If you’re anything like me, then you’re constantly on the hunt for great, new natural beauty products, brands, and places. Over the last decade, I have learned the true importance of detoxing not only my food but my entire life.
I was at the young age of only 22 when I began suffering from numerous health issues, including Lyme disease, PCOS, Hypothyroidism, Candida, Leaky Gut, and more.
It wasn’t until I was given 24 hours to live with C-diff Colitis and on a cocktail of drugs that I decided to take matters into my own hands and heal myself.
Back then, I was completely unaware of the harsh chemicals and toxins that were causing my body so much harm. I truly learned the importance of eating clean, whole foods and using only natural beauty and skincare products in my everyday routine.
When I first began my health journey, organic and natural were just becoming a little more mainstream, but, to be honest, it was hard to find beauty products that were truly ‘clean’ from harmful ingredients.
Thankfully things have turned around, and natural really is the way to be. It’s a bummer that it took so long for this to catch on and for so many people, like myself, to have to go through the trial and error of Western medical practices and having tons of beauty products in our makeup bags that were triggering and enhancing illness, without ever realizing it, but that is the case no more!
We are now surrounded with a ton of great options, ranging from foundations, mascaras, and lipsticks to face washes, lotions, nail polishes, and more, that are easily available to all of us and affordable! What’s also exciting is that organic and natural spas and beauty procedure places are popping up more and more.
This is not only extremely convenient for people on the go, but also can be super fun when you just want to be pampered or primp yourself naturally. One of my favorite new finds is located in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, called Sugar, Sugar. Not only is the name darling, but the staff, products, and services are fantastic as well. Here’s more about this boutique that I definitely recommend if you live in Arizona or are visiting.
Why Sugar, Sugar?
Sugar, Sugar is a cozy little boutique for women and men that specializes in sugaring, a natural hair-removal technique, as well as a variety of services, including organic facials, natural eyelash extensions, organic airbrush tans, and natural makeup products.
They are Arizona’s only 100% all-natural and organic spa to date. When you walk into this charming place, you are instantly greeted by the friendly staff that is ready to meet all your needs. Not only do they hire a fun, loving team, but all of them are trained in natural aesthetics as well, so you know you’re in good hands!
The atmosphere and décor have a fresh and modern vibe, with a hint of luxury to it. While you wait, you are offered complimentary water or tea and are surrounded by health and wellness magazines, great information about the industry, and a more in-depth description of the services they offer, so you’re never bored. What’s even better is that you make your appointments ahead, so your wait time is very minimal.
If you talk to any of the staff, you can tell that they really love their job and they are also so well educated, not only in their products and services but in the all-natural beauty and clean eating industry as well.
When you find a place that is passionate about what they do and believes in the product, it makes all the difference in the world. You know they get it, and you know that you really are getting the experience and products you’re expecting and believe in yourself.
So What Is Sugaring?
Sugaring is a treatment that uses sugar, lemon, and hot water to create a gel that removes hair from the root without irritating or damaging the skin. Although most have never heard of this process, it’s actually been around and used for centuries in countries like Greece, Northern Africa, and the Middle East.
This ancient technique is not only organic, but it’s super gentle since it doesn’t stick to the skin at all, only to the actual hair. This is an amazing alternative to painful waxing and laser treatments that are common today. Sugaring can be used on all skin types, so if you’re very sensitive, this is something you’ll definitely want to try.
How it works is the sugar is slightly warmed and applied to hair that is about an 1/8 of an inch long. It’s important to have the hair grown out a bit so that the sugar has something to attach itself to.
The hair is then removed in the natural direction of hair growth. It feels a bit sticky but isn’t actually sticking or leaving any residue on your skin.
Some might even feel the technique to be almost soothing. What’s also great is that the sugar is a natural exfoliant and alleviates and helps with dry skin.
The only prep you need beforehand is clean, product-free skin (no oils, lotions, or deodorants) and to exfoliate the night before. It’s that easy! They offer an extensive amount of options for the sugar treatment.
