How to melt wax: 5 effective ways at home

Many girls have now started doing waxing on their own, since it allows you to get rid of unwanted hair on the body for several weeks, and takes about half an hour. However, when performing the technique, many are faced with the question of how to melt depilation wax at home without a wax melter. In fact, there are several safe and fairly simple ways to prepare it for work, and if done correctly, you can achieve maximum depilation efficiency.

Rules and temperature

Bees use wax to make honeycombs, in which they then store honey products and raise larvae.

People began to use this substance for different purposes, so you need to know exactly how to melt wax at home:

At a temperature of +35°C it still remains in a solid state.
When the temperature begins to rise above the specified level, the substance begins to melt, but it does so gradually. At first it simply becomes more plastic, and only then, with a further increase in performance, does it turn into a liquid state.
Depending on the composition (it may not fluctuate significantly) and, most importantly, the method of obtaining the final raw material, the average melting temperature of wax ranges from +69°C to +72°C.
It is important to consider that it is the component that the bees themselves made that is the most refractory and turns into a liquid state when heated above +72°C.
It is also necessary to take into account that at temperatures above +95°C, due to the presence of impurities, the liquid component begins to foam. This is due to water, which, when heated this way, begins to boil and form foam. Therefore, if the wax needs to be boiled, you must not move away from the pan, otherwise the component will simply begin to “run away.”
But, with further heating, the water evaporates and the formation of foam stops. But, this is only if the water is not in the form of emulsified impurities, alkaline or soapy components.

After it becomes clear at what temperature parameters at home it is possible to convert the solid state of a substance into a liquid state during heating, you need to consider how to properly heat and melt the wax and what methods to use for this. Also, in some cases you need to know exactly how to clean it after this procedure.

What will you need for work?

Wax depilation involves applying a special sticky composition to the treatment area, which captures the hairs at the base and rips them out along with the hair follicles. Due to this effect, the skin remains absolutely smooth for up to 3-4 weeks.

Before preparing wax for work, it is important to note that there are three types of waxing:

Hot. It is most often performed in cosmetology - initially hard wax granules are used, which are melted in a wax melter to a viscous, homogeneous consistency and, when applied to the skin, harden into a single sheet that can be easily torn off.
Warm. For work, a ready-made wax base is used, which only needs to be warmed up a little so that it becomes softer and more pliable for work. It is removed from the skin using bandages.
Cold. In this case, ready-made wax strips are used, which are sold in any cosmetic store. They are heated between the palms and are suitable for removing soft, fine hairs.

It is for melting hot wax that a special device is used - a wax melter. It heats the base to the optimal temperature, which will be absolutely safe for you and convenient to work with.

However, in the absence of a wax melter, girls often have the problem of how to heat up the wax for depilation. Doing this at home is not so easy, but it is possible.

In any case, before starting the procedure, you should immediately prepare all the consumables and products that you will need for depilation:

Wax;
Fabric or paper bandage;
Putty knife;
Chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide;
Talcum powder or baby powder;
Oil for removing wax residues from the skin;
Soothing lotion.

Also prepare a thermometer and a metal container for melting the wax itself.

Prepare all consumables in advance so that you can begin depilation immediately after heating the wax base. This way it won’t have time to cool down and you will be comfortable working with it.

Water bath

This method of melting a substance at home is the simplest and most easily accessible. This can be done quite quickly in a water bath; all you need to do is:

Don’t take a whole piece, but cut it randomly. Moreover, if you do this as small as possible, the process will go much faster.
Place the ingredients in a glass jar, deep enamel bowl or ladle and place in another, larger container filled with water.
Put everything on the fire and heat it up. It is advisable to stir the component periodically in order to melt it faster and evenly.
After 10-15 minutes of this manipulation, it turns into a liquid state, after which you can turn off the heat, but do not remove the container from the hot water and keep it for up to 10 minutes.

It is important to ensure that during the remelting process no water gets into the substance, as this can significantly improve the quality of the final raw material.

Heating at the stake

The metal container in which they plan to melt the wax is placed over the fire. It should be large - the volume should be enough for a whole bucket of water. Place the raw materials into the container. In this case, there must be a reserve, since when heated, the wax frames will boil and the water will bubble.

