Ore.e Ref. is searching for people who have handlebar moustaches (or would like to grow a pair) and other sorts of maintenance requiring facial hair apparatuses. We need Your help in a moustache wax experiment! During the testing phase we are looking exclusively for English speaking participants who currently live in the Gulf of Finland region (NW Russia + Estonia + S Finland).


We hope to develop a moustache wax recipe suitable for the harsh Baltic Sea climate. Our aim is that the receipt only requires ingredients which are specific to the Baltic Sea Drainage Basin environment. Our specific interested is to find a receipt based on resources available in the bioregion of the Gulf of Finland.

After You have signed up,  a batch of experimental moustache wax will be delivered for You. Once You have tested the wax, please fill this questioner online (link). Using the data You provide the recipe will be further developed and an improved version will be delivered for a second round of evaluation. I.E. You get a batch of wax for free and we get some feedback on the product for free!


We expect to announce the definitive recipe by the year 2018. Our goal is that the final recipe can be manufactured from resources found in the Baltic Sea Drainage Basin environment and that the ingredients exclude petrochemicals... But before we reach this we'll run tests with trad. recipes some of which are dependent on ingredients imported from distant shores and petroleum jelly.

If You want to support the testing program (other frisky Ore. Ref. projects like "The Message"); You can purchase Editions of Experimental Anti-Imperial Moustache Wax. We also host "Ore.e Ref: Cosmetics Maker - Specials" during which we'll manufacture Custom Editions of Moustache Wax for Your organization. See "Kääntöpöytä - Moustache Wax" special for details. For any queries, please call 00-358-50-5729743 (Ore.e Ref. Management&Sales).

Everything we publish on this site (texts, research, images etc.) is licensed using the Ore.e Ref. "COOL"–License. This grants You rights to use all media we've produces as You see fit. We encourage You to experiment with the wax recipes presented here in the comport of Your home and to share testing results with us! Keep in mind that the recipe developed here will also be used in a product sold by Ore.e Refineries under the "Anti-Imperial Moustache Wax" brand.

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Experiments.  back to top>

Experiment 6#.

This is our first 100% vegan moustache wax formula! It's a simple two component recipe (like Exp. 5#&1#) Unfortunately neither of the components are found in the Baltic Sea Drainage Basin environment but it serves as a good comparison point. If you live in India you might find both of the ingredients growing in you backyard. This recipe might proof good for people suffering from beeswax allergies.

This is a novel recipe. Soy wax is a hydrogenated form of soybean oil and it was invited by Michael Richards in 1991 as he was looking for a cheep alternative to beeswax... He intended soy wax to be used in candle making. When testing with soy wax in homemade cosmetic products, be sure to check that the batch of soy wax you use does not have paraffin or stearin acid as an ingredient.

Soy wax is mentioned as a component in some "contemporary moustache wax formulas" but it's impossible to find recipes which have it in a leading ingredient.

Reviews: (As soon as we start the testing program for this formula; user feedback will be added here.)

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Experiment 5#.

Third experiment is a simple two component formula. It's very similar to the Exp.1# made earlier. Whitewax (purified beeswax) was melted using a microwave, castor oil poured in and the components mixed with a spoon. Pure castor oil can be difficult to find. In Finland is best found trough pharmacies. We used whitewax for a cosmetic effect.

This receipt was discovered from a food receipt sharing site. It was posted by poet, housewife and near professional chef Charishma Ramchandani who recently moved back to Pune, Maharashtra - India. Variations of the receipt are found around the web. Castor oil plant is widespread throughout tropical regions (and widely grown elsewhere as an ornamental plant). It's also used as a component in oil painting and gives hope for the upcoming linseed oil receipt experiments!

Waxes which have such a high percentage of beeswax as a component are not water soluble. For maintaining a moustache product which has more then 50% of beeswax as component; We urge You to familiarize Yourself with a tutorial provided by Mr. Renaud Olgiati (For the Handlebar Club)

Reviews: (As soon as we start the testing program for this formula; user feedback will be added here.)

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Experiment 2,3,4# [var].

Second experiment is the traditional Hungarian Pomade for the Moustache recipe which has been published in different sources relatively unchanged for some 200 years. It's also found on the The Handlebar Club site. The wax in simple to use but making it is a tad complicated as it requires heating and firm stirring. In the preparation we used a glass pestle commonly used by artist who make their own aquarelle colours.


