As the weather warms up, so too does the demand for smooth, hair-free skin. If you’re like me, you’ve increasingly heard the term ‘sugaring’ over the past few years, and while you know in a general sense what it is, the details are a little fuzzy. It turns out it’s the biggest trend in hair removal and it’s pretty interesting, if not amazing. I recently spoke with the sugaring experts at Intermezzo Salon & Spa in Seattle. Here are 10 things I learned:

1. Sugaring is not really new

Only recently making a comeback, the removal of unwanted hair by sugaring paste has been around for over 3000 years. In Ancient Egypt and in Persia it was believed that a hairless body reflected youth, beauty and cleanliness. It is known that Cleopatra would remove her body hairs with sugaring paste once a month.

2. Sugar ingredients

Sugar paste contains sugar, water, and lemon juice. That’s it. There is no fragrance, color, or additives in sugar paste. The all-natural formula is the primary reason it have become so popular, especially in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, sugaring is so gentle that it can be used to remove even the finest hairs on a woman’s upper lip or jawline. Whereas regular wax contains resin, synthetic ingredients, preservatives and chemicals.

3. Sugar does not adhere to live skin

Sugar paste is water soluble and live skin cells are wet, therefore sugar paste will not adhere to live skin cells. Sugar will exfoliate dead skin cells and grab onto hairs, but will not cause redness of the skin as it does not unnecessarily remove live skin like wax does. The end result is silky soft, smooth skin. It is gentle enough to go over the same area more than once to remove more stubborn hair without causing skin trauma & damage. Waxing can produce skin irritation & redness lasting days.

4. Sugar is sanitary

Sugaring paste is non-comedogenic (will not clog pores) and is hypoallergenic. Because of the high sugar content it is also bacteria resistant. A fresh ball of sugar paste is used with each client and applied with a gloved hand. No sticks or strips means no chance of cross contamination.

5. Sugaring lasts longer

Sugaring paste is soft enough to penetrate into the pores where it adheres to individual hairs, and pulls them out from the roots. Whereas, wax has a high percentage of hair breakage at the skin’s surface. Sugaring generally lasts 3-6 weeks. Plus, over time with regular treatments hair growth will significantly reduce.

6. There is no risk of burns

Room-temperature sugar paste is hand kneaded by the esthetician until it reaches body temperature. It is then applied to the skin. Alternatively, wax is heated to a high degree so that it is liquefied and easy to spread which can cause burns & scarring on the skin.

7. Sugaring is not just for women

More men than ever before are choosing to remove their body hair for a variety of reasons. Intermezzo’s male clients have sugaring treatments to improve their appearance, look their best for their partners, or for athletic performance. Some salons report that up to 40% of their sugaring clients are male.

8. It’s safe to get sugared while pregnant

There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there about sugaring and pregnancy. However, other than a chance of being more sensitive than usual because of the increased blood flow, my doctor reports no negative heath effects to be worried about (other than confusion about why I would be asking). A quality salon will have an adjustable bed to relieve any back pressure.

9. Sugaring is safe on trouble skin

Sugaring has been endorsed by dermatologists as a safe and effective method of hair removal, even for those with sensitive skin, and mild psoriasis or eczema. In fact, is so gentle that it can actually help to alleviate and even reduce the symptoms of these conditions. Sugar does not stick to the skin but only to hair and therefore will not traumatize the skin. It can also be used on varicose and spider veins.

10. Sugar cleans up easily

Because it is water soluble, any leftover sugar paste is easily removed with water. If fact, because the dead skin has been lifted from the area the skin is left feeling smooth and soft. With traditional waxing the skin can be left sticky and gummy. Due to resins contained in wax, chemicals must be used to remove waxy residue.