When the mixture boils, you need to stir it regularly. After complete melting, the mass is stirred, dirt is removed, and allowed to cool. You can cool the mass in the same container or pour it into another, clean one.

How wax is melted over a fire is shown in this video:

Microwave

You can melt the substance in the microwave very quickly and easily. To dissolve the bee product, you need to place it in a suitable container, which is placed in the microwave cabinet:

With a device power of 650 W, heating takes place in 1 minute.
With a power of 850 W it will take only 40-45 seconds.
And with the highest power of household appliances of 1000 W, this process will take less than 40 seconds.

In this case, it is only important to choose the right container to which the molten material will not stick.

How to melt branded wax for waxing without a wax melter

Depilatory (waxing) products often include ingredients such as rubber, honey and plant extracts, fruit oils and concentrates, which can reduce its melting point. Natural beeswax (Beeswax, Cera Alba) is not always present in this composition.

However, the general firebox rules remain the same. How to melt a depilatory product in a wax melter depends on its model and the form of release of the drug. The can device is designed for products in pieces and granules, and the cassette device is for cartridges.

If there is no such device, you can solve the problem using a microwave or water bath. Depilatory wax is melted in the same way as regular wax without additives. During melting, you need to control the temperature of the composition to avoid burns during the procedure.

Hot wax contains tree resin and paraffin and has a solid consistency. Available in cans, granules and cartridges. Melts in a wax furnace or in a water bath at a temperature of 50-60°C. Before you put the waxing product in the microwave, you need to completely empty it from its packaging.

Warm is available in cartridges with ball dispensers and requires heating to 45°C. It is better to do this in a wax melter or in a water bath.

Cold is available in the form of ready-made sticky strips and does not require heating before use.

Film wax is a more convenient type of hot wax to use. Rubber and vinyl are added to the composition. Available in granules. It is undesirable to overheat the product, so it is better to heat it in a wax melter with an adjustable melting point at 35°C.

Black wax is a mixture of regular wasking wax and microcrystalline wax, which is a product of petroleum refining. The operating temperature is low.

Homemade wax for depilation - prepare in a water bath

Ingredients:

360 g carnauba wax,
130 g light bee,
7 ml glycerin,
2 drops eucalyptus essential oil.

To prepare a composition for delicate and sensitive skin, you need to melt carnauba wax flakes in a water bath (it melts at 83-91°C), then, turning off the burner, add crushed bee wax and, as soon as it melts, glycerin and essential oil.

The composition is stored in the refrigerator. Before use, it is heated to a liquid state, then applied to the hair along the growth line with a wooden spatula, covered with paper, smoothed, and removed after hardening.

Wax candle for DIY massage in a water bath

A massage candle is a type of oil massage tile. With its help, you can not only relax, improve nutrition of the skin and muscles (molten wax creates a warming film) and receive an aromatherapy session, but also protect loved ones from viral diseases.

Ingredients: 15 drops of orange essential oil, 5 drops of white thyme essential oil (for children - tea tree or lavender), 20 g of cocoa butter, 5 g of light beeswax, 20 g of almond or apricot oil.

As soon as the water in the outer container boils, crushed wax is placed in the inner one and melted, stirring, on the switched-off burner. The temperature reached at the moment of boiling of water in the outer container will gradually decrease.

Crushed cocoa butter is added to the melted base. For its combustion, a temperature of 32-40°C is sufficient. After it melts, you need to add almond oil, and then essential oil.

Having dropped a little of the resulting mixture onto the bottom of the glass, the tip of the wick is lowered into it to secure it when the wax has cooled.

The upper part of the wick is twisted around the toothpick so that it is in the center of the glass, and the mixture is poured. After it cools down, the candle is ready. The massage is done with wax melted during the burning process.

Enameled tank

This method will require 2 enamel tanks, each with a volume of up to 20 liters. Naturally, this option is used in cases where it is necessary to process a large amount of raw materials.

So the component is folded into one tank and a layer of gauze is laid on top. Water is poured into the second tank. When it starts to boil, a tank with bee product is placed in it. From above, everything is covered with high-density material for reliability. In this state, everything is on fire for about 2 hours.

