Many estheticians know the general difference between hard wax and soft wax. Knowing when and how to use both types of wax helps you provide the highest quality of service to your clients. For any waxing service or skin type, there’s an optimal type of wax and technique that you should have on hand.
What is hard wax?
Hard wax is a staple in all waxing studios. It comes in the form of wax beads in a whole variety of colors, brands, and formulas. Generally, hard wax is less painful on skin due to its nature. Hard wax only attaches to hair follicles, and not to your client’s skin. Hard wax is most likely the type of wax that professional estheticians are most comfortable with.
What temperatures does hard wax melt at?
Depending on the formulation of your hard wax, the melting temperature varies wildly. Some hard waxes don’t start melting down until they reach 194°F! The hard waxes that Bare Beauty Wax Supply carry are specifically formulated to melt at low temperatures for ease of use, and for the safety of your clients. For example, ItalWax’s Full Body Wax melts at a temperature of 104°F.
Parts of the body you should use hard wax
To take use of the benefits of both hard and soft wax, you should use each depending on the service. Hard wax excels at facial, bikini, and Brazilian waxing. Hard wax only sticks to skin, and these areas are some of the most sensitive areas of the body. Use hard wax in these areas to reduce discomfort and possible irritation after the waxing appointment.
How to use hard wax
After melting down hard wax in a wax warmer, you apply it to your client’s skin with a spatula. Evenly apply the melted wax while being aware of thickness, and create the lip where you’ll remove the strip. Hard wax does not involve the use of wax strips for removal, so creating a lip upon application is important. Give the wax ample time to harden before removal!
Hard wax pros and cons
While hard wax is fantastic, it does have some negatives. It’s not perfect for every situation, nor should it ever be the only kind of wax you have in your studio!
Benefits of hard wax
- Only attaches to hair, not skin. Great for client comfort!
- Hard wax leaves minimal residue behind, making cleanup simple.
- Picks up even shorter hair, so typically only needs to be applied once. This saves time for both you and your client.
- Hair is easier to remove with hard wax, due to the heat that opens up pores prior to removal.
Downsides to hard wax
- Much more expensive, on average, than soft wax.
- It is difficult to apply hard wax over large areas, and is necessary to have proper training and technique to use large wax strips effectively.
What is soft wax?
Many spas and salons that don’t specialize in waxing carry soft wax for their services. While seemingly easier to use, knowing when and how to properly use soft wax can be a great benefit for your business. Some come with strips, and some are simply rolled client’s skin.
What temperature does soft wax melt at?
Unlike hard wax, soft wax melts at extremely low temperatures, even as low as around 99°F. This removes the possibility of burning your clients with wax that’s still too hot for application. On the other hand, due to lack of heat it doesn’t open up pores, either.
When should you use soft wax?
Ideally, soft wax is perfect for large areas of skin that aren’t very sensitive. Think areas of skin such as legs, arms, chest, and back. Soft wax adheres to every little hair, but also to your client’s skin. If your client has very sensitive skin for any reason, you may want to skip out on using soft wax altogether, because it’ll cause redness and irritation.
How to use soft wax
Typically, soft wax comes in the form of cans that are heated with wax warmers. Use a wax spatula to spread soft wax across the skin after it’s at the directed temperature. Then, use a wax strip, hold the skin taut, and remove the strip away from the direction of hair growth. We recommend using WaxOne Strip Wax for your soft waxing needs!
Soft wax pros and cons
Soft wax benefits
- Cheaper to purchase than hard wax.
- Tends to require less training on larger surfaces, since it adheres to everything.
- Great for covering large areas of skin quickly!
The negatives of soft wax
- Not ideal for clients with sensitive skin.
- Similarly, it can be uncomfortable for use in sensitive areas such as bikini or facial waxing.
- If preparation isn’t done correctly, you run the risk of lifting or tearing your client’s skin.2
Bare Beauty Wax Supply has you covered with the best hard and soft wax available on the market. Our products are reviewed by other verified, licensed estheticians with their own businesses. Each wax brand and formula that we carry is cost effective for business with no sacrifice to quality.