Acomoclitic Nudism & Sugaring, Say What?
La Naissance de Venus by Eugène Emmanuel Amaury-Duval (French)1808-1885,Image in the Public Domain
Definition: Acomoclitic is the technical term for having a preference for hairless genitals.
Smoothies, in another, much easier to pronounce word. Sometime ago I remember a rash of postings in the nudist forums on the experience of being a smoothie. Adherents are very passionate about their particular niche of the lifestyle and even engaged in 'discussions' with us hairy-types (not that I'm particularly hairy). A smoothie makes the claim that they 'are barer than nude' by dropping that last piece of clothing . . . the pubic hair.
I tried it once and I have to admit that the sensation of no pubic hair is . . . nice. And strangely, despite being a nudist for some time, without pubic hair I actually felt naked when I visited a nude beach! Strange reaction for someone who is used to being nude.
However, staying as hairless as a new-born baby was too much upkeep for me and I have an aversion to ripping my body hair out on a regular basis. I'm a wimp :-)
For those who are into this sort of thing there are many methods and procedures for removing body hair. Razors, lasers, waxing treatments, depilatories, etc. One method in a newsgroup posting caught my eye and I've been waiting for an opportunity to use this material in an article.
SugaringThe Ancient Egyptian art of hair removal was often referred to as "sugaring". Although it is a bit tedious, it is effective and clean up is easy as the paste is water-soluble. It's hypoallergenic and ideal for sensitive skin.
This method of hair removal is very popular in Arab countries. A mixture of sugar, lemon juice, and water is heated to form a syrup. The syrup is formed into a ball, flattened onto the skin, then quickly stripped away. The hair is removed at the root.
The method resembles waxing, but no wax is used, only sugar. In Tunisian the word for wax is ‘sokker’: sugar. So in Tunisia they don’t wax, but they ‘sugar’. Sugar is dissolved in water with lemon juice and boiled down to a syrupy liquid. Then the syrup is applied onto the part of the body that you want depilated and after that, the substance is pulled off with one stroke, removing the hairs at the same time. The result is a super smooth skin!
Sugaring hair removal is an alternative for anyone whose skin reacts to wax with redness or bumps. Because the person applying the mixture rolls the mixture in the hands first, it can never scald the way hot wax can.
Although it is a bit tedious, it is effective and clean up is easy as the paste is water-soluble. It's hypoallergenic and ideal for sensitive skin. Skin irritation is reduced because the sugar paste adheres only to the hair, not the skin. The method removes hair from below the surface of the skin because the sugar wraps around the hairs and pulls them out by the roots. Therefore, there's no stubble and regrowth is slow.
The recipe
The amount of 'wax' in this recipe will do for two to three sessions. Have ready an old saucepan and an old spoon to prepare the syrup. The ingredients are 10 rounded tablespoons sugar, half a lemon squeezed, taking care not to include the seeds, and 1 tablespoon water. Mix them all together in the saucepan and stir until the substance is smooth without lumps or irregularities.
Stir and heat the substance over the lowest heat. Be sure not to change the temperature, so do not raise or lower the heat.
After a while the sugar will become transparent and air bubbles will appear. That’s good! Soon the substance will color into a golden brown and it will smell like caramel. Air bubbles will keep surfacing. Leave to bubble for a while (not too long, about 10 minutes or the substance might burn on) until little air bubbles appear on the surface. Remove the pan from the burner and leave the substance to cool a little. Try a little between forefinger and thumb, but be careful, as it may still be hot. It looks and feels like syrup. Leave to cool a little longer, the mixture will thicken and will be easy to handle. Stir the 'wax' with the spoon now and then, to see if it has set.
In practice
Scoop a little 'wax' from the saucepan with your fingers or a spoon. Actually, our 'wax' is just caramel, and with a bit of saliva it can be made more pliable, and it will not harden too fast. When the substance does not stick to your fingers it is perfect, if it does stick too much water has been used and it cannot be used to remove hair. Try some on your hands: spread it, wait about ten seconds, then pull it off with one stroke. Then try it on your legs in the same way. Be sure to pull off the 'wax' in the opposite direction in which the hairs grow. In this way you can depilate your entire body, including the genitals.
For satisfactory results the hairs should be short. When the hairs are too long you will need heaps and heaps of the substance and one saucepan will not do! Pull the skin that you are going to treat tight, spread the 'wax' onto it (use small amounts to begin with) and remove it in one stroke. Once you get the hang of it you can alternate short stroke and long strokes, small areas and larger areas at a time. When the 'wax' cools down it will harden and it will be difficult to handle. Add a bit of saliva or return it to the heat and you will work miracles. Remove it from the heat when you can pick up the syrup with your fingers.
In the beginning it may hurt, but you get used to it. The hairs are removed root and all and you will be free from stubbles for weeks.A hot shower to top it off
Once all the skin you want has been depilated, you will feel sticky all over and a bit of stray wax that you can not remove with your hands will still stick. This should not be a problem: a hot shower will work miracles. The minute the water touches the sugar, it will melt and wash away. Or else a hot towel will do the job.
The result? Smooth as the Ancient Egyptians . . .
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