Ep 371 – I’d Wax That

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0:01:28.7 Ella Cressman: Hello and welcome to ASCP Esty Talk. I'm Ella Cressman, licensed esthetician, forever student of the skin and content contributor for Associated Skin Care Professionals.

0:01:40.0 Maggie Staszcuk: I'm Maggie Staszcuk, licensed esthetician and ASCP's program director.

0:01:44.6 Ella Cressman: You know, we talk about a lot of things, but I realized with one specific topic, we only really talk about it in our whoopsie-doozies.

0:01:53.9 Maggie Staszcuk: Oh.

0:01:54.9 Ella Cressman: And I know that both of us have shared our waxing horror stories, but there's so much more. Waxing used to be super simple. We'd apply it, we'd remove it, the client went home. But it's a lot different now. Would you say?

0:02:10.4 Maggie Staszcuk: Well, I don't know. I haven't been a waxer for a long time. But I will say back in the day when I was an esthetician, waxing was a huge part of my business.

0:02:14.2 Ella Cressman: Was it really?

0:02:18.0 Maggie Staszcuk: It was, yeah.

0:02:21.8 Ella Cressman: Oh, that's interesting. It was a definite gateway service, but one I was super pumped to peace out. And I have to be honest, I didn't keep up with a lot of the trends in the waxing area. And I look now and I'm like, holy cow, it's so, so different. You have to think about retinoids, how they're common in body care, how barriers are compromised and how clients expect results with fewer bumps and zero irritation. So the real question is, are we practicing like it's 2005 or like it's 2026, right? I think we both answered that on our own. But let's just talk statistics real quick. The global market size and growth. It's not just a niche service anymore. It is valued at an estimated $11.8 to $14.4 billion industry in 2024, and now we're in 2026. It's projected to grow to $22.2 billion by 2030, which is just four years away. And the compounded annual growth rate expected is in between 4.9 and 7.7 percent. That's big.

0:03:38.0 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah, this surprises me because laser hair removal is also a huge industry. So the fact that waxing is still so massive and continuing to grow really says something.

0:03:52.4 Ella Cressman: Big. Huge. North America alone represents a multibillion-dollar market for wax products and services, and demand continues to rise. In North America, it is expected to grow just in North America from 2.2 billion in 2024 to 3.1 billion in 2033. Other areas to consider is the professional services market, because we have at-home and obviously professional, which is funny. I'm sure we have some funny stories in that too. But the professional market is estimated to generate 10.4 million in 2024. Again, because a lot of these statistics came out, you know, they're a little bit late. And it's expected to reach 16 million by 2030. Lots of growth in that area. And then we have product and consumer trends where at-home waxing products and professional services are both expanding and what they're prioritizing and how things have changed. These have been around for a long time, but pre-made waxing strips and at-home products are a growing part of this category. But hair removal products overall, including wax, creams, post-care, they're all valued about 3.6 billion in 2023. Flip those numbers around by 2030 to 6.3. That's like double in, what is that, seven years? Crazy.

0:05:19.0 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah, that is crazy. You said hair removal products, including creams. So is Nair still a thing? Is that what we're talking about here?

0:05:27.8 Ella Cressman: Well, it could be like the chemical depilatories. Yeah. Not as much. People aren't as excited about that area, but the post-care part of it.

0:05:32.8 Maggie Staszcuk: I see. Yeah.

0:05:37.8 Ella Cressman: Like what they go home with and how they care for the skin after the service, whether it's home or in a professional setting.

0:05:46.1 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah, it's a whole experience.

0:05:47.7 Ella Cressman: Well, let's talk about three... Let's look back, right, to see where we are, see where we're going. We have to know where we're coming from. So there's three key turning points in the long history of waxing that we can identify. I'm sure you are well versed. Did you teach the waxing section at your school?

0:05:56.9 Maggie Staszcuk: I did, yeah.

0:06:06.1 Ella Cressman: Was it your favorite?

0:06:09.8 Maggie Staszcuk: I enjoyed it, but it was quite stressful for students, especially when we got to the Brazilian wax lesson.

0:06:15.8 Ella Cressman: Yeah. I only saw one Brazilian and I never performed a Brazilian or a bikini wax when I was in school.

