We’ve all had those issues. You know the kind. Those pesky hair removal techniques that leave us with hair and horrid bumps! Vancouver sister-in-laws Alia and Farzana Sunderji decided to help us all out by creating Sticky Lemon, an all natural wax, made from their family sugar recipe. Alia Sunderji sat down with GLOSS to chat about her sticky solution to hair removal!
GLOSS: What gave you the idea to turn your family sugar wax recipe into a business?
AS: I’ve been using our family sugar recipe for a long time because I have extremely sensitive skin and my skin would react when I used other store bought waxes.
After years of using our family sugar wax and making tweaks to the recipe along the way to make it even more efficient and all natural, my friends and family got jest of the product and encouraged me to start making it available to the public.
My strongest support came from Farzana, my brother’s wife. It was her enthusiasm for the product that not only inspired me to start this venture but also to get her on board to getting people Stuck on Sticky!
GLOSS: We get the sticky, but why Sticky Lemon?
AS: We wanted the products’ name to reflect the wax …something simple yet straight to the point. Sticky Lemon is made from freshly squeezed lemons…and wax is STICKY…so Sticky Lemon.
GLOSS: Why does your product work so well?
AS: Sticky Lemon is easy to use, it’s all natural and it’s effective! Let’s face it… body hair sucks! It was important for us to introduce a product that not only gets the job done but also leaves you with smooth hairless silky skin without the irritation…and Sticky Lemon truly delivers!
GLOSS: Your wax is void of preservatives, additives, and hard to pronounce chemicals. Why is that?
AS: As per my uber sensitive skin I needed a product that was all natural yet still effective. All the ingredients used to make Sticky Lemon are wholesome items found in every kitchen. In fact the only ingredients used to make Sticky Lemon are freshly squeezed lemons, sugar and water.
GLOSS: What is your worst waxing experience?
AS: Oh goodness…thinking about this gives me chills up my spine. It was my first waxing experience. I was post puberty and started growing hair on my underarms and decided that I should probably get rid of it ‘cause hairy pits are not cute so instead of using our family sugar wax I decided to be just like my friends and go out buy some store brand wax (not knowing I’d react). I went ahead to use the product and I swear more of my skin came off than my hair and to make matters worse I had these gross red bumps that were so itchy that I couldn’t put my arms down for days.
GLOSS: What is the most painful area to wax?
AS: Downstairs!!!! BUT it’s gotta be done! Our advice… dust the area with baby powder first then spread on the wax in small sections, firmly attach the cotton strip, say a small prayer and pull! BELIEVE US…the hairs become sparser the more you do it so even though it’s easier to shave, just do the deed and wax… it’s worth it in the long run!
GLOSS: Any tips for optimal waxing results?
AS: To get the best waxing results grow or cut your hair to a quarter of an inch to half an inch. At this length the hairs adhere to the wax the best which ultimately allows you to pull out the hair easier. Also dusting the area you want to wax with baby powder first gives a great result because it helps the hairs to stand up and aids in catching the hairs better and it also helps ease the pain in sensitive areas.
Another great tip is to wax in sections of three to four inches for larger areas and one to two inches in smaller curved areas. When you limit the size of the sections you are going to wax, you are also ensuring that all of the hairs are adhered to the cotton strip before pulling it off.
Lastly, be consistent. If you continuously wax, your hairs follicles will become weaker and weaker and new hairs that will grow will become softer, sparser and less frequent.
GLOSS: Any new products in the works?
AS: We are so excited to be introducing some new products in the near future! We believe in all natural eco friendly products so to keep true to our stance…we will be coming out with some great products that stay true to our philosophy.
By October of this year we will be introducing a lemon sugar body scrub which will be perfect to use after waxing as it will help prevent ingrown hairs by exfoliating your skin and getting rid of dead skin cells.
We’re also currently working on some all natural soaps and body butters as well. We hope to get them out by November so make sure you keep us in mind for your upcoming Christmas gifts!!
GLOSS: Where can people find your products?
AS: Currently we sell our product online on Ebay and Etsy. Just type in Sticky Lemon and you’ll find us on there. We also sell our product at local markets such as Portobello West and in the near future we’ll be selling through local retailers around Vancouver.
To find out what we’re up to and where you can find us…please join our Facebook group “Sticky Lemon” and visit us online at www.stickylemon.ca.
Farzana and Alia Sunderji
