The Sweet Science of Sugaring and the Microbiome

Hello, I'm Shannon O'Brien, body Sugaring Expert and Licensed Esthetician, who has taken my own skincare business from zero to multiple six figures and has helped over 3,000 students learn how to do the same. You know, it wasn't that long ago that I lacked the time, budget and knowledge needed to grow my small business as a Body Sugaring professional. If we were to push rewind, we would see the many failed attempts and lessons learned that have helped me build the profitable business I have today, one that runs on its own and gives me the lifestyle and freedom I used to dream of. I created the Sugar Show to hand you my secrets and give you the simple, step-by-step strategies to help you do the same. If you're a cosmetologist, esthetician or wax professional who's looking to fill your books, make more money in your business and enjoy greater balance between your work and home life, well then, you're in the right place. Let's dive in. Welcome to the Sugar Show. I'm your host, shannon the Sugar Mama, and today we're diving into the fascinating world of the skin, microbiome, prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and how sugaring, combined with those things in skincare, can work wonders for your client's skin. So in the last episode, you were introduced to our new partner in sugaring Raddak, who is the founder of Raddak Lab in the Netherlands, and if you haven't already tuned in to the last episode, I highly suggest it and even watch it on our website to see the video version. So spending time with this innovator has been an honor, and learning from him and his team has been fantastic, to say the least. So let me be clear to those of you who are already sugaring the message of this company is not that of like superiority, but rather education. Raddak has been formulating cosmetics, and, in particular, sugar-paste and postcare, for years, and he's created a new proprietary line that is thoughtful and intentional. So the goal is to begin to nourish and protect the skin while we remove hair from our client's skin. You may have heard him reference creating this line without citric acid or lemon. He does have these formulas that he privately manufactures for companies in Europe like and they like lemon in the recipes, and I always thought sugar was just that lemon sugar and water. Heck, our old logo was a lemon slice. But he has found, however, that different ingredients that benefit the health of our client's skin are in these newer formulas, and, much like a baker, maybe, who stumbles upon a new way to bake a cake. Raddak has refined his recipes to use different ingredients to get an upgraded result. So bakers can use ingredients like applesauce, pumpkin or even go flourless to bake, and it's still a cake, just a different recipe. Raddak's line of products again have upgraded and really created these recipes of sugar-paste and products that will perform even better in a sugar-prose hand. Now you all know that I love analogies. I most famously used a carrot and an onion to explain how hairs are extracur-extra. And you all know that I love analogies. I most famously used a carrot and an onion to explain how hairs are extracted from follicles using different modalities. In summary, our hairs grow in our follicles like carrots growing in a garden. The orange part is under the soil, the green leafy part is above the surface, like the hair we see on the skin. So with wax, we apply hot resin in the direction of hair growth. The wax shrink wraps around the hair like the green leafy part of the carrot, and we extract the hairs by ripping, using muslin or hard wax, against the direction of hair growth. Well, in this method we run the risk of snapping that hair just off at the green leafy part or, even worse, snap the carrot in half down inside the follicle, which can lead to ingrown hairs, irritation and possibly inflammation. With sugar we glide the paste against the direction of hair growth pattern and not only coat the hair and the green leafy part of that carrot, but allow the sugar to seep down and grab a hold of the actual orange part of the carrot. When sliding the hair out with the direction of hair growth, that hair is taken out in its entirety and the follicle becomes lazy, basically, and it doesn't really want to grow back as strong of a hair or a carrot. As it relates to an onion, which is my other analogy I like to use, the hair starts out like an onion. You know there's a bulb and a stalk to the hair. The bulb lies deep inside the follicle and can cause redness and irritation if it's not removed properly. So if we aren't extracting the whole hair, we run the risk of snapping off the stalk of the onion and not removing that whole bulb. When we sugar that onion out, it pulls the bulb out as well, and the more we sugar, the more that hair becomes more like a scallion Still an onion, but wispy and thin, which feels much better for the client to experience. So let's start with the basics of exactly what the skin microbiome is, because I only thought there was a gut microbiome for a long time and I've come to learn that there is a skin microbiome. So let's start with the basics of exactly what the skin microbiome is, because, if you're like me, I thought there was