Experiments 2#,3# where utter failures. In exp. 2# we attempted to first make the oil soap into a liquid form using water, then mix this paste with the gum arabic. The result was a chunky paste which did not mix with the white wax (purified beeswax). In experiment 3# we used oil soap in a powdered form (soap was powdered in a mortar), water was added to this mix and the resulting paste heated as melted white wax was poured to the mix. While stirring the paste into a usable form it was heated using the microwave. But as we used soap made from olive oil, and added hempseed oil (to function as a hair conditioner) the resulting wax was green and smelly. Experiment 4# was a success! As only a few drops of hempseed oil was added and a white oil soap (also made from hemp) was used.

Reviews: (As soon as we start the testing program for this formula; user feedback will be added here.)

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Experiment 1#.

The first recipe is a traditional on petroleum jelly and beeswax mixture... We are aiming for a petrochemical free wax but this serves as a good starting point into the moustache wax scene. This is a traditional mixture and considered to be a  good and simple "home wax". The recipe was found from The Handlebar Club site where it was provided by 17th Dan Hige Jiutsu Renaud Olgiati (He lives in the banks of Paraguay River). Mr. Olgiati prefers a  60% beeswax and 40% petroleum jelly mixture but we chose to use a 50/50 mixture as beeswax adds to softness of the wax, which we estimated to be an asset. The recipe is simple but wax made this way is complicated to use. We urge You to familiarize Yourself with a tutorial provided by Mr. Olgiati. He has also shared other interesting recipes like this guide for D.I.Y. Bagpipes Seasoning.

Reviews (2): "It is a bit too firm to apply. Other then that it's swell", "[...] tough enough to keep my moustache in shape for a good while..."

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Links. back to top>

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Project Log/Memos:

Anti-Imperial  ANIM	Logo reference imagery: Friedrich/Gallen-Kallela/Hergé/Hokusai.