0:06:19.5 Maggie Staszcuk: Really?

0:06:23.2 Ella Cressman: I did one eyebrow, like the left eyebrow.

0:06:25.1 Maggie Staszcuk: Wow.

0:06:27.0 Ella Cressman: And then I did arms and legs because that's what we could do.

0:06:30.4 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah. At the start of the wax class or the wax module, everyone was always so nervous. But then by the end of that module, everyone honestly had experienced everything, including Brazilian. I was very surprised that people all were willing to try it and...

0:06:40.9 Ella Cressman: To receive.

0:06:51.5 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah, to receive and perform it. And yeah, it was a good class.

0:06:55.6 Ella Cressman: That's awesome. It wasn't for me and I don't know if it was because we were a night class, there were less students. I was not volunteering for that at all. So I don't know. So let's talk about early hair removal as ritual and hygiene, way, way back in the day. Because waxing or depilation is a long-time practice. In ancient civilizations, they used sugar pastes, resins, honey, and oils to remove hair, something we still do now. But the practice wasn't cosmetic. It was tied to cleanliness, social status, ritual, and beauty, not just convenience. These early methods established the foundation for root-based hair removal, different from shaving. So why do you think it matters?

0:07:44.3 Maggie Staszcuk: I think waxing has always been about more than aesthetics. It has roots in hygiene and skincare, not just appearance.

0:07:54.3 Ella Cressman: Yeah, very much so. And then it wasn't, right? It was in fashion to have it or groom it. And I think it changes quite a bit. But where we saw the standardization of salon waxes was mid to late 20th century, would you say?

0:08:02.6 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah.

0:08:10.8 Ella Cressman: This is where we saw them becoming more of a professional service, not just an at-home practice. Because it's my vision that those were things that you did at home or in the hush-hush or asked your friends and then you were doing it more at home. It became more of a status thing. Maybe it re-became a status thing from the rituals of ancient eras. So with that, with development of cool things like wax heaters or disposable strips, plus adding gloves and sanitation protocols, it becomes scalable, trainable, and profitable within salons and spas. It's a really important era because then this is where we establish it more as a core aesthetic service, would you say?

0:08:53.8 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah, I would. And the focus was largely, I think, on efficiency and hair removal, not necessarily skin health.

0:09:00.4 Ella Cressman: For sure. And I think also what we had was an evolution from those sugar pastes to what we know now as soft wax, which they called it honey wax when I was in school.

0:09:10.3 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah.

0:09:11.2 Ella Cressman: Do you remember it just being honey wax, soft wax? And then there was the introduction of a cream soft wax, but it was still that, right?

0:09:16.9 Maggie Staszcuk: Yep.

0:09:17.7 Ella Cressman: Then we have the introduction of hard wax in the late 20th century, this is the 1900s for people who don't want to do the math, let's just say 40 years ago and on, we had hard wax. And this started gaining popularity for face, underarms, bikini services, anywhere where you wanted a sharp line, because it was marketed as gentler, because it didn't adhere to the skin, rather it adhered to the hair. So you were able to be more specialized. You can do more gentle areas like Brazilians and such like that. So why do you think that mattered?

0:09:53.6 Maggie Staszcuk: Well, hard wax is a game changer for Brazilian waxing because you can get into those nooks and crannies. It's not adhering to sensitive skin areas. And that's important for Brazilian waxing, even chest waxing. If you were to go over a nipple area or even things like ears and nose, hard wax makes it possible.

0:10:16.8 Ella Cressman: Because then you're not sticking, sticking, sticking like the other solutions.

0:10:21.3 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah.

