Good Neighbor Podcast: Fort Collins

From Waxing To Sugaring: Gentle Hair Removal That Works

• Nick George • Season 1 • Episode 134

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Hair removal shouldn’t feel like a gamble. We sit down with Emilie Wilson, owner of Simply Sugared Aesthetics in Denver, to explore a gentler way to get smooth: sugaring. Using a simple paste of sugar, lemon, and water, sugaring removes hair from the root without the heat of traditional wax and without stripping live skin. If you’ve struggled with redness, irritation, or ingrowns, this conversation opens the door to a method that can be kinder on sensitive skin while still delivering clean results.

Emilie shares how she moved from Missouri to Colorado during the pandemic, discovered a talent for sugaring in a specialty studio, and built a loyal client base that followed her into private practice. We unpack why technique is everything—how proper molding and flicking reduce pain, why the paste should never tug during application, and how a pro can safely pass over the same area to catch stubborn hairs. She also tackles myths that make people wary, from “sugaring hurts more” to “it’s just like waxing,” and explains how poor training creates bad first impressions.

We dive into practicals: who benefits most from sugaring, what to expect from your first appointment, and aftercare that actually prevents bumps—think gentle exfoliation, breathable fabrics, and timing your moisturizer. Emilie talks candidly about serving mostly women ages 18 to 60+, building trust for intimate services, and using Instagram and TikTok to share exclusive deals, happy-hour bookings, and education that demystifies the process. If you’re ready to try a different path to smooth, Emilie lays out how to spot a great technician and what questions to ask before you book.

Ready to learn more or schedule a session? Follow Simply Sugared Denver on Instagram and TikTok, or book online at simplysugareddenver.com. If you enjoyed the conversation, subscribe, share with a friend who battles ingrowns, and leave a review to help others find the show.

SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Nick George.

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Today we have the great pleasure of introducing Emily Wilson with Simply Sugared Aesthetics. Emily, how's it going?

SPEAKER_02:

Good. How's how are you?

SPEAKER_01:

Excellent. Glad to have you on. Thank you. Tell us all about Simply Sugared Aesthetics. I thought it was a bakery at first. It sounded so good.

SPEAKER_02:

I know. Well, the good thing is that the product, sugar, it's like waxing, but actually it is edible because it's just made out of sugar, lemon, and water. So I have been running Simply Sugared Aesthetics for a little over three years now. And sugaring is a lot like traditional waxing in that it removes the hair from the roots. It is painful. But the main differences are that it's not hot. It's just made out of sugar, lemon, and water. So a lot of people don't have reactions to it. A lot of people feel like it is gentler on their skin. And it doesn't take off any live skin like regular wax. So you can kind of go over the same areas a few times. And it really helps people who are prone to ingromes.

SPEAKER_01:

How did you get into this business?

SPEAKER_02:

So I got my aesthetics license back in Missouri, which is where I'm from. And after college, I moved out here during COVID, so it was a really tough time. But eventually, after everything was kind of able to open up, I got a job offer at a place that did mainly sugaring, and that's how I learned. And I really just kind of figured out that I was good at it and I really liked it. And that just has become my specialty, and that's what I've been doing for the last four years.

SPEAKER_01:

What are some myths or misconceptions in your particular niche?

SPEAKER_02:

I think sugaring itself is very niche in Denver, especially. It seems like waxing is still the main thing. However, I think that a lot of people will have a bad experience with sugaring, and it is probably due to technique of the technician. And I wish that we could really raise the standard in general for the entire industry because then I think a lot more people would have better experiences and not have this connotation with sugaring that it hurts more, or that that's just how it is, and that's just how the experience is.

SPEAKER_01:

So what uh what what is your target market exactly? Who who and how are you reaching out to them in the digital world?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, so I work with like 99% women. Um I've had a few male clients over the years, and I don't offer any intimate services for men. Um, but pretty much like women anywhere from 18 all the way up into their 60s. Um, I do a lot of Instagram marketing. Um I've been trying to do a little bit of TikTok lately and just kind of see if I can reach out to more people besides the ones who already know me. Um I do a lot of deals that are Instagram exclusive. So if anybody wants to follow me at Simply Ship or Denver on Instagram, I do some happy hours. Um I also will offer like discounts if you refer me out to people or if you post things on your story and tag me. So just trying to get out to really any of the women in Denver who would like hair removal.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. What do you do for fun when you're not um sugaring?

SPEAKER_02:

I love to play volleyball. I've been playing with a group of friends for about a year and a half now, and we just love that because we get together every week and it gives us an excuse to get out of the house. Um, I also love to go try out all of the restaurants in Denver. Um other than that, I have a cat and I love to spend as much time with her as I can.

SPEAKER_01:

Nice. And uh could you repeat all of the ways that people can find you online uh again and by phone if there's the phone number?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, absolutely. Um I do have a phone number. You can text me or call me on there. It's 720-696-0289. Um, I also have an Instagram Simply Sugared Denver, and that's S-U-G-A-R-E-D. Um, also, same handle on TikTok. Um, you can find me on Facebook. Not a lot of people really do reach out on Facebook, it's mostly Instagram. Um, I also have online booking on my website, which is just simply sugareddenver.com.

SPEAKER_01:

And what do you want people to, what is the big takeaway that you want people to take away from this interview about the business, Simply Sugared?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I would love for to really just get the word out. It's so niche. Um, it's really hard to build up a clientele with just sugaring. I've been so, so fortunate that whenever I went out on my own, all of my clients followed me because whenever you're doing intimate services like that, it's not exactly something that people want to trust just anybody with. Um and I think whenever a technician can get a really good technique and skill and make people feel comfortable, that is what will really, really help them out. So I would love for people to know about sugaring and if they're interested in it, to know what to look for in a good technician. And that is somebody who has a good technique, doesn't pull your hair while they're molding, um, who can make you feel comfortable, who talks you through the service, who distracts you from the pain, and just um will also go over proper aftercare with you.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, Emily, it's been a pleasure having you on our show, and we wish you and Simply Sugared Aesthetics the very best moving forward.

SPEAKER_02:

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gmpfortcollins.com. That's gmpfortcollins.com or call nine seven zero four three eight zero eight two five.