Lydia Jordane, CEO and founder of Lycon, is coming up to fifty years in the waxing business. We sit her down with this waxing guru to ask her how the waxing industry has changed – and which countries love waxing most!
You have been in the waxing industry for many years…
I have been waxing since 1968 (Yep, I am that old!) and I have been selling wax since 1978. I have travelled extensively ever since, promoting and training in many countries, many times over and over. I believe it is Lycon who put Australia on the world map of good wax manufacturing; most of the other Australian wax manufactures were not even born when I started to run around the world with wax. It was been very interesting to see the developments in the waxing industry during my career.
How long have you been exporting wax out of Australia for?
There are a lot of wax manufacturers around the world with very differing qualities. We have been exporting since 1979. For a while we exhibited at the top trade exhibitions in Europe, Asia and the USA, but we found that they were not actually productive in growing our export market, so we decided to stop exhibiting internationally 14 years ago. Since then, our export market has taken off. When people feel happy with Lycon waxing, people talk, the word spreads, and the popularity of Lycon spread worldwide.
How have things changed?
I started to sell in Asia a long time ago; about 20 years ago. Just like when I first made wax and started to wax in 1968, hardly anyone knew what waxing was in Asia back then. But more recently, in the last 5 years, waxing has become a much sought after service in Asian salons. Asians typically do not have much body hair, but we sell so much wax to Asia.
You are in 65 countries across the globe. How has Lycon become so successful?
Lycon is recognized as the best wax in the world, not by me. I can be biased….right?! It is really the greatest honour for me when other wax manufacturers or therapists and their clients tell me Lycon is the best they have ever used. Manufacturers tell me they have tried to copy some of our formulas, but have not succeeded.
Which country loves waxing most?
The Middle East is a big hair removal destination, which it has been for centuries. In about 1995, they didn’t know about commercial wax. They made their own home brew, called Halawa, from sugar, water and lemon juice but now they love commercial wax and Halawa is [becoming less popular].