just a gut microbiome for the longest time, but really the skin microbiome is so critical to understand as an esthetician, be it for acne or inflammation, but also for hair removal as well. So let's stick with the whole garden theme and roll with that so you can understand. So, just like a vibrant garden, our skin microbiome is a diverse community filled with millions of little tiny organisms bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microorganisms. Well, those collectively form a delicate balance essential for maintaining the health and harmony of our skin. So now picture this Every square inch of our skin is like a miniature world that has microorganisms, and some of these tiny little inhabitants are beneficial, working to protect our skin from harmful pathogens, maintain its moisture levels and even support in the natural healing process. Others may be opportunistic or harmful, potentially causing issues like acne, eczema or infections if they become too abundant. So much like the soil in that garden, the skin provides a rich and nourishing environment for these microorganisms to thrive. They interact with each other and our skin cells in complex ways, forming what scientists call a microbial community, and this community is incredibly dynamic, consistently adapting to changes in our environment, diet and skin care routines. So, in essence, the skin microbiome is like a thriving garden and it plays a critical role to the health and balance of our skin. And by understanding and nurturing this delicate ecosystem we can unlock the secrets to healthy, happy skin for ourselves and our clients. Now you might be wondering how does sugaring or hair removal affect this little ecosystem known as the skin microbiome? Well, just like any other aspect of skin care, hair removal techniques can have a significant impact on the balance and health, as you can imagine, on our skin's microbiome. So if we go back to our garden now, when we undergo hair removal, whether it's through waxing, shaving or sugaring, we're essentially kind of messing with this garden, and the method we choose can either nurture or disrupt that delicate balance living on our skin. So you know what my favorite is. Let's talk about how this applies to hot wax, for example, that can actually strip away not only the hair but some of the skin's natural oils and beneficial microorganisms. And this disruption can leave the skin vulnerable to imbalances and potential irritation, especially if the skin microbiome isn't properly supported during and after the treatment. On the other hand, we love us some sugar and we all know that it's a natural alternative to waxing and offers a gentler approach for our skin and our clients, but also for that garden. So let's talk about taking this a step further and incorporating prebiotic and postbiotic skin care into our sugar treatments. So you all know we've partnered with the premium prebiotic line that Radek from Radek Labs has worked so tirelessly to adjust his recipe to include not only the prebiotics but postbiotics as well. So we're going to really work hard to make sure that we're not disrupting that microbiome. So by infusing prebiotics into the skin, we are feeding and nourishing that skin, especially with this new formula. So he has developed a recipe that he has called in-uflex technology. So you know by now that we have partnered with the premium prebiotic line that Radek from Radek Labs has adjusted so that his recipe includes prebiotics and postbiotics as well. So let's break that down by infusing prebiotics into the skin, we're feeding and nourishing the skin, and this new formula he discovered is a recipe that he calls in-uflex technology, which includes sugar and water, of course, but also things like inulin and chicory for nourishment. He's also removed the lemon or citric acid from the recipe and added glucona lactone, which is originating originates from corn. Actually it's a polyhydroxy acid, a PHA, which is actually more gentle on the skin. It gently exfoliates, it retains moisture and infuses antioxidants. So the prebiotics are in the whole line, even in the sugar paste, to help improve the flexibility, consistency and actually overall performance of the paste. It is also made at lower temperatures, which preserves the integrity of the ingredients inside. So once you've cleansed the skin and powdered and sugared the area which is already feeling the effects of the nourishment and gentle application which we know we love of sugar, that post care also has prebiotics in it, with soothing ingredients like aloe and oat and purple willow extract and postbiotics. So immediately after you're sugaring with a spritz of, say, the pre and post rose water, that will turbo charge the healing and nourish that freshly sugared skin and support the healthy microorganisms on the skin. So think of postbiotics like a fertilizer for the garden of your skin. And the hexagonal balm and the soothing milk also contain postbiotics to lock in that hydration and seal in all the goodness. So, when it comes to maintaining a healthy skin microbiome, choosing the right hair removal method is key, as you know, and by opting for sugaring over traditional waxing, beauty professionals can really help preserve the delicate balance of