Hair aging brand Arey has launched Calm It Down, a "clinically effective" serum designed to reduce scalp inflammation, irritation and oxidative stress following hair dyeing.
The formulation comprises:*
- black oat seed extract
- spiny restharrow root extract
- ringwood leaf extract
- the brand's Mela-9 Complex antioxidant blend, featuring soothing Brazilian pepper tree and Australian aniseed nettle extracts, anti-inflammatory pentasodium tetracarboxymethyl palmitoyl dipeptide-12 and tripeptide-79, a peptide that stimulates the melanocortin 1 receptor for (in part) repigmentation of the hair, and tangerine extract to diminish oxidative stress
The serum is formulated to address the needs of the ~75% of American women (per Arey) who dye their hair, often to cover grays, which can lead to overexposure to scalp-irritating ingredients.
Arey's clinical trials reportedly showed that 97% of test subjects experienced improvement after using the serum, including 90% who reported an immediate reduction in scalp irritation.
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Global Cosmetic Industry recently spoke with stylist and trichologist Jay Small, co-founder of Arey, to learn more.
"Scalp care has been gaining a lot of awareness from consumers and beauty companies in recent years," says Small. "What is unique about scalp care is that there is what you can see on the surface and then everything that happens below the surface. Below the scalp is where hair is created which means scalp care goes far beyond resolving dryness, flaking or inflammation on the surface. What products are doing below the scalp in terms of hair health, growth or pigmentation is what brands should be focused on evaluating through clinical trials. We believe that healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp, so formulating products that address the internal and external needs of the scalp is imperative."
Small adds, "Because our brand is rooted in science and efficacy, we feel it is very important to get clinical studies as much as possible. Clinical studies help to prove the efficacy of a product beyond what is seen from self perception, testimonials and before/afters. Consumers are very savvy and deserve products that work."
The executive notes that clinicals are important for hair/scalp health, but not necessarily every category.
"Clinical studies are not necessarily for every brand or every product," says Small. "For example a red lipstick may not necessarily need a clinical study to show that the lipstick goes on red, but if that lipstick is purporting to increase plumpness or hydration, that is when a study becomes an important element to the product's claims."
Small concludes, "It is very exciting to see that the scalp care market has seen significant growth in recent years, driven by a growing awareness of the importance of scalp health. It's imperative to us to focus on the scalp because ours is a proactive approach, creating a better environment from which we can nurture and grow healthier hair. Hair care has traditionally been very reactive but is catching up to skin care's approach, which has been more proactive for years. That's why our slogan is The Wrinkle Cream of Haircare, to help illustrate that the earlier the better when addressing the signs of aging hair."
*Water (Aqua), Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, Ononis Spinosa Root Extract, Pentasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Palmitoyl Dipeptide-12, Tripeptide-79, Glycerin, Anetholea Anisata Leaf Extract, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-20 Amide, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Extract, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Barley Protein, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee Seed Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycine Soja (Soybean) Germ Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum (Fo-Ti) Root Extract, Biotin, Caffeine, Wasabia Japonica Leaf Extract, Maltrodextrin, Schinus Terebinthifolia Seed Extract, Panthenol, Hydryoxyethylcellulose, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Menthol, Butylene Glycol, Acetyl Tyrosine, Pentylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate