The ancient hair-removal method made from sugar, lemon, and water is sugaring. The mixture is cooked into a sticky, water-soluble paste that grips hairs and removes them from the root, making sugaring an epilation method rather than simple surface shaving.
Sugaring is associated with hair-removal traditions in the Middle East and has been used since at least around 1900 BC. Historically, honey may have been an early ingredient because refined sugar was not always readily available. The lemon juice supplies acidity, helping break sucrose into fructose and glucose and giving the paste a soft, non-crystalline texture.
Sugaring is often confused with waxing because both remove hair from the root. Traditional sugaring paste can be applied against hair growth and removed in the direction of growth; sugar waxing uses a strip and resembles conventional waxing more closely. Unlike many waxes, sugar paste is water-soluble and can be rinsed away with warm water. It may be gentler for some people, but it can still cause irritation or skin reactions.