The key attribute of a great depilatory wax is dilatancy. A dilatant wax gets ‘thicker’ (which means it increases in viscosity) under sheer. This means that when it is removed quickly it gets very hard and grabs the hair firmly whilst not sticking to the skin, plucking the hair out very cleanly right from the root. If the wax is too soft and sticky, it doesn’t have as much dilatancy and stretches and strings. This leads to lifting/bruising of the skin, and often snaps the hair near the surface of the skin. Poor dilatancy means an ineffective and uncomfortable wax so high dilatancy is an extremely vital characteristic of waxu’s wax blend.
The vast majority of strip waxes available on the market are made from Colophonium, also known as Pine Rosin, which is a natural resin, tapped from pine trees in China, Portugal and Brazil. Colophonium has high dilatancy and performs very well as a depilatory wax but is extremely unstable. Different wax brands use Colophonium in different ways depending on price point and position in the market. The blend used has a huge effect on the performance and shelf life of the wax so as a waxing professional it is important to know how your preferred wax is blended.
The cheapest waxes use unstabilised Colophonium. Pure Colophonium has high dilatancy and performs exceptionally well but is extremely unstable. The instability of this key raw material means it oxidizes quickly, discolouring and losing properties. This product deterioration gives the wax a very short shelf life and often-unpredictable performance, making it commercially unviable.
The majority of waxes are made from Glyceryl Rosinate (AKA Glyceryl Ester, or Rosin Ester). This material is produced by a 3:1 blend (approx.) of Colophonium and Glycerine. The glycerine stabilises the formula giving it an excellent shelf life which makes it commercially viable, hence its popularity. Unfortunately the blending actually dilutes the Colophonium by 25% resulting in 25% less dilatancy and subsequently poorer performance.
A small amount of waxes use synthetic resins and are Colophonium free. Synthetic resins are very stable so result in a wax with a long shelf life but are extremely expensive. It is very difficult to achieve a high performance wax made from synthetic resins so waxes with this blend are few and far between and normally more expensive.
Here at waxu We’ve spent years perfecting our completely unique wax blend which gives 100% colophonium dilatancy whilst also remaining 100% stable. Our unique method of stablisation enables good colour, low odour, good shelf life and above all excellent performance!
waxu is the UK’s only dedicated intimate wax brand. Our signature intimate waxing treatment combines our incredible formula with a new, advanced intimate waxing technique developed by our therapists. It’s the ultimate intimate waxing experience and once they’ve tried it, our clients tell us there’s no going back.
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