Switch to roller wax?

[Loulou4]

Hi everyone,

I am currently setting up a mobile beauty business and I'm looking for some advice please!
I previously trained and worked with the pot and spatual method of waxing so when I started buying equipment I automatically ordered a wax pot (and everything that goes along with that.) However, I have had niggling thoughts about the mess (spillage in the car, strings of wax on clients carpet, you get the picture) and it was starting to stress me out. So I turned to this forum and every similar thread I read people were advising to use roller wax for mobile work.
I am happy to give this a go, I'm just wondering does anyone have any thoughts, advice or suggestions on which roller wax system to go for?
Thanks in advance! X

 

[TheDuchess]

I’ve switched to rollers and they are a game changer. However, depending on the room temperature they take more time to heat up than a pot. With my pot, I could whack it on high and slide my spatula down the side of the melting wax and was good to go in moments. Not so a wax roller. Mine can take up to 30 minutes to heat up at the beginning of the day.

I don’t work mobile, but I’m sure the solution is to preheat at home and keep them in an insulated lunch box for the journey. And to plan your order of work to give your roller a few minutes boost on mains power after arrival in your clients house.

I bought my roller system from Outback Organics and it has individual “heated jackets” around each roller and you can plug them together in series and have up to three on one plug. I keep the wax roller inside it’s holder as I use it and it keeps the wax at temperature very well so I can use the same cartridge all the way through my service and not need several on the go wax rollers. I use single use cartridges which is quite wasteful - all of my rubbish is incinerated to make electricity so I don’t feel too bad. I find it very convenient to just grab a fresh wax cartridge when I need one.

Outback Organics also sell through their own wholesaler “Essential Beauty Supplies” who stock several waxing systems and they are very helpful if you contact them - there’s quite a few threads here about OO.

 

[Loulou4]

Thank you TheDuchess, that is really helpful info! Do you have to use a specific strip with roller waxing? I've always preferred paper strips.

 

[TheDuchess]

I just use paper strips. It’s personal preference really. Outback Organics do several different qualities and thickness, the thinner strips feel nicer but are more expensive. I’m a value girl myself and I’ve never seen the benefit of paying more.

Different waxes suit different strips.. The cream waxes benefit from a honeycomb waffle strip. Very fancy. Cream waxes are dreamy to use on good skin, but on cold or dry skin they are very tricky to remove. I’ve mystery shopped salons to see what they use and actually had a therapist slap and punch strips on the back of my legs to try and bond with her cream wax. Can’t think where she learned that technique.

 

[Alpenrose]

I work solely mobile and would never go to pot for warm wax.
I switch my heater on as soon as I arrive and by the time I setup, did a consultation and washed my hands the wax is good to go. I recommend to have 2 cartridge heaters - one you keep the cartridge in upside-down to have the wax always at the bottom and allowing any bubbles to go up. That way, you get smooth application without any drag on the skin. The second heater has your backup cartridge warming up for when you finish the first. I use Hive heaters and buy "honey" wax from Salonserve. Cream wax is a waste of money. I use regular paper strips for that.
I do have a pot for hot wax, which I use for face and intimate waxing. With regards to spillage - I clean it first when the treatment is finished and switch it off and cover with a piece of couch roll then tightly put the lid on. That way it is never full between clients, so if it accidentally tilts, the chances of spilling are reduced. If it does spill for whatever reason, then it will stick to the tissue, not the lid and you will be able to easily open it and cleaning will be minimal. I carry my hot wax in a backpack, so it's always upright and in the car the backpack sits on the floor between the front and rear seats. I never spilled it on car interior, so don't worry. When I arrive to the client, I put my hot wax on a max immediately and setup. When setup is finished, I turn the temperature down and add some solid wax as a top up and also to make sure it's not too hot (I test on myself anyway).
Preheating is not an option for me as I do lots of different treatments and sometimes wax can be solid because I did a massage jn the previous booking and the Waxing kit was sitting in the car.

 

[Loulou4]

I work solely mobile and would never go to pot for warm wax.
I switch my heater on as soon as I arrive and by the time I setup, did a consultation and washed my hands the wax is good to go. I recommend to have 2 cartridge heaters - one you keep the cartridge in upside-down to have the wax always at the bottom and allowing any bubbles to go up. That way, you get smooth application without any drag on the skin. The second heater has your backup cartridge warming up for when you finish the first. I use Hive heaters and buy "honey" wax from Salonserve. Cream wax is a waste of money. I use regular paper strips for that.
I do have a pot for hot wax, which I use for face and intimate waxing. With regards to spillage - I clean it first when the treatment is finished and switch it off and cover with a piece of couch roll then tightly put the lid on. That way it is never full between clients, so if it accidentally tilts, the chances of spilling are reduced. If it does spill for whatever reason, then it will stick to the tissue, not the lid and you will be able to easily open it and cleaning will be minimal. I carry my hot wax in a backpack, so it's always upright and in the car the backpack sits on the floor between the front and rear seats. I never spilled it on car interior, so don't worry. When I arrive to the client, I put my hot wax on a max immediately and setup. When setup is finished, I turn the temperature down and add some solid wax as a top up and also to make sure it's not too hot (I test on myself anyway).
Preheating is not an option for me as I do lots of different treatments and sometimes wax can be solid because I did a massage jn the previous booking and the Waxing kit was sitting in the car.

Thank you so much, that is really informative!

 

[Loulou4]

Just another question I've been thinking about. Can you reuse cartridges? I keep reading mixed info about the roller heads having no return valves (or something like that?) to prevent cross-contamination.