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Mediacorp actor Ian Fang is now selling hair wax.
The 32-year-old launched the product, which retails at S$14.90, last week under his brand First Attempt.
Response is "pretty good"
Speaking to Mothership, Fang explained that coming up with his own hair wax was something that he has thought about "for some time" as he was unable to find one off the shelves that really suited him.
"I've been using hair wax for as long as I remember," he chuckled. "It's part of my daily essential kit. As a celeb I also get my hair done quite often so I know a bit about the different types of wax available on the market."
The actor wanted to create a product that could "hold your hair, not become sticky as the hours go by, is easy to wash off, has a matte look, gives volume and has a scent suitable for young people".
"Being able to do that in this weather is even harder, so this wax had to be specially created for Singapore's heat and humidity," he averred.
After extensive back and forth with the production side in China, Fang tried out "about five or six" samples before deciding on the final product.
The response for the hair wax has been "pretty good", according to Fang, who shared that he sold "about 100 pieces" in the first two days of its launch.
The "500 to 800 pieces" in the first batch are currently stored with the help of a friend in the logistics industry, he added.
Started out with S$1,100
The actor started dabbling in business when he was in his first year of polytechnic, but only started his brand after graduation. He put in S$1,100 in the business and has let the amount snowball with every item he has released.
"I've never taken out any of the money I invested," he laughed. "I'm fine as long as I don't have to put in more, because that means I'm losing money."
Hair wax is an unusual product choice for Fang, whose brand started by selling streetwear in 2013.
However, he believes that it's a "natural process" to try out new things as the brand evolves.
Fang said:
"Let’s be real – as an artiste, a lot of the time you end up earning money from your fans when you start a business.
They support you because they like you. It can be very hard to balance – you can’t charge too high but you have to earn something too."
This is part of the reason why he wants to diversify and try out selling different products that "can be useful to those who aren't your fans".
Still has dreams of running his own F&B business
Fang has his fingers in multiple pies, having once been a co-owner of restaurant House of Mu.
He later opened a karaoke pub named PUB-G, which closed in April 2020.
"It was a bit lame to have a pub without alcohol, and we didn't have a food licence," he explained.
"So we decided to close the pub at the time. However, we fully intend to reopen at another location when the time is right."
Location and rental costs are on the top of his considerations, and he feels that he will be able to "do a better job" with PUB-G when it eventually reopens as he "will draw from [his] previous experiences".
Zen about lull period in acting career
We mention to Fang that we haven't been seeing him on the cast list of recent Mediacorp dramas, and he responded candidly:
"You can’t blame others for a lot of things. It’s been about 11 years since I started my showbiz journey and it’s the first time that I haven’t had any dramas to film for a few months.
Instead of wondering why this is happening to me, I’m taking the time to learn more things instead.
My shifu (mentor) Christopher Lee also told me not to worry too much. He told me that everyone has experienced a lull period in their careers, and that some people went through it for over a year.
He told me to learn more things, lay low and figure out what I want."
Top photos from Ian Fang's Instagram