Ashmira Botanica Mulberry hot wax tips

It's exciting to hear that Violet and Mulberry have started to land in your treatment rooms. I hope you all enjoy hanging out with them (and I hope they behave themselves)!

I will add some video tutorials to my Facebook page over the coming weeks, but for those keen to get up and running here are a few tips for getting the most out of your Mulberry peelable wax. Skip to the end for the short version!!

First things first

The single most important thing to know about Mulberry is that he doesn’t hang about. He sets extremely fast and for this reason he’s best mates with confident waxers who work quickly. This is a blessing for anyone who wants to cut down their treatment times, but do bear it in mind.

Know where you want to go before you get him out of the pot, as too much stick twizzling will mean he starts to dry midair before even hitting the skin.

Heating

Mulberry is happy whether heated gently (use a timer to switch your pot on 90 minutes before you get into work) or speed heated (use the ‘fast heat’ function on your digital heater twice, or whack the thermostat up to full for 10 minutes).

Whichever method you prefer, give him a good stir afterwards to distribute the heat evenly.

At the right consistency Mulberry will be soft and glossy throughout, fairly fluid (like runny honey) and smooth on application, with no drag on the skin.

As a very general guide, I've been using the following settings:

Ashmira/Outback/Depileve heater: 3.5 to 4
Hive analog heater: 2.5 to 3
Hive/Sienna digital heater: high 50s

It’s not uncommon for Mulberry to develop a solid core of wax as he cools down. He will also start to form a film after the lid has been off your pot for a while. Don't let this throw you, just give him a good mix and he'll be right as rain.

A word to the wise: if you are used to working with a very low temperature wax, Mulberry may initially feel slightly warmer than you are perhaps expecting. At the correct working temperature he should feel no hotter than warm bath water on the skin.

Application

The Ashmira Botanica pre-wax products launch early next year and have been developed specifically for use with these waxes, but until then you can use your existing range.

I’ve found that Mulberry prefers a liquid, toner-style cleanser and very little or no oil for best results. If your client gets sweaty during the treatment, wipe their skin dry with a tissue, as perspiration will interfere with Mulberry’s performance. Don’t be afraid to use powder if needed or preferred.

Scoop a ball of wax onto the end of your spatula and apply in the direction of hair growth, using firm pressure. Mulberry isn’t sticky, so you need to push him all the way down to the skin with your spatula during application to ensure a really good coating of the hairs. Pressing down with your hand afterwards won’t achieve very much, as he’s already drying off by that point.

You don’t need to swirl back in a figure-of-eight pattern, but if that’s how you like to work, that’s fine with him.

Your layers can be relatively thin for most body areas and hair types, about the thickness of a penny piece, and you should be able to see the skin and hair through the strip. He’s budget-conscious like that. Coarser/denser/stronger hair may require a thicker application, but if you normally pile it on, try reducing the amount you use with Mulberry... you'll be pleasantly surprised by how much time and money he saves you.

Removal

As mentioned earlier, Mulberry is a fast mover. He will set within seconds of application, so you can remove him pretty much straight away if you like. If you prefer to lay multiple strips down, that’s absolutely fine, but don’t leave him hanging about too long - he doesn’t like it, especially in cold weather. Get him on and off, stat.

You’ll notice that Mulberry isn’t sticky like some of his friends. As he cools down, he’ll lose much of his tackiness, which makes him popular with clients because it results in much less skin irritation during removal. The only downside to this is that you may find it tricky to ‘daisy chain’ him (where you press a recently removed strip into wax still on the body and use it as a handle to pull from).

For easy removal: once you've got him on the skin, press the tip of the same spatula into the edge of his strip, and then pull up slightly - the waxy end of the stick will adhere to the wax on the skin and lift up just enough to give you a corner to pull from. No picking required!

Incidentally, if Mulberry splits or snaps during removal, he’s either too thin or been left on the body for too long. Don’t panic, just apply more wax straight over the top and carry on as if nothing happened.

Mulberry’s golden rules

• STIR your pot to distribute the heat evenly.
• CLEANSE and DRY the skin.
• Wax should be FLUID on application.
• Use FIRM PRESSURE and APPLY WITH THE DIRECTION OF HAIR GROWTH.
• Apply and remove your wax QUICKLY for trouble-free results.
• Try not to spend all day staring at his gorgeous GLITTER.

For more information or to try Mulberry peelable wax for yourself, contact Ashmira Botanica on 01823 428588 and tell 'em Wax Daddy sent you!

© Andy Rouillard 2017