A common complaint among spectacle wearers is the tendency of their frames to persistently slip off their faces. Those without prescription lenses have even encountered this problem with sunglasses. Users are forced to constantly readjust the position as the frame inevitably falls from the bridge of their nose. A product named Nerdwax may be able to help in the prevention of this frustratingly common dilemma.
A beeswax and coconut oil-based blend of all-natural and organic ingredients, the Nerdwax formula is contained in a handy lip-balm sized tube that can be applied to the pads or bridge of your glasses to prevent slippage. Creating a tacky layer of friction between the frames and its wearer’s skin, the mixture even works with silicone nose pads, so long as the frames remain in contact with the skin.
Developed by Nashville, Tennessee based audio engineer Don Hejny, inspiration struck the would-be-entrepreneur while he was working at a music festival in Texas. He watched in distraught empathy as a musician had to constantly push her aviator sunglasses back up her nose while performing. It was all Hejny could do not to walk on stage and physically hold them in place for her so she could focus on playing.
“I was frustrated and found a great solution,” he told Mashable. “I know there are so many people just like me out there who feel the same frustration but have no solution.” He and his wife, Lydia, began experimenting with ingredients and recipes until they arrived at the perfect one – something that took quite a bit of trial and error. But with sensitive skin himself, Hejny was insistent that the formula be organic and ultimately beneficial to the users skin.
Following a massively successful Kickstarter campaign, the Hejny’s took Nerdwax on the hit business investment reality show Shark Tank, where they promptly received two offers. Surprisingly, they turned down both figuring the deals would constrain their growth rather than accelerate it. Turns out they were right: since their episode’s August airdate sales have grown from $160, 000 to almost $1 million.
A single application of the Nerdwax formula is said to last anywhere from between 1-2 hours to an entire day, depending on the rate at which the users skin secretes its natural oils and sweat. Priced at $10 per tube or $20 per set of three, it’s an affordable – and innovative – way to bypass one of the more annoying aspects of wearing glasses.
