True cost of your body wax and why quality matters more then you think

Cost per Pound

The simplest way to look at the cost of your wax is cost per pound, of course. Simple, right? You buy 10 lbs at $140, you get $14 per pound ($0.875 / oz) and call it a day.  While this method is quick, it is not complete and often time is the only thing many estheticians take into consideration. The cost per pound is obviously relevant, however, the truth is, the real cost of your wax lies on a variety of other factors, such as…

Formulation  

Formulation directly impacts your bottom line. All-purpose wax formulations in the market tend to demand higher usage and repeat pulls, this can add 1-3 oz to each brazilian service. It may not sound like much, but it can add up pretty quickly.

Here’s a quick breakdown. Say you have been using wax A, priced at $14/lb, but you saw a sale for wax B and decided to give it a try because wax B was priced at $10/lb. Which wax is cheaper? Well, let's look at your wax usage per service for a Brazilian.

Check out the table below:

	Cost per lb	Cost per ounce (divide by 16)	Usage per service	Wax cost per service	% difference
Wax A	$14	0.875/oz	3 oz	$2.625	0.0%
Wax B	$10	0.625/oz	5 oz	$3.125	19.0% increase

 

Even though this is a fictional scenario, a 2 oz difference in usage for a Brazilian service depending on the wax you are using, is not uncommon. Considering the scenario above, even though you'd think you are saving 4 dollars per lb on your wax product, you have actually increased your average cost per service by almost 20%. 

A wax that allows for maximum efficiency, all the while maintaining or even improving the experience of service and results is, most of the time, the least expensive wax. And that's before even taking into consideration the cost of your time, which is, by far the most valuable resource required for waxing service. 

Your time

Let’s again to go a fictitious, but perfectly common scenario, to illustrate how valuable your time actually is in the waxing room: (For simplicity sake I’m using round numbers) 

Let’s say that with your current wax you are able to do a Brazilian in 45 minutes (this includes prepping the room and your client’s undressing / dressing time) and you charge $50 for the service. Which translates to $66 an hour.

Now let’s go with a slightly higher quality wax, a wax with which you can remove long and short hairs in one swoop, a formula that can better support your techniques in your specific climate (i.e. humid, dry, cold, hot), that dries quickly without breaking and allows you to automate your movements without having to overthink each step. Now, armed with a premium wax, you are actually able to complete a Brazilian in 30 minutes. And with that, you are grossing 51% more than before.

Here's a simple table to lay it out:

	45 min Brazilian	30 min Brazilian
$50 Brazilian service	Gross - $66/Hour	Gross - $100/Hour

Not to mention that now you also have more time to grow your business. Because if you see an average of 6 clients a day, instead of having to spend 4 1/2 hours at the salon, you can make the same amount of money in just 3 hours. This leaves you with more time to work on marketing and networking so that you can increase rebooking rates and bring new clients through the doors.

Another thought I feel it's valuable to add: while maintaining or improving quality is key, shorter waxing services is a win-win for you and your clients as well. Because honestly, who wants to sit at the waxing table for even a minute longer than absolutely necessary?

Here is what most waxing clients search for:

• Good techniques to minimize pain and ensure long-lasting results, (because the hair was pulled with the root and didn't break!)
• All the hair gone! It’s crazy frustrating experience to spend time and money for a waxing service only to get in the shower and feel that there are still all sorts of hair down and/or back there. 
• Waxing tableside manners is very important and can make or break a service. Clients want someone who's knowledgeable and comfortable performing the service.
• And last but not least, they want expediency. It feels really vulnerable to be laying on a table, headlights pointed to your privates, so a stranger can inflict pain and remove your pubic hair for you because you cannot do it yourself. Generally speaking, they cannot wait for it to be over. 

So as you can see, along with considering the cost per pound of wax, it’s key to factor in formulation and your time to get a full complete picture. Therefore when trying to keep business costs low as possible, make sure to crunch numbers while, at the same time, asking yourself how your current wax is supporting (or not supporting) your techniques, your climate and rhythm the best that it could.