Soft Vs Hard Wax, Explained by an Esthetician

Have you ever looked for a waxing place and been stopped by the type of wax they offer? Hard wax, soft wax, what does that mean? Does it change your experience during the service? It can. There are many different types of waxes out there, even within soft or hard categories. So why do we use the ones we use? In this post we will go over the basics of soft or hard waxes, why we use them, and most importantly, what that means for you - the client.

Soft wax is also known as strip wax, because you need a strip cloth to remove it. Soft wax stays soft and adheres to the strip when its placed on top and pulled off with the strip. Soft wax is better for larger areas, and since it stays soft, it doesn’t need any time to dry. You lay it on and take it off. Leg waxes, back, or chest waxes, I tend to prefer soft wax. Soft wax also allows you to be quicker as it doesn’t need time to dry, you can lay down large areas at once, and it usually gets all the hair, or most, in one pull. Because it adheres to the strip, and therefore, the body, better than hard wax, it can also cause a bit more irritation. So those of you who may have more sensitive skin might prefer hard wax.

Hard wax is named that because it cools down and hardens into one solid piece. Hard wax doesn’t need a strip to pull it off because it comes off all in (hopefully) one piece once it’s cooled down. Because hard wax doesn’t adhere to the skin in the same way soft wax does, it’s much preferred for sensitive areas such as the labia in a (female) brazillian, upper lips, and chin waxes. Hard wax may take longer than a soft wax because it needs to cool to certain temperature before you can remove it. Hard wax also uses more product and waxing places may charge more for the extra time and product used.

Both waxes come in a few different varieties. Creme waxes will generally be better for people or areas with thicker hairs as the cream really grasps hard on to the hairs. Gel or film waxes are a bit thinner and good for grasping the smaller, thinner hairs that may have been missed before.

I, personally, like to use both soft, and hard wax, depending on the area I’m working on. In a brazillian, for example, I will use soft wax on the upper area, and hard wax on the labia, and bikini line, as those tend to be too sensitive to use soft wax on. Now that you know the difference, you may even recognize when we switch it up! If you want to try it for yourself you can book with Jefferson City’s own esthetician, Meredith Krueger at Respiro Spa!