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The History of Harley Wax

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At Harley Waxing, we are a proud family company. Since the 1980’s, when we set up our office and warehouse in rural Somerset, UK, we have been striving to deliver the very best products on the market. 

Here, our CEO Peter Knowler takes us through the history of Harley Waxing

How did the Harley Waxing story begin?

We have distributed beauty products internationally for over 25 years. My wife, Karan, had several beauty salons and we could see the potential in this fast-growing market. I sold up my other business and we joined forces to establish our own company – Harley Waxing. 

We were sellers of a European skincare brand and that was great for a while. But we found we were getting frustrated with inconsistencies in supply, as well as quality. That is when we made the decision that led us to where we are today. We wanted to manufacture our own product, right here in the UK. We have never looked back. 

Since the early days, our products have evolved, but our family-run ethos has stayed the same. Our directors and team members are loyal and committed, with some staying with the company more than 20 years now. Just like our customers, our team members join us and stay because they love what we do. Customers will get the benefit of all that experience every time they make a call to speak to Harley Waxing.

Where does the name Harley come from?

In the early days, Karan pioneered a famous body wrap treatment, instead of using the conventional mud body wrap process, she discovered that by using Aloe Vera, you had a much cleaner treatment, with more benefits. In order to get the formula right we approached a doctor in Harley Street in London and thus the name stuck. Over the years the name Harley was worked well for all of our products and machines. 

Where are Harley Waxing products manufactured?

Our manufacturing plant is based in Surrey. We have a fantastic team where we know quality is top priority through every stage – from sourcing and production through to packaging and supply. 

Our products are the best on the market. With the expertise of the therapists who are so loyal to Harley Waxing, it is hard to beat a waxing treatment with our wax. Our aim is simple: to make waxing a pleasurable experience, not a painful one. We are genuinely proud that we can make a difference to how people feel: more confident, more relaxed. We only sell to trained therapists and salon owners, so we know our products are being used by highly skilled people. 

Is it important to you that your products are British-made?

It is, for so many different reasons! Firstly, it means we can stay on top of the production and supply, to make sure our standards remain high. Just as importantly, it means we can minimise our carbon footprint. This is something that is vital to us as a company. Our ingredients are sourced in the UK as much as possible. 

British-made products are known throughout the world for their superior quality. Having the Union Jack on our packaging means distributors are intrigued to find out more, as soon as they see us at trade events. For us it means reliability and excellence which is at the core of our values. We are a British-made company and we always will be! If you would like to become a distributor for Harley Wax please follow this link.

You’ve talked about how much salons love your products and come back year after year. Why do you think they are so loyal?

Here’s an interesting statistic that says a lot about our products: 98% of people that request a sample go ahead to become a client. That tells you that there is no question that our products really are something special. They meet and exceed expectations, every time. We work hard to make sure that our products are the best on the market. In fact, our salons tell us that Harley Waxes are the best in the world. With word of mouth like that, we must be getting it right!

It’s true, actually, that people raving about our products (especially on social media, Instagram and Facebook) is what brings in new business every single week. Therapists buy the product, love it, then talk about it! We always have new clients. A have a huge number of salons that have been with us for ten years or more – some right from the start! 

We understand our customers, because we come from the same world. Everyone is trying to run a business to the best of their ability in an increasingly demanding world. People sometimes forget to order stock, but with us, that’s not a problem – we can deliver within 24-72hrs in the UK. 

I’m really proud of how our overseas distribution business is developing, to date we have over 30 international distributors. We can be found in salons across the globe, with new distributors in the US and Taiwan joining most recently. In Iceland, we are the biggest supplier of wax in the country. We are delighted to keep on growing and meeting that demand.

What’s next for Harley Waxing?

Our product range evolves with the requirements of our salons. Right now, we’ve launched a range of retail products which I’m really proud of. They complement our waxes beautifully, supporting our aim of making waxing a pleasurable experience. Over the years, we’ve kept a close eye on market trends and make sure that our clients have the products they need to keep on top of their game. 

The future of Harley Waxing is for our friendly business to keep doing more of the same. And yes, we’re still based in that village in Somerset – we look forward to answering your calls in the near future!

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