History shows that women and men were expected to be smooth.
The history of body sugaring dates back to the ancient Egyptian era. Inspired by Alexander the Great, the women of Alexandria considered a hairless body to be the standard of beauty, youth, and innocence. Persian women used a traditional sugaring paste called moum.
Sugaring, sugar waxing or Persian waxing is a method of hair removal that has been in use since 1900 BC.
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Sugaring was also known as sukkar in the Middle East and in Egypt, as agda in Turkey, and as moum in Iran. Middle Easterners used a hair removal process called body sugaring, involving the application of a natural, sugar-based paste (usually sugar, lemon and other natural ingredients cooked to the consistency of soft taffy) that was either rubbed or pulled off in the opposite direction of hair growth.
The high sugar content inhibited bacterial growth in the region's hot environment. The method reputedly was born out of a Middle Eastern bridal ritual. The night before a wedding, Lebanese, Palestinian, Turkish and Egyptian brides had all body hair, except eyebrows and the hair on their heads, removed by the bridal party. According to lore, the bride maintained her hairless body throughout her marriage as a symbol of cleanliness and respect for her husband. |
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I find this all absolutely fascinating. I mean come on; since I was a teenager and I started shaving I've hated it. I've hated the goosebumps I get when I get out of the shower making my legs feel as if I hadn't even just got done shaving! I've hated the bumps and the razor burn, nicks that sting, the ingrown hairs!! Ohhh lawwdy I hate ingrown hairs. I've been waxed three times in my life and I've never (aside from childbirth) experienced that much pain. And I was a ballet dancer as a child...I remember my toes hurting like you wouldn't believe. I'll never get waxed again. |
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Of those experiences I remember the yank which resulted in tears, redness, raw skin, sensitive for days mind you, the uncomfortable knowledge that it was I was putting myself through this...well torture for lack of better terms...not the esthetician. It wasn't her making me do it. It was me! I wish back then I had known about sugaring. It took practice, don't get me wrong. But from the first time I tried and somewhat did it like I was taught, I've not had an ingrown hair, nick, burn, raw skin, sensitive skin for days...none of it. |
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I'm converted to sugaring 100%. And with all the research I've done on the benefits of sugaring, I know that I am not only benefiting my skin, being earth-friendly, naturally removing my hairs where I especially do not want them and it's so much gentler! I equate it to tearing off a band-aid real quick. Not hot because it's never used hot, always room temperature. |
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