0:10:21.9 Ella Cressman: Well, they have now hybrid, what I would assume would be a mix between a hard and a soft wax, but it's not. It's its own thing. It's a different kind of polymer now. And then they have several different formulas. I had, when I first started out, remember, one eyebrow, just the left, just the left, and I watched a Brazilian. So, as I've shared before, my first bikini wax experience was horrible. So I made a point to learn it, to get really good at it, because I hated it. So I wanted to get it done. And check. I became really great at waxing. Very efficient. Safe, not... I mean, I lifted skin and then I learned. But I had two formulas in my room, a hard and a soft, and that was maintained. Still today, when I do bring my wax warmer out, which is not that often, two formulas. And then I would see people having like six different formulas, and I never understood it. But I talked to Ms. Bree Mesquit, who was our ASCP Esty of the Year in 2022, who, by the way, is just an amazing human, and she was sharing all the different wax styles and stuff. So I asked her a couple questions. I said, "What's different? What are these changes that you've seen in your career?" because she specializes in it, and "What are your thoughts?" The first question I asked is what shifted for her. Because like you said, there was a shift to not just pulling the hair out and sending them on their way. It was skin also. So my question was, "When you shifted from hair removal to skin first, what was that like?"

0:11:54.1 Ella Cressman: I'm gonna tell you exactly what she told me verbatim, so I don't lose anything. She said, "My shift happened fairly early in my career while working at a large chain. She noticed that many women were struggling with skin concerns, especially in intimate areas, and those were making them insecure, the opposite of what waxing should provide. They were having dark spots, ingrown hairs, or other things. So they weren't coming to her just to be hair-free. They wanted to be smooth. They wanted that skin to look healthy. They wanted clear skin and confidence." And that's what changed her approach on waxing. Treating the skin first ultimately helped her clients achieve their real goal, not just hair removal, which I thought was super, super important. It's more than just taking it off.

0:12:40.8 Ella Cressman: Hold that thought. We'll be right back.

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0:13:28.8 Ella Cressman: Okay, here we go. Let's get back to the podcast.

0:13:32.1 Ella Cressman: So let's talk about some core facts around that. Modern waxing is no longer just hair removal. It is skin barrier management. Clients today are more reactive because of the retinoids in their lotion or exfoliating acids that they're using, or medication or lifestyle stressors. So technique and post-care now influence outcomes as much as the wax itself.

0:13:55.8 Maggie Staszcuk: I think it's important to note that skin, in my opinion, is still skin. I don't think that we as a human race are evolving and that how skin behaves is evolving. But chemistry and formulation has changed, and people's views on what their experience should be when they go and see their waxer or their esthetician has changed. And so that wax technician needs to evolve their business to keep up with the demands of the client.

0:14:25.3 Ella Cressman: Do you think that most professionals have adjusted their waxing protocols to match that change?

0:14:30.2 Maggie Staszcuk: Probably some have and some haven't.

0:14:31.9 Ella Cressman: I would think... I would agree with you wholeheartedly.

0:14:33.8 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah. Because I'm sure there's those waxers that are same as us, that grew up with, here's your resin wax, and here's your hard wax, and those are your only options. And that's what they know. And so that's what they use. And they maybe are not also creating a treatment plan for the skin, either pre and post wax, or you also can expand on that, like Bree is talking about here. And what about the pigmentation and what about the ingrown hairs and so on and so forth? And there's opportunity for your business there if you grow on that.

0:15:10.2 Ella Cressman: She was saying she customizes, like, a little bit of this wax, a little bit of that wax for each client. She can customize it, which is like, you have to know your stuff to be able to do that.

0:15:15.7 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah.

0:15:21.2 Ella Cressman: That almost is like your business is the waxing and the way I would customize serums, maybe, layering of serums, she's customizing what she's putting in the pot before they get there.

0:15:32.8 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah. And I think that that's her niche. That works for her.

0:15:37.6 Ella Cressman: Yeah.

0:15:37.7 Maggie Staszcuk: I would not recommend that to every esthetician. And also, let's clarify that Bree has her own wax line, so she knows she can do those things. You can't take every wax on the market and say, "I'm gonna cocktail this for you and mix these waxes," and hope for the best.

0:15:56.2 Ella Cressman: That's what I would do. She had to get there, though. I wonder if that's how it happened.

0:16:00.6 Maggie Staszcuk: We're gonna be doing a podcast later about Ella's whoopsie doozy.

0:16:02.6 Ella Cressman: I tried it.

0:16:04.7 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah.

0:16:06.7 Ella Cressman: What happens when you mix two waxes, one resin and one hard? Oh, I have a story on that one, too. But it's important because even though hair removal has existed for thousands of years across many, many cultures, what we are doing now, modern professional, are standardized for efficiency, not just skin, or not skin biology. So we have to consider it now where it wasn't really taught when we were in school. And then the philosophical shift from cosmetic removal to a biological preservation. Hair removal isn't new. Waxing has roots in cultural rituals and practical hygiene long before salons existed. So, Maggie, what's changed isn't the goal, but the understanding of the skin. What would you say?

0:16:50.7 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah, I think you nailed it on the head, which is understanding the skin. Just to repeat what you said. And going back to what I said before, that there are those wax technicians or those estheticians out there that have opportunity to expand their business by also treating the skin and including the skin in their waxing experience.

0:17:11.7 Ella Cressman: So we talked a little bit about modern wax formulations and what's actually different. Wax categories now, we have soft wax, hard wax, sugar, and hybrids. Modern resins and polymers improve flexibility and hair adhesion. Remember when back in the... And back in the day, we had really two wax companies, one that was good and one that was cheap? Remember? And I'm not gonna name names, but the cheap one specifically in hard wax would be brittle and break off in little baby pieces. And now they're a lot more flexible. They're able to melt or warm at lower temperatures and have this elastic-like quality. So it helps with discomfort, but it doesn't replace proper technique. Also marketing terms like clean or hypoallergenic, those don't guarantee safety. But wax selection should be based on skin condition, hair type, and treatment area. I remember when one wax line came out and they said, "And this is compostable." And you probably know who I'm talking about. Don't Google it, you guys, because it's not important. And so they were putting hard wax in the compost pile.

0:18:25.5 Maggie Staszcuk: To that I say, this is a wax company trying to keep up with trends in consumer demands. And there was a point in time when Ella and I were young estheticians. We were spring chickens. And there was this hot debate that waxing and all the supplies you're using are very wasteful. All the sticks you go through, if it's a hard wax, those large wax strips being tossed, and you went through a lot of consumables. And so then wax companies started to come out and say it's compostable or this is recycled polymer, blah, blah, blah.

0:19:03.5 Ella Cressman: Yeah, that's a green craze.

0:19:04.5 Maggie Staszcuk: Yep.

0:19:05.6 Ella Cressman: Yeah.

0:19:06.6 Maggie Staszcuk: And I'm surprised that that hasn't come back around with the whole clean beauty thing. Clean, green, and whatever. We went through that phase recently, just a few years ago.

0:19:15.9 Ella Cressman: It's definitely something I had to wrap my brain around it. But I'm glad that it's evolved. I'm glad that it's not just gotten gentler, but it's gotten more technically sophisticated. Speaking of, let's talk about technique and as really a clinical skill. Formulation versus technique. So I asked Ms. Bree and she said for her, technique will always come first. She's obviously a highly skilled waxer and she can even probably make a mediocre wax perform well. Like I was telling, like we're talking about the cheap one. But even with the best wax, she said that it's so important because it can't compensate for poor technique. "Mastery really comes from understanding technique deeply and knowing how to pivot in real time based on each client's skin, hair, and circumstance." Quote, "When strong technique is paired with the right formula, that combination creates the best possible experience and outcome for both the waxer and the client." And I thought that was a nailed-it moment because I remember thinking, why is this client's skin reacting this way? I've done this a hundred times. What's going on now? Have you ever experienced that?

0:20:25.5 Maggie Staszcuk: Oh, yeah. I mean, a million times. I can think back to, I know what I'm doing, I know my product. Why is it not working?

0:20:33.8 Ella Cressman: Do you think that, this is how I thought in that moment too, was like, what's wrong with the client?

0:20:38.1 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah.

0:20:39.4 Ella Cressman: What's wrong with the client that this isn't working?

0:20:41.2 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah. And easy to go there. Like, well, their hair just isn't long enough or something like that.

0:20:46.7 Ella Cressman: Or their skin's too dry or what medicine did... I remember lifting somebody's eyebrows. I said, "Are you on a Retin-A?" "No, I'm not." "Okay, cool." And her eyebrow lifted. And I'm like, "You're not using any new products?" She's like, "Well, I'm using Olay Regenerist." And I'm like, "I think that has a little retinol in it." So we had to go make sure. I mean, this was probably 15 years ago, but little things like that that you learn. That's an obvious one. But also some things just don't work with some people, or you do have to adjust the temperature. And I would make notes. But I'm just using one type of wax. So very interested. And then the other thing that's really changed quite a bit. I remember, remember Tend Skin?