There’s Women Sugaring, Men Sugaring, and Young Adult Sugaring, with a variety of hair-removal procedures listed within each category, from simple eyebrows and facial hair to full body hair removal.
Sugaring Vs. Waxing
The most important advantage of sugaring over waxing is, of course, the natural factor. Although wax is derived from ingredients like natural beeswax, honey, and essential oils, most have artificial fragrances, dyes, chemicals, and preservatives added into the formula.
Sugar is water-soluble, so it’s not sticky on the skin and can be washed off simply using water. Wax, on the other hand, requires special remover in order to get rid of the leftover residue.
Sugar only sticks to the hairs and dead skin cells, never to your actual skin, unlike wax, which makes for a painful experience and irritates and damages the skin.
Waxing can also leave behind painful and unattractive redness and bumps, letting your skin know it is not happy with you.
Another difference is that wax is overheated, which can sometimes burn, where the sugaring technique is applied at a lukewarm temperature. Sugar is especially ideal for those sensitive areas that wax and shaving tend to irritate the most.
Other Services at Sugar, Sugar
Sugar, Sugar has also become well-known for their organic facials, natural eyelash extensions, organic airbrush tanning, and natural makeup applications and products.
Organic Facials – They offer a variety of facial techniques ranging from traditional, hydrating, natural fruit acid, anti-aging, and therapeutic acne facials to chemical peels, microdermabrasion, as well as hand and back procedures. These are great if you feel like your skin could use a little pick-me-up or if you just want to relax and enjoy the amazing benefits these provide.
Tanning – When you book an appointment for tanning, you aren’t stepping into a spray tan machine, like a lot of spas offer. Nope, you have someone who comes in and takes about 15 minutes to do a one-on-one personalized tan.
You choose your level of comfort with this, but the spray technicians are so professional and friendly that the time flies by. They have a dedicated room with a special lighting section so they can make sure not to miss a spot. As for their tanning solution, it is a combination of apple sugar and Aloe Vera as a base.
The brown sugar is what gives your skin that ‘golden glow’ while avoiding that orange tint that can occur with traditional spray tans. You can choose how dark you want to go based on the formula they mix and how many times they go over you with the sprayer.
The solution is organic, lightweight, Paraben-free, lasts anywhere from 7-12 days, and isn’t sticky! Plus, it gives you that natural, sun-kissed glow without the harmful rays and chemicals found in traditional tanners.
Eyelash Extensions – Eyelash extensions are definitely on-trend, and this place doesn’t settle for anything less than the best. A full-set application includes mink lash extensions, which are the most natural ones on the market. They are full, super thick, and they last about 3-4 weeks.
MakeUp Application – Lastly, Sugar, Sugar also offers makeup application services. You can have a traditional one, bridal application, or event application. Each one gets a consultation prior to the service, and the bridal application actually gets a 30-minute trial run two weeks before her big day.
After you get your procedure or services done and mind you, everyone there is so nice, it’s like you become fast friends. They walk you to the front and offer you water, as well as organic, gluten-free, and dairy-free chocolate treats that taste super yummy!
This place really knows how to spoil their clients. They even do a follow-up call to check on you to see how you’re doing and make sure you’re satisfied with your results after the fact. What’s great too is that they offer monthly specials and combos on their website, so you can get even more of a deal than they already offer.
I’ve always loved finding great places that I truly enjoy going to. Still, now I have even more of an appreciation for those that understand the importance of using products that help our bodies instead of harming them while providing a fantastic experience at the same time.
If you want to learn more about this company, visit their website at Mysugarsugar.com. You not only can only find out more about them, but you can easily book an appointment online as well. Once you discover the great benefits of sugaring, as well as the many other great options they offer, you won’t want to go back to any traditional method or spa again!
Culinary Nutritionist, Contributor
I’m a food lover and wellness pusher. Love to cook super healthy and tasty food, I love to learn and find ways to nourish our body, mind, and soul. My goal is to inspire, through my recipes and stories, other families to a healthier lifestyle.