Color is nice. But do you need colored wax?
If my moustache is dark, shouldn't I use colored wax?
It makes sense at first blush that this should be so. In fact, I started with the assumption that a dark colored wax would be essential for my line at launch. Let me begin by clarifying that I am not saying that there is anything wrong with waxes on the market that have a color to them. In fact, prior to using my own wax, I used a popular colored wax that was a dark brown. When I first started mixing waxes in my kitchen and ruining our pots, pans and utensils we got for our wedding (sorry friends!) I was really hung up on how to get the right shade of brown. I was insistent on only using materials which:
- Worked well: Had a nice, natural smell (and were themselves, natural)
- Were good: Were made from materials that I wouldn't mind breathing and wearing on my face all day every day.
Let me tell you, it isn't easy to meet those criteria. What surprised me, however, is that even more than being tough to accomplish, it isn't necessary or always desirable. Let me explain why this isn't just some sort of sour grapesgrasping to turn a "bug" into a feature.
What I learned
After testing my waxes on my face, my dog and my son, I came to realize that:
- It all ends up "clear" anyway: Because the two main ingredients of moustache wax--beeswax and some sort of oil--are both more or less clear, coloring doesn't really make a noticeable difference once the wax is warmed and massaged evenly into your handlebar. Kinda like how cologne can be blue or gold in the bottle, but it comes out clear.
- It is more versatile: Moreover, by providing a neutral base, CanYouHandlebar? will work equally well on pitch black, blonde, ginger, salt-and-pepper or L'oreal colored hair.
- Clear can't leave marks: As a very minor point, there is less risk of transferring colored wax bits onto pillow cases or white cotton handkerchiefs. I say minor, because in all the time I used brown wax this only happened once or twice. So, to clarify, I am not saying this is a huge risk, just a small tick mark in the neutral column.
Will you ever offer wax in other colors?
I may. That won't be a product design focus in the near term. Though the three points above are all true, none are deal-breakers for releasing a darker wax someday (maybe). For point one, though it may not be "necessary" some folks might prefer it--I will certainly take popular demand into account when planning future products. For point two, I trust each of you would buy a color that best fits your hair color (and even if you don't, again see point one, it won't matter too much even if you don't). Forpoint three, if you don't apply wax with a spatula or your dog's foot, you will generally be OK. Most if not all instances my color transfer to cloth were my fault (the dog wouldn't hold still).
If this is true, why are waxes commonly offered in "dark"?
My theory is that not many of us are chemists or do as much product testing as I did and it seems like common sense to buy a color that matches your handlebar moustache . Plus, colored waxes may look a little more manly when you admire them inside the can. Nothing wrong with that. Going back to the two part criteria listed above, I haven't found a way to achieve both of those criteria in a dark colored wax and until I find a way to do so I won't release a colored wax. It is worth noting that the oldest recipes for moustache wax I found in my extensive research called for no coloring agent. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.