0:21:28.8 Maggie Staszcuk: Oh, yeah. I used that like crazy.

0:21:31.4 Ella Cressman: Yeah. And I think that's what we had for post-care. So Tend Skin was this alcohol-based, can we say alcohol-based?

0:21:39.5 Maggie Staszcuk: Uh-huh.

0:21:39.9 Ella Cressman: Toner that you would use post-wax for the... To ward off ingrown hairs or something like that.

0:21:47.8 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah, and it burned like a mother.

0:21:48.7 Ella Cressman: Exactly. It hurt. It wasn't pleasant, but you just bite down and just keep going for the next four or five days afterwards. This is what you're supposed to do. Then I remember another wax company had like a pre-spray that we could just spray on, especially important for some areas. And then a post-oil, that was it. And then someone else came out with a lotion. But now we have sophisticated skin care for post-wax, which is different. So the undervalued step of post-care. I asked Bree again and she said... I was like, "What's one of the most common mistakes with modern wax approaches?" And she said one of the biggest mistakes that she sees is not staying current with modern contraindications also. Because contraindications that you learn in school may have been explained, but with new medication, supplements, skin care, and viral trends constantly emerging, it's super important for professionals to stay informed. And the reason that she mentioned this is because these factors can dramatically affect the skin and determine whether a client is a good candidate for waxing, or maybe they need to be encouraged for another hair removal method. And awareness and education are essential for both safety and results. A safety-first approach, which was really cool.

0:23:07.6 Ella Cressman: Here's some core facts to consider. Post-care determines inflammations, ingrowns, and then barrier recovery. And pre-care, or what we used to use, over-drying can increase irritation and follicular disruption. Barrier-first care supports healing and reduces complications. Exfoliation and timing matters. If you're waxing too early, it can increase risks, or exfoliating too soon after. And that the follicle is a micro-environment influenced by friction, sweat, and occlusion. So what you put on is important. What has been some things that you have seen change in the post-care area?

0:23:44.5 Maggie Staszcuk: I think everything that you just mentioned, which is treating the skin in its entirety with serums and lotions and even cleansing. And we have post-oils, whereas when we grew up in the industry, we simply just had Tend Skin.

0:24:02.1 Ella Cressman: I think what's important too, which should be a huge consideration, which I never did, was having a consultation before and during. The same consultation approach that we are super excited about for facials or peels or dermaplaning, you should have that same intent for waxing. And that's eyebrows. Remember I just told my whoopsie story. That's for legs, that's for arms, that's for intimate areas, because it's really, really important, especially for establishing a relationship. Now, if I flip that over and I was the client, I'd be like, "I just want my legs waxed. Why do I need to go through this?" But I think having an experience where I had a consultation would help to encourage my trust in the practitioner.

0:24:47.2 Maggie Staszcuk: Yeah. And I think the expectation from clients has changed. So today, I don't think they would be deterred by that. But you're right, there was never a consultation. The consultation involved, "How much hair are we taking off today?"

0:25:00.7 Ella Cressman: Yeah.

0:25:01.8 Maggie Staszcuk: "What shape do you want?" Yeah, exactly.

0:25:04.7 Ella Cressman: And I know, too, that we also said signing a release or an informed consent is important. FYI, if you're an ASCP member, you can go up in the forms and download and make it your own, but ASCP has a really big jumpstart on that. Just saying. So, anyways, what else do you think about waxing?

0:25:14.4 Maggie Staszcuk: I love it.

0:25:24.0 Ella Cressman: Would you wax that?

0:25:25.1 Maggie Staszcuk: I would wax it.

0:25:26.1 Ella Cressman: Now, listeners, we really want to hear from you. How do you think wax has changed? Reach out via Instagram, Facebook, or send us an email at getconnected@ascpskincare.com. Thank you for listening to ASCP Esty Talk. For more information on this episode, or for ways to connect with Maggie or myself, or to learn more about ASCP, check out the show notes. Stay tuned for the next episode of ASCP Esty Talk.

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