Egyptian Wax at Julien Farel Salon

Hair removal is rarely anyone's favorite beauty ritual, but with the launch of their Egyptian Waxing service this month, New York City's Julien Farel Salon is helping to make the process less painful—and, dare we say it, even a little pampering. Popular in French salons for years, the Egyptian technique uses a paste made from 100 percent natural ingredients like honey and lemon. The paste is shipped in solid form (the salon gets theirs from Morocco), then warmed slightly in a burner. Unlike typical wax, however, the caramel-textured gel never gets hot. Instead, it is warmed just to room temperature, so it's soft enough for esthetician Natacha Richard (who helped bring the service to NYC) to roll in her hands. After prepping the targeted body part with a lightly-scented Tibetan powder, Richard adds a little water to the gel to make it malleable, then applies it to the skin. Using light, massage-like movements, she gently applies pressure to the paste to allow it to adhere to the hairs, then slowly rolls it—and the wayward hairs—off, using only her fingers. Moisturizing rose oil is applied afterwards to soothe and protect the skin.

Though the exact technique is a little hard to describe—Richard herself says it's mainly about her "feeling the skin" and gauging how it responds—the overall process is much gentler than regular waxing, and doesn't involve the usual strips of paper, jerky movements or repeated applications that can cause redness or irritation. Along with being great for clients with sensitive skin or those with ingrown issues, Egyptian wax also helps improve skin tone and texture (the natural paste exfoliates dead skin as it comes off) and, with repeated use, causes hair to grow back lighter and thinner. Richard uses it on both male and female clients, and recommends it for use everywhere except the lip and eyebrows; she finds it especially successful for Brazilian bikinis and other sensitive spots. The cost is about $10 more than regular wax—and well worth the upgrade.

For more on Egyptian Waxing and the Julien Farel Salon (the only place in New York to offer the service), visit www.julienfarel.com.

--Sandra Ramani