151112 Peer artists/designers are often confused with our efforts in the "Anti-Imperial Moustache wax" project. Where is the art in all of this, is all of this sustainable desing talk only greenwashing a novelty grooming product, is the project a manifestation of indie-capitalism deploying a crowdsourcing scheme etc? Such questions and critique are understandable. The most visible part of the project has been in our efforts of branding "Anti-Imperial.." and attempting to establish supply channels/markets for it. Such efforts are seldom given (transparent and public) focus in art/subcult-design projects. Some argue the "Anti-Imperial.." and other Ore.e Ref. projects are merely luring ignorant Eco-consumerist and hipsters to "Like" the idea of sustainable design. And that our efforts in making products as statements for sustainable design will eventually backfire (as such have the tendency to be recuperated). I wont go into details of the critique here but I'll offer an approach to our praxis: The marketing strategies we've deployed can be read as contemporary adaptations of the alienation effect (Verfremdungseffekt), made popular by Bertolt Brecht in the framework of dialectical theater. The usage of this method is best illustrated in our NO-CHAIR-DESIGN video tutorial. The alienation effect attempts "..to make the audience feel detached from the action of the play, so they do NOT become immersed in the fictional reality of the stage..." (wikipedia). Brecht hoped that an audience treated with alienation tools, would gain a neutral perspective to the ethical questions a character in a play is confronted with. The ideal is that the audience would not emotionally identify with the ordeals of a fictional character.. Instead they would gain an insight to the non-fictional social and political systems which cause the suffering of the fictional character. The open, satirical and documented processes we at Ore.e Ref. are committed in, hopefully enable our audiences to realign themselves to the field of sustainable design (this could happen after becoming irritated with our marketing shenanigans, or being inspired by them). The realignment might result into a aggressive relation to sustainable design – A desire to take a public stand in defining the concept thought actions (campaigns aiming to have an impact). As everything we've done is reasonable well documented and semi-openly licensed (esrek&cool), our efforts are suitable for re-adaptation and benchmarking. Ore.e Ref. is a call for action and we are looking to build partnerships with other practitioners and groups. The gift exchange of delivering moustache wax across the seas is an example of this.
291012 Agryfp suggested that a more useful concept to define our efforts for harvesting ingredients for the wax is bioregionalism. Bioregions are "political, cultural, and ecological systems or sets of views based on naturally defined areas... [they are] ... defined through physical and environmental features, including watershed boundaries and soil and terrain characteristics". Tweaks to the text have been made accordingly.
021012 After reviewing other products in closer detail I have grown weary of the "Patriarchal-Chap-Manly–Man-Nostalgia" rhetorics many (if not all) moustache wax and handlebar moustache sites refer to. Our logo with the central patriarchal figure in distress (or denial of distress) is an ironic comment to the manly-man scene. Mailed first batches for testers, added links to other products. When comparing our wax to other moustache wax projects; it's clear that our strength is in the transparent process of developing the "product" – In the act of sharing recipes as they develop and get reviewed. This process creates a buzz which gives motivation to develop the project further. Feedback is like fuel (I get most of the feedback via facebook). Also the "act of making wax" gives comfort.. It keeps the project grounded and forms a natural cycle for progress.
260912 Added experiment 5#. Got a partial review for "1 HKI-PR VB 4060". I fear waxes intended for candle makers are possibly filled with all sorts of chemicals which make the candle burn better. Bought a bag of soy wax to experiment with. We now have the possibility to make a 100% natural ingredients, organic moustache wax.
240912 Added a pictorial from Park(ing) Day "workshop" during which we made a custom edition of moustache wax harvested from honeycombs from the Kääntöpöytä - Urban Farming Center, Pasila.
200912 Site appearance (menus&links) and text tweaks. Found "Saltys Stockholm Tar" recipe online. He's been also testing with "formulas". In all his project is relatively similar to ours. Made a separate page for Moustache Wax "manuals".
170912 Got an other tester for "1 HKI-PR VB 4060".. Added a pinch of hype the "proposal that testers 'may' acquire batches of exp. wax" part. Went on and applied beeswax to denim jacket for fun. Seems like waterproof solution! Rubbed the beeswax to the canvas and melted it in by heating with hairdryer. Will make a test with a 80% beeswax / 20% boiled linseed oil mixture. A similar mixture is recommended for making cloths waterproof. Framed the logo original drawing. Looks good. I'm gonna ask 320€ for it.
160912 Fabricated, packaged and mailed the first batch for the first tester: "1 HKI-PR VB 4060". Shot a video tutorial on how to apply the two different types of waxes we've experimented with so far. Made a a4 .pdf document which will be delivered with the testing samples (has some tips on how to apply the waxes). Negotiated with a Helsinki based beekeeper group over the possibility to harvest beeswax from their farm. We'll hopefully make a custom edition of moustache wax as a joined operation!! Had a near burnout experiment while walking trough a shopping center.
150912 Made the Online Google (docs) Questionnaire. Pushed the site online for testing.
140912 Made changes to text. I had previously written: "We are looking for a m- wax receipt which uses local area resources [...]" but I felt uncomfortable with this definition as it felt restrictive. What does "local" mean anyway? Does it mean the same as "native"? Can something be "native" to an ecosystem? Ecosystems are constantly adapting and changing... Something native today can be near extinct tomorrow (and vice versa). Because of this it is best to define the region where the the m- wax ingredients come from an "ecogeographic perspective". Instead of searching for ingredients on a mere local level (where my arm and Ore.e Ref. networks reach today).. Using the "ecogeographic gaze" I can identify ingredients which will most likely be accessible in the Baltic Sea Drainage Basin Region in the upcoming 1000-5000 years. I can also estimate what kinds of river- and naval trade routes will most likely be used for the transportation of goods in the future, and how far these commerce routs will globally reach. Using these estimates I can map put the most sustainable ingredients to be used in the m- wax. I'm just beginning to learn about the subject but so far it feels like the best route for defining "resources previously defined as "local" in projects which highlight sustainable design. This perspective of looking at sustainability in design, lays an objective (next to scientific) backdrop to sustainability. This way sustainability appears less like a cesspool of  ecological principles "people know to be right in their hearts" and more as an experiment: The testing of a theory. Sustainability in design might proof to be merely a act of articulating an opinion on what's to happen in future. I was introduced to the concept of ecogeography (or eco-geography) by Agryfp during the Pixelversity: Unconfrence on Art and Sustainability 2011. But others before him like artivist Richard Thompson Coon (link to a GoF People's Forum document) has talked of the concept in reference to the Gulf of Finland region.
130912 Draw logo, digitized it (wonder if someone would like to buy the original? 20cmX20cm Ink on 50% Cotton paper.. Framed for 250€??). Made experiment 4#. As previous exp. 2#/3# where failures.
300812 Started with experiment 1#. Notified friends on plans to make the test. First exp. was an instant success.