Organic Bioactives aims to capture fast rising opportunities in hair care with native NZ botanicals

The New Zealand-based company showcased new data on hair care for two existing skin care actives at ingredients show in-cosmetics Global 2024 in Paris, which took place from April 16 to 18.

The first was ManukaDerMX, a manuka leaf extract that the firm claims has exhibited excellent colour preservation thanks to its antioxidant activity.

“We tested our manuka lead extract on hair swatches. These were pre-treated, bleached to platinum blonde and dyed ruby red. We did 10 washes and blow-dry with ManukaDerMX shampoo and conditioner. We found that at 2%, it performed slightly better than a premium award-winning salon brand,” ​explained Andrea Taimana, chief science officer of Organic Bioactives.

She elaborated that the analytical data showed that the manuka leaf extract showed more than double the antioxidant activity compared to 15% vitamin C.

At the same time, the manuka leaf extract products were found to help control hair frizz and promote shine.

Furthermore, the active was also found to have the ability to balance the scalp, making it beneficial for dry, flaky or oil scalp.

“Any colouring is going to disrupt the hair and scalp. With this, we have not only good colour protection because it’s a strong antioxidant but also amazing scalp benefits. Manuka leaf extract naturally balances the scalp biome. With 2% manuka leaf extract, we saw on human volunteers that it was more hydrated with no flakes after two weeks,” ​said Taimana.

The firm believes this proposition would be attractive for consumers as bