New Formulations: Customizing Hair Care
A new extract-based hair care line turns to mix-and-match containers to deliver customized potency.
By Daphne Allen, Group EditorIt’s not often that a teddy bear can inspire a new beauty product. But after seeing the fuzzy friends cuddle their way into kids’ arms at Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. stores, Hal Robb got an idea. As director of NutraLove (Tucson, AZ), Robb was interested in expanding his nutritionals business into the beauty salon industry. Build-A-Bear’s “microcustomization” of the teddy bear showed him an opportunity.
“I had been looking at the salon industry for a while, and I hadn’t seen anything really big in a long time,” says Robb. He wanted to introduce his firm’s specialty extracts, but knew he needed a unique approach. Part of this approach would involve formulation. “I wanted to make shampoos and conditioners much better than those currently on the market,” he says. “For healthy hair, not just shiny hair.”
But with years of experience handling potent ingredients that work best when properly preserved, Robb knew a preblended product may not be as effective. He also knew that consumers would have varying needs for extracts.
Robb decided to develop a base shampoo and a family of additives utilizing NutraLove’s proprietary extract technologies. Consumers can select specific additives based on their individual needs. “People have a desire to be individuals, and they want to buy what they want,” says Robb. “Microcustomization will drive purchasing.”
Jars can be interchanged on NutraLove’s bottle.
To help consumers customize their hair care, Robb chose packaging that has a mix-and-match feel, yet functions in a way that preserves the specialty extracts. NutraLove’s in-house designers came up with a set of jars that attach to the top of the shampoo’s bottle.
Containing extract-filled additives, the jars are meant to be opened and their contents poured into the base shampoo to activate the additives. Once the jar design was finalized, NutraLove sent the TurboCAD-designed jar to a Chinese injection molding firm (used by NutraLove for 12 years). NutraLove currently has a U.S. patent pending on the bottle.
For instance, the purple formulation is moisturizing, the red is for sun protection, the yellow is to add shine, and the blue smooths hair for detangling. Each base shampoo is sold with one additive; additional additives can be purchased. A universal conditioner called Moist is available. Seven SKUs comprise the Love Your Body line. “No longer is the customer limited to premixed shampoo products,” states a company press release. NutraLove also offers Pure for Babies, a shampoo with chamomile extract, “to soothe mother and baby,” says Robb. It features a foaming dispenser from Rexam Airspray.
Robb says that other technologies utilizing extracts are in the works. In the meantime, NutraLove hopes unique-minded consumers will be attracted to the potent extracts like bears to honey. (Or, like children to teddy bears.)