done cleaning, always rehydrate and protect. This can be as simple as grapeseed oil or a protective cream -- just make sure you know what you're putting on your skin before you slather it on.

And hey, you can do this even if you don't get waxed!!! LOL.

And for those of you who don't want to get waxed in a salon and prefer to do it at home, here is the recipe for Moom Body Sugar. The only difference is that they add Chamomile essential oil once their product has cooled down. You can add oils, too.

2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Mix ingredients together. Boil for about 10 to 15 minutes until mixture reaches 250 degrees F (softball stage) on a candy thermometer. Pour into sterilized, sealable jars. Reheat for waxing by filling the bathroom sink with "HOT HOT" water and letting the jar sit there for about ten minutes. It won't heat up the whole thing but you'll melt the stuff that's closest to the sides of the container, which will be enough to do your legs, if you leave it in the hot water.

 

©2004 - Nicole Cormier is a freelance writer.  By day Nicole is a  Reiki Master/Teacher, Aromatherapist, Reflexologist, Esthetician, Indian Head Massage Therapist, Acupressurist, and specializes in clients with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.     She is also a Tarot Card designer and you can find her original design for sale here: Fractal Universe Tarot. You may contact Nicole for a Tarot reading  via email at: maritimemystic@eastlink.ca
*Disclaimer: Follow directions at your own risk.

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