Sugaring, sometimes called Parisian waxing, combines household ingredients into an inexpensive, natural wax alternative. Egyptians and Indians have used sugaring for centuries, each culture creating its own recipe. Many women prefer sugaring to regular wax because sugaring hurts less and sometimes stops hair growth altogether. You can create sugaring wax at home from one of several recipes.

Make Egyptian sugaring wax by combining 2 cups of water, 3 cups of honey and 2 tsp. of lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium and allow the mixture to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when it turns golden brown. Pour the wax by spoonfuls onto a flexible silicone cookie sheet liner and let it cool enough to touch. You should be able to peel the wax from the silicone easily and stretch it like silly putty.

The Indian sugaring recipe is the most common. Combine 2 cups of sugar with 1/4 cup each of water and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to medium low and allow the wax to simmer for about 25 minutes or until it turns to a dark amber color similar to the color of dark honey. It should smell pleasantly lemony when finished. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the wax to cool and thicken for about 15 minutes. Peel the wax from the bottom of the pan and store it in an airtight plastic container. You can heat it or not, as you like, before use.

Combine the Indian and Egyptian recipes by mixing 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of honey and 1 cup of sugar in a microwave safe bowl for about two minutes, stirring about every 25 seconds. The mixture should turn golden brown when it is finished. Since there is no water in this recipe, you don’t need to boil the mixture to create a gel. The honey helps melt the sugar, and the lemon juice adds fluidity. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before using.