Then the structure, which is no longer heated, is left to cool overnight. The next day you can remove the melted wax from it.

Solar wax toppers

You can create a wax melter powered by heat from the sun with your own hands. Install it in the apiary or in the yard.

A wax melter, the principle of operation of which is based on the sun's rays, is a box made of wood or iron sheets, which is covered with a frame with double glass on top. Inside this structure, a stainless steel baking tray is installed at an angle of 40 degrees, as well as a tin trough.

A little water is taken into the trough - this will make it easier to remove the final product from the container. Finely chopped components for wax production are placed on a baking sheet, under glass. When the glass heats up, the components melt. Liquid wax flows into a trough through a wire rack on a baking sheet.

Wax obtained in this way is much more valuable because it melts naturally when exposed to direct sunlight.

Melting with water

Here's what else you can use to melt the substance at home. This is a fairly simple method, but you will have to tinker with the resulting raw materials in order to collect it from the surface of the water.

Take a fairly deep aluminum saucepan and cut the bee products into small pieces. Water pours out from above. But you need to take exclusively spring or melted water. In extreme cases, a high-quality filtered one will do. If you use tap water or it is hard, the resulting component will have a grainy structure and crumble.

Then the saucepan along with water and bee product is placed on low heat and kept until the substance becomes liquid. At the same time, it all floats to the surface of the water.

This process takes about 30 minutes. After which you need to remove the pan from the heat and allow the clean component to rise to the surface of the water. After which it is carefully collected.

Preparation of raw materials

First, you should prepare the raw materials from which wax will subsequently be obtained. To do this, you need to take old frames, timber and foundation. Clean the frames from wax and put them in a separate container. All wax raw materials can be ground to dust.

Pour the prepared ingredients with water and leave for 3-4 hours. Thanks to this, debris will float to the surface, which can be easily removed. Raw materials filled with liquid must be shaken periodically so that unnecessary residues rise from the bottom.

After separating the debris from the raw materials, you can proceed directly to melting the wax.

Common Mistakes

Sometimes the following mistakes are made:

I don’t keep it in a heated state for long enough, which leads to incomplete melting of the substance.
When using wax melters, you need to know exactly which one is suitable for processing. It can be diluted in turpentine, hydrogen sulfide, gasoline, alcohol, and chloroform. These substances are good solvents. But to dilute with alcohol, you cannot bring it to a boil. But in this method it is important to be careful and accurate.

How to melt wax with a wax melter

In beauty salons, wax is heated using a special electrical device - a wax melter. By design, such devices come in cans and cassettes. Wax melters of the first type are capable of heating a large volume of wax or paraffin at one time. This takes them 15-20 minutes.

Devices of the second type are designed for heating wax in cartridges. Cassette wax melters, in turn, come with or without a stand. The former melt the wax in 20-25 minutes, the latter - in 30-40 minutes.

Advantages of working with a wax melter:

The compact device takes up little space and can be taken on the go.
It consumes minimal energy and is safe to use.
The wax in the device quickly heats up to the set temperature.
Thanks to the thermostat, the heated hot product does not freeze.

Using the wax melter is convenient and simple. Since it is inexpensive, it can be purchased for home waxing procedures. Undoubtedly, it will also be useful for craftswomen who are interested in making candles. If you have to use hot wax from time to time, it is better to use other heating methods.

Use of leftovers

Wax can be used in a variety of ways:

For medical purposes.
For making homemade skin and nail care products.
On waxing. Moreover, in this case you don’t have to worry about the naturalness of the composition used. But, it is very important to make sure that there is no allergic reaction on the part of the body to this component of bees.
For painting batik. In this case, reheated products are used to bind the pigment and make it durable on the fabric.
To make your own shoe polish. But in this case, if pigments are not added to it, then it will not be able to give a certain shade to leather products. But with its help you can increase the intense shine.
To protect working tools.
Wood can also be processed with this component.
Polished wooden furniture, which has a sanded smooth surface, can also be treated with the melted component of bee products.
Some craftsmen use this substance to color Easter eggs.

In this way, you can obtain the desired consistency of the bee product, clean it and melt it.

In a wax melter made from an old washing machine

If you have an old, unusable automatic washing machine, you can use it to make a device for melting wax with your own hands. The case must be empty, that is, all parts must be removed from it. As a result, the body and the drum inside should remain.

The water that is poured into the drum must be heated, so you need to make the appropriate wiring. It is necessary to build a chimney in the housing and make a channel for draining melted wax.

Making such a device will require effort and certain skills, but it will be cheaper than purchasing a wax melter.

How to replace ready-made strips

Using regular (non-film) hot or warm wax involves using strips of paper or fabric. Very often they are not enough and then the question naturally arises - what can replace them.

The following have similar properties:

Tracing paper.
Parchment paper for baking.
Natural fabrics - cotton or linen.

It is important that the material does not stretch and adheres tightly to the wax. The selected analogue is cut into strips of appropriate length and width and used as finished products.

We drown the wax

Spent honeycombs are melted a little differently. Usually I take old, ordinary tights, put wax and a light weight inside, then tie the tights in a knot. A piece of fabric is placed in a ten-liter enamel bucket and tights are placed on it. Fill a bucket with water and heat it on the stove. After heating the water, the raw material floats up and is collected using a spoon or ladle.

After the procedure is completed, everything is left to cool. And the collected bee material is prepared for sale or organization of another foundation. High-quality wax can be used for any purpose. Almost each of the methods described can be used to melt wax yourself at home. Before the process, it is recommended to learn about safety measures and try any suitable method.

Application technique

Using such a device for depilation at home saves time; the hair removal procedure is quick and accurate. How to use:

Clean and dry the skin well.
Warm up the cartridge.
Apply warm product along the hairline in an even layer.
Place a fabric (paper) strip on top and carefully straighten it so that there is good adhesion to the hairs on the body.
Remove the strip with a sharp jerk in the direction against hair growth.

Important! For good application and speed of the procedure, the wax must be well heated.

Features of the substance

Beeswax is a complex organic compound. Insects secrete it as a result of the work of special glands. The substance is then distributed by the bees' feet to build honeycombs. Under favorable conditions - in warm weather - these insects can produce up to 5-6 kg of fat-like material per year. This product has a unique composition. In total, more than fifty different chemical elements were found in its composition, including esters (up to 75%), saturated hydrocarbons (11-17%), free fatty acids (13-15%), water - up to 2.5%.

Thanks to this unique composition, this bee product is widely used in a variety of areas:

in traditional medicine and folk healing;
in pharmacology;
in cosmetology;
in decorative art;
in the production of candles;
in the production of household chemicals.

Step-by-step instructions for waxing at home

After purchasing all consumables for waxing, you need to conduct an allergy test. To do this, apply melted wax to the wrist and watch the reaction for 1-2 hours. If there is no redness, itching, swelling, or rashes, then you can safely begin the procedure.

But one more condition must be taken into account - the length of the hairs in the depilation area should be approximately 5 mm. If they are longer, then you need to cut them with a trimmer, otherwise the hair will become tangled and the quality of waxing will deteriorate.

If the hairs are too small, shorter than 4 mm, the wax mass does not always catch them well, so some of the hair may remain on the body.

Contraindications

Waxing is not performed in just a few cases:

If there are warts, neoplasms, fresh abrasions and cuts at the site of exposure.
In the acute period of infectious diseases and in the presence of dermatitis.
If you have a history of diabetes, since waxing there is a possibility of skin irritation, and with diabetes, restoration of the epidermis may be delayed.
In case of hypersensitivity to wax and other components of the chosen waxing product.
For varicose veins and in the stage of exacerbation of herpes.
Use caution if you have moles.

A temporary contraindication for waxing in the intimate area is the period of menstruation, which is primarily related to hygiene.

It is not recommended for pregnant women to do depilation with wax mixtures, as pain can negatively affect the course of pregnancy.

After the procedure it is not recommended:

During the first 12-24 hours, sunbathe and play sports, exposing areas of the body subject to depilation to the sun's rays.
use desiderants and apply cosmetics to the skin.
visit the bathhouse and sauna.