Essential Haircare changes its skin: Davines focuses on regenerative agriculture and less plastic

In recent years, the cosmetics sector has begun to increasingly deal with issues such as the origin of raw materials, the biodegradability of formulations and the reduction of environmental impact along the entire production cycle. Even in the world of haircare, sustainability no longer just concerns packaging, but involves research into ingredients, agricultural supply chains and product development.

The renewal of Essential Haircare, one of Davines’ historic lines, fits into this context. The Parma company has updated formulas, ingredients, fragrances and packaging with the declared aim of reducing environmental impact without sacrificing the performance required by professional products.

Nine lines for different needs

Launched over twenty years ago, Essential Haircare is one of Davines’ best-known collections. Initially created for the professional sector and used in salons, today it is also available to the public through the brand’s sales channels.

The range continues to be divided into nine families, each dedicated to a specific hair need:

The renewal of the line does not change this approach, but intervenes on the formulations and materials used.

Revised formulas and ingredients of natural origin

According to data released by the company, the new formulations reach an average of 93% ingredients of natural origin and an average of 92% biodegradability.

The fragrances have also been reformulated with particular attention to their degradability in the environment, reaching – according to what was communicated by Davines – up to 92% biodegradability.

One of the main innovations also concerns the active ingredients used in the different families of the line. In fact, each contains an active ingredient coming from Regenerative Organic Certified farmsa standard that integrates the principles of organic agriculture with practices aimed at regenerating soil and biodiversity.

The basic idea is that the quality of an ingredient also depends on the conditions of the soil in which it is grown, an approach that in recent years is also finding space in cosmetic research.

From soil health to product formulation

The renewal of Essential Haircare is part of a broader path carried out by Davines through the European Regenerative Organic Center (EROC), born from the collaboration with Rodale Institute.

The center studies regenerative organic farming practices such as crop rotation, cover crops, reduced tillage and the use of compost and organic fertilizers.

The objective is to improve soil fertility and promote biodiversity, starting from the assumption that a soil richer in organic substance and more balanced can produce better quality raw materials.

This is an area of ​​research that is still evolving. Among the aspects studied there are also possible differences in the biochemical composition of plants grown in soil managed with regenerative practices, including variations in the presence of some minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium.

A rethought packaging

The innovations also concern the packaging of the products.

Davines has redesigned the packaging following eco-design criteria, reducing the quantity of material used and reviewing some formats. For part of the shampoo range, 500ml refills are also available which, according to the company, allow you to use less plastic compared to purchasing two traditional bottles.

The intervention is part of a strategy aimed at reducing materials and greater circularity of packaging.

Fragrance is not just a detail

In addition to the formulations, the renewal also affected the olfactory component.

In the cosmetics sector, fragrance often represents a distinctive element of the user experience, but in the case of Davines it is also an aspect in which the company has been investing for some time in terms of research.

The declared objective is to maintain a recognizable olfactory identity while trying to increase the biodegradability of the ingredients used in the perfumed compositions.

In Davines, the fragrance is not a simple ornament of the formula, but a design material that completes its meaning and amplifies the experience. The result of the meeting between scientific research, technological innovation and creative sensitivity, over time it has become one of the most distinctive elements of the brand: a sensorial heritage through which our identity and our values ​​take shape.The fragrances we develop are the result of constant research and refinement, aimed at combining creative evolution and responsibility. This translates, for example, into the exploration of highly biodegradable ingredients or, where possible, raw materials valorised through upcycling processes, always respecting the coherence and olfactory identity that distinguish our lines”,

explains Silvia Galafassi, Tecnica Marketing and Fragrance Innovation Specialist at Davines.

Attention to the sensorial experience represents one of the elements with which the company seeks to demonstrate that a formulation oriented towards greater sustainability does not necessarily have to give up pleasantness of use.

A path still open

The Essential Haircare update reflects an increasingly widespread trend in the cosmetics sector: simultaneously intervening on formulations, agricultural supply chains, packaging and production processes in an attempt to reduce the environmental impact of products.

However, this is a complex process. Increasing the share of ingredients of natural origin, improving the biodegradability of formulations and reducing the materials used in packaging means finding a balance with other fundamental aspects, such as effectiveness, safety, stability and conservation of cosmetics.

Also for this reason the project cannot be read as a point of arrival. Anyone who analyzes the formulations with particular attention will probably still be able to identify room for improvement. More than presenting a definitive solution, the renewal of Essential Haircare illustrates the direction taken by Davines: that of increasingly closely linking the quality of the finished product to the health of the soil from which the raw materials come and to the research developed along the entire supply chain.