Is Scalp the New Skin?
The truth about the new class of hair care products
In 2006, Sachajuan, the cult Stockholm hair care brand, debuted a scalp shampoo, expecting it to be a niche product. But in recent years, the shampoo — made with a scalp-tingling peppermint and packaged in an apothecary-like bottle to evoke medicine for hair — has become the brand’s top seller, says co-founder Sacha Mitic. Little wonder, then, that Sachajuan subsequently released a scalp treatment, a scalp conditioner, and, last month, a scalp scrub and scalp brush, the latter of which sold out almost instantly.
“It’s very important to clean the scalp,” says Mitic, who has also been a hairdresser since 1978. “It really affects the health of the hair, and it also gives you a really nice feeling.” The instinct to soothe ourselves via the scalp is hardwired, he suggests: “Look at a baby crying. What is the first thing people do? Calm it on the head.”
Indeed, scalp care products are booming, as beauty companies scramble for practically the last piece of unclaimed territory on the body. (What’s left — behind the ears?) Skin care brands like Drunk Elephant, Dr. Barbara Sturm, and the Inkey List are branching into scalp care with $100 scalp serums and $36 scalp scrubs. It’s also fertile territory for startups: The founders of Jupiter, which launched last year, say they…