those microorganisms on their client's skin, and it promotes healthier, happier skin in the process. So let's go over that one more time. Prebiotics are actually nourishing the skin. We're infusing that skin with antioxidants and moisture binders. We're sliding the hair out with the direction of hair growth with sugar, so there's less irritation. And then we are infusing, immediately after the treatment, prebiotics, which again is nourishing, and postbiotics, which are gonna turbo charge and protect that skin. And really, if you are offering your client a sugaring session, instead of just focusing on getting the hair out, you also are focusing on nourishing the skin's microbiome with exfoliants, probiotic infused hydraters. Not only are you gonna leave their skin silky smooth, but you're also promoting that healthy balance which can lead to fewer ingrown hairs, less irritation and overall, happier skin, which is the goal right. So here's the kicker by making the switch from waxing to sugaring and incorporating these pre and postbiotics into your treatments, you're not only offering your clients more gentle and effective hair removal option, but you're really helping them to increase the health of their skin and, as beauty pros, we need to make the switch to sugaring and embrace the power of this new technology Because, I promise you, your clients will thank you and their skin will thank you too, and the whole goal is to have healthy, happy skin, which will create healthy, happy clients, which will create a healthy, happy business for you. So for those of you that are really, really noticing how the skin is performing, you're noticing that sugar is sliding those carrots out of the garden in the direction that they grow, where, not causing irritation on the skin, and we're infusing that garden with the post biotics and prebiotics that are going to fertilize and just really keep that skin nice and healthy. You are taking your business to the next level. For those clients, you're upgrading your services and I highly recommend that you learn about these technologies so that you can explain that to your clients. So not only are they coming to you for hair removal, they're coming to you for your expertise. They're coming to you to understand why their skin is reacting the way it is, and I have been using these products for gosh six, eight months now and the change that I see in my client's skin is profound. If I'm honest, it is really a different thing to just sugar, put some moisturizer on and send them out the door and maybe send them home with some exfoliation, opposed to really educating them about what's going on with their skin and using products that are taking it to the next level. And not only that the next time they come back in, they're going to absolutely love the results and the fact that it's not growing back as fast and they don't have the irritation that they have before. It is a game changer, to be honest, in our industry. And if you are using skincare on your clients' faces, take a look at lines that have prebiotic ingredients in them. Post biotic ingredients. And never did we think that you would be able to put those things inside of your sugar paste. Now I will say you're probably asking wait, so sugar paste has prebiotics in it. I don't get it. It's only on the skin for oh, so long. How is that actually? Is that really staying on the skin, shan, or are we flicking everything off and it's coming off anyway? And I will tell you the answer is by using the recipe that Rodic has put together. What's happening is the moment you place that on the skin you've cleansed, you've powdered. The moment you've placed that on the skin, it is leaving trace elements behind. So as you're molding that sugar onto the skin, it's leaving these prebiotics into the skin. We're sliding the hair out with the direction of hair growth Everyone is happy down there in that little garden and then again we're just loading it back up with nutrients. So I hope that you have learned a little something, that I've made the science a little bit easier, because let me tell you, I have learned more about molecules and polyhydroxy acids than I ever thought I would learn, which is what is so exciting for me about this kind of upgrade and this new wave of sugaring, and really it's taking my business to the next level and my staff is really seeing a benefit and, of course, my clients are too. So I hope that you've learned a lot about the science here today. I hope I haven't confused you too much and that you can use that carrot analogy, use that onion analogy, go back and re-listen to this and understand how you can then explain it to your clients, because it will make more sense to them as well, and let them know that you're nourishing their beautiful garden and making sure that they have the best skincare they possibly can. I adore all of you. I hope that you have enjoyed spending this time with me again on the episode of the Sugar Show, and I look forward to chatting with you all very soon, whether it's at a trade show or you come into our live monthly coaching. We are here for you. My staff and I is here for you to make sure that you are the best sugar pro and esthetician that you can be. And, in the meantime, have a sweet week. Talk to you soon.