​​Michele Burgess, executive director of product development at Oribe, shares more about the brand's new Hair Alchemy collection which promises to restore damaged and fragile hair

Keeping up with hair trends is not always an easy feat—however, it’s even more challenging to resist a cute new hairstyle. If any Blackpink member were to suddenly unveil a new hair colour, your best bet is to anticipate seeing this exact same look all over social media (and on the streets) in no time. Remember Jennie’s ‘money piece’ highlights? Even with an ongoing pandemic, that hairstyle dominated much of 2020.

Read more: The Hottest Hairstyles and Trends For Women in 2022 So Far

But colouring and bleaching to reach that perfect ash shade is all fun and games until you start encountering hair woes from dry ends, breakage, frizz and more. Then comes the never-ending search for the best products to solve your hair issues in as little time as possible. Truth be told, there’s no one product that can deliver everything your hair needs in order to regain its strength—especially if it has gone through extensive chemical processing.

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However, luxury hair care brand Oribe recently launched a new range of products that were specially formulated to prevent hair breakage and strengthen strands. The Hair Alchemy collection is comprised of three products—shampoo, conditioner and treatment serum—and is targeted at those with weak and fragile hair. According to a survey conducted by Oribe with a consumer panel of 106 women, 87 per cent of the respondents felt their hair became more resilient after just one week of usage.

The collection’s products are made using nourishing ingredients including Oribe’s blend of chia seed, plant-based protein and bio-fermented bamboo leaf and a moisture-charged hyaluronic acid complex. Another key ingredient is Oribe’s signature complex of watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower which defends hair from oxidative stress and the deterioration of natural keratin. These help to transform brittle hair into stronger, healthier tresses.

Below, we speak to​​ Oribe’s Executive Director of Product Development of Oribe Michele Burgess to find out more about the new collection as well as how to maintain stronger and healthier hair. 

How different is the Hair Alchemy Collection from Oribe’s other products? What’s special about this new range?

Michele Burgess (MB): The new Hair Alchemy Collection is different from anything else in the Oribe line because its focus is on the prevention of hair breakage and strengthening strands from the inside out. Prevention is important because unlike your skin, which can regenerate itself, hair breakage is irreversible. The Hair Alchemy Collection is the perfect regimen if you’re looking to protect your hair, improve resilience, and increase elasticity to renew strands and encourage length.  

The products are also special because of the unique blend of ingredients that come together to transform weak hair into resilient and healthy locks. Our Curative Blend of Chia Seed, Bio-Fermented Bamboo Leaf, and Plant-Based Protein penetrate the hair’s cortex while forming a protective scaffold around strands to reinforce the cuticle, strengthening from the inside out.

Read more: 4 Easy Ways to Achieve Office-Appropriate Hairstyles Like Jeon Yeo-Bin in ‘Vincenzo’

Tell us more about the ingredients in the products and how they help strengthen hair? 

MB: The Hair Alchemy Collection has a number of key ingredients that work together to strengthen hair. Borrowing from nature’s apothecary and blending ancient superfoods and phyto-technology to renew strands, the nourishing formulas contain our Curative Blend of Chia Seed (named for the Mayan word for strength), Bio-Fermented Bamboo Leaf and Plant-Based Protein, along with a Multi-Action Hyaluronic Acid Complex. 

The Chia Seed creates a protective scaffolding on hair, reinforcing cuticle strength and structure to prevent breakage while the Bio-Fermented Bamboo Leaf creates a veil over each strand to increase slip and protect hair from cuticle abrasion caused by friction. Bamboo is also a highly sustainable ingredient and is known to have a stronger structure than steel. The Plant-Based Protein penetrates the hair’s cortex to build strength from within, while also forming a protective scaffolding around strands and finally, the Multi-Action Hyaluronic Acid Complex provides a surge of hydration and moisture protection to optimise elasticity and resiliency.

Together, these ingredients transform weak, brittle hair into strong, resilient locks by improving tensile strength (the amount of stress and stretch that can be applied to hair before it breaks) and increasing elasticity while reducing hair fall caused by breakage, allowing hair to grow longer. 

What is the best way to use the products in this collection? Are they suitable for everyday use? 

MB: For best results, we recommend using the Hair Alchemy products together for the ultimate hair-strengthening regimen. When used together, the Hair Alchemy Resilience Shampoo, Conditioner and Fortifying Treatment Serum instantly strengthen strands while providing long-term benefits. After five uses, the collection was clinically proven to make hair 2.9x more elastic and 133 per cent stronger.*

The three products can be applied daily or as needed, depending on your hair type and lifestyle. The Hair Alchemy Resilience Shampoo should be applied to wet hair as the first step in your cleansing routine and followed up by indulging strands in the Hair Alchemy Resilience Conditioner for at least one minute. Once washing is complete, apply a dime-sized amount (or more depending on hair texture/length) of the Hair Alchemy Fortifying Treatment Serum to damp strands for added strength and protection. The serum can also be applied to dry hair to tame flyaways and frizz or as a strengthening overnight treatment before bedtime.

*Based on a clinical test of Hair Alchemy Resilience Shampoo, Conditioner and Fortifying Treatment Serum when used as a system vs. non-conditioning shampoo.

What causes hair to become more fragile and how do we prevent this? 

MB: Hair is susceptible to becoming fragile due to a broad range of factors including, but not limited to, genetics, age, stress, hormones, diet, environmental factors, chemical processing, styling, hot tools and one’s hair care regimen. While there are some factors that are out of our control, like genetics and age, the key is taking preventative measures to keep hair strong and healthy. For example, the Hair Alchemy Collection takes a preventative approach and addresses each layer of the hair, fortifying the inner cortex and protecting the outer cuticle layer to keep strands strong and resilient.

Who would benefit most from this collection? People with coloured/damaged hair?

MB: Our Hair Alchemy Collection was designed for anyone that struggles with weak, brittle, fragile and breakage-prone hair, whether it’s inherent or caused by external factors. Providing a strong and healthy base is important to keep fragile hair from breaking, which is why anyone with weak hair can benefit from the Hair Alchemy Collection and its preventative properties.

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