Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/942738
72 march/april 2018 THE BASICS Back in the day, there were only a handful of wax brands to choose from; today, there are dozens of brands available, with new ones popping up all the time. This is wonderful news, as it means that waxing is now considered a valid moneymaker in the beauty arena. It also makes it necessary for us as beauty professionals to know a bit more about wax and how it works to provide the best for our clients. Wax is sticky and removes hair—in the beginning, that was all I knew about waxing. There wasn't a big push to learn the ingredients in wax like there was with skin care products. I suppose it was because wax is considered a utilitarian product used for a specific purpose to fill a specific need. The premise of waxing has always been somewhat basic. Apply wax to any body part with hair and it will stick to the hair (and sometimes the skin). But how and why? Remove the wax and the hair comes off (sometimes with the skin). We just expect that the wax will continue to do the job it was designed for, without fail, without incident, and without really knowing what makes it work—or in some cases, not work. If you read the ingredients on any can, bag, or container of wax, you'll see that the same handful of main ingredients shows up again and again. Because of this, there are some who would say all waxes are created equal, so it doesn't matter which one you use. I have tried a lot of waxes in my time, and I am of the opinion that how well a wax works depends on three things: 1. Quality of ingredients—the origin and quality of the ingredients/product 2. The formulation—how those handful of main ingredients were combined to create the product 3. Skill of the technician—in the wrong hands, the best wax in the world will not provide peak performance WAX REFRESHER Let's do a quick review of the two different types of waxes and their features; then we'll look at the main ingredients and the role they play in each type of wax. Strip Wax (a.k.a. Soft Wax) • Aptly named because it requires the use of a strip of cotton to remove it once applied. • Typically has a higher melting point, allowing the wax to be applied as thinly as possible. Because most strip waxes require a higher heat to melt, it may lead to more mishaps in the waxing room, such as burning and lifting of the skin. • Strip waxes are most often associated with "honey" waxes, but not all strip waxes contain honey. • Strip wax typically sticks to both the hair and the skin, making it more irritating to the client. • Strip wax is generally used on the larger areas of the body (back, chest, arms, legs). • Strip wax comes in two forms: cans and roll-on. Hard Wax (a.k.a. No Strip) • Most hard wax has a lower melting point, thereby making it less likely to burn or lift skin. • Hard waxes can be polymer (made with plastic) or non-polymer (no plastic). • Hard wax is unique in that it "shrink-wraps" around the hair instead of sticking to the hair and skin, thereby making it more comfortable for the client. • Hard wax is preferred in the more delicate areas (face, brows, underarms, and Brazilian). • Hard wax is available in many forms (cans, beads, broken pieces, dust). MAIN INGREDIENTS The following ingredients are found in virtually every wax out there. Let's take a look at what they are and how they help in the hair removal process.