Bespoke haircare is hitting the mainstream so you can personalise your products to your exacting specifications
God, I love a salon treatment. I love being in the hands of a professional who can look at my hair and tell me exactly what I need. Who can custom blend the exact colour that’ll work for me, and who can address the very specific needs of my strands – oilier at the roots, sapped at the ends, fine, but abundant and not particularly #blessed in the volume department.
While the shampoo market is saturated with everything from body-building, to shine-boosting, to colour-enhancing solutions, there are few products that address multiple concerns – and even fewer that deliver on all of the points that are personal to you. But, given everyone’s hair is different, shouldn’t our products reflect this?
A number of innovative hair care brands have been wondering exactly this. Even better, they’ve put their efforts into making it happen. Bespoke hair care is hitting the mainstream as brands like Rituals, L’Oreal and Champo throw their weight behind catering to the unique requirements of each of their customers. And with personalised solutions at the click of a button, you can ensure your hair gets the tailored attention it deserves every time.
The Hair Temple by Rituals, from £17.50
Body and haircare brand Rituals are giving customers the chance to create their own tailor-made shampoos and conditioners in the brand’s flagship London and Dublin stores and online. The “elixir” menu offers up over 495 unique combinations once you choose your base shampoo and conditioner in your favourite fragrance (there are five options), and add the two hair elixirs that meet your personal needs. Select from glossy, voluminous, nutritious, colour protecting, smoothing, blonde, brunette, defined curls and scalp therapy. Finally, you can personalise your bottle with a name or message of your choice.
Champo Dosha Shampoo & Conditioners, from £8.50
Champo’s whole philosophy is around finding the haircare that works for you, based on your dosha. Don’t know what a dosha is? “Much like star signs, they are an expression of you and your hair, helping to identify its character traits so you can tailor haircare to your needs,” say the brand. There’s an online quiz which will help you establish which dosha you have based on how long your hair is, whether it’s colour treated, the texture of your hair, what your dream goals are, the state of your scalp and your styling routine. Kapha’s have thicker strands that are oilier at the roots and dry at the ends, Vata’s have a medium texture and crave a little more hydration and shine, and Pitta’s are fine and silky but in search of a little oomf. You can take the test here. here.
E-salon Hair Colour, from £9
If you’re bamboozled by at-home hair colouring, E-salon is here to help. The brand’s in-depth online survey takes into account previous colouring, your hair type and your desired colour before creating a bespoke shade for you. Questions include how recently you’ve coloured your hair and where (all over or just highlights), your ethnicity, your eye colour, your natural shade, the colour you are now and the colour you’d like to be before allowing you to hand-select from an edit of options based on your feedback. Once you’ve chosen it, your shade will be custom-blended for you and sent in the post along with personalised instructions, a shampoo and conditioner and professional accessories like gloves and an applicator brush.
Color & Co, from $19
Before you get too excited, this brand is only available in the US (for now), but the technology they are using and the service they are providing will no doubt set a precedent for brands innovating here in Blighty, too. A L’Oreal acquisition, Color & Co enables you to live chat with a professional colourist, who’ll talk through your hair length, density and colour goals, they’ll collaborate with you to help suggest exactly the solution you’re looking for. Next your hair profile is analysed, a base colour is selected and adjusted for tone and depth. You can upload a picture and virtually try the shade on. Then once you’re happy, it will be made for you and sent straight to your door.
Function of Beauty, from £29
Created by a team of MIT scientists, Function of Beauty enables you to customise your shampoo, conditioner and styling products based on your individual hair type and preferences. Each formula is individually blended and there are over 54 trillion possible formulations, making this just about as bespoke as you can get. Take the hair quiz – describe your hair texture, choose up to five goals (including fix split ends, volumize, thermal protection and anti-frizz), select a fragrance from seven options (which include peach, pear, calyptus and fragrance-free), as well as how strong you’d like the fragrance (light, medium or strong), add your name and watch it appear on the bottle then and there. You can select the colour of your bottle, the size you’d like (and how often you’d like it to be delivered – e.g once only or monthly) and add on additional treatments, such as a leave in conditioner, hair mask and hair serum. Et voila, you’re done.
