Have you ever stood in front of the shampoo aisle at a supermarket for ages trying to figure out what’s going to work for you? This endeavour becomes even more challenging for people who are looking for products that don’t contain certain ingredients such as sulphates, which is not suitable for dyed hair, and that are cruelty free and vegan.
New Zealand entrepreneur Jaimee Lupton says her Monday Haircare brand, which recently launched in the UAE on Namshi, Watsons and Beauty Solutions, is trying to make the shampoo shopping process a bit less stressful by offering a limited product range that is affordable and ticks many of the boxes that consumers are looking for.
“I think there are so many brands doing exciting things, but for us it’s about creating a real community of people who love that our formulas are SLS-, paraben- and cruelty-free, as well as vegan — but at the same time, they’re widely available at an accessible price point,” she told Gulf News. “We hope we’re changing people’s perceptions of what affordable haircare can be and helping them realise you don’t have to spend a fortune on good hair. Everyone is entitled to a little luxury.”
Here’s what Lupton has to say about common haircare mistakes, her tips for the Dubai summer and more...
What is the inspiration behind your brand Monday Haircare? And why the name Monday?
We thought about how the idea of good hair is often saved for special occasions, but we wanted Monday to be about everyday good hair. As a day of the week, Mondays aren’t always the favourite, but that’s when you set your intentions and goals and have the whole week stretched out in front of you. Personally I love that feeling — like anything is possible — and wanted to bring that sense of optimism to the brand, too.
I’m curious about what goes into formulating hair care products. Could you give readers a few details about the process?
Creating a new product can take anywhere from two to three years, first with research and development, then an extensive formulation period which includes testing, and another few months to produce. With Monday we’re quite reactive to trends and able to produce products quite quickly once finalised, but I think people are often surprised at how long things take, especially in the fast-paced beauty industry!
Apart from Monday Haircare, what are some hair products you can’t live without?
There are so many exciting female-founded haircare brands at the moment which I love supporting. I really enjoy the Ouai Treatment Mask (by hairstylist Jen Atkin), and I’ve been loving Crown Affair’s products (by Dianna Cohen). Of course I test a lot of exciting new products from our development team too, but I can’t tell you about those or they’d take them all off me.
What are the biggest hair care mistakes you see people make?
Don’t ever skip conditioner! Even if you have fine or oily hair. If that’s you, you can avoid the roots and just work it into the ends to help keep them looking healthy and protect your hair from breakage. Your hair needs the extra protection that conditioner provides. The thing that’s great about using quality shampoo and conditioner like Monday is that you don’t need a lot of extra styling products for every day — just the two!
What are your top hair care tips for readers?
1. Get regular trims (and if you can’t right now, a treatment or mask will work wonders!)
2. Store your conditioner in the fridge. Celebrity hair colourist Jenna Perry, who’s one of our Monday Muses, taught me this. The cold seals your hair cuticle and makes it nice and shiny.
3. Brush your hair regularly. I know lots of people who rarely give their hair a proper brush, but it helps invigorate your scalp, and evenly distributes the oils before washing.
4. Apple cider vinegar is great as a scalp detox. Use it once a week before your wash and really work it into your scalp and roots.
5. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase can help prevent breakage (and also just feels nice to sleep on!)
How can those in this region take better care of their hair during the harsh summers?
Regular masking is great for hydration, or you can use our conditioner as a leave-in treatment. I also truly believe healthy hair comes from the inside, so I’d recommend taking a collagen supplement. I love the Dose and Co Vanilla Collagen Creamer in my morning smoothie!
Fun fact
A lot of thought has been put into the haircare range’s packaging. The sleek, matte pink bottles are cruelty-free and 100 per cent recyclable. They don’t even have plastic labels. The rectangle shape also makes them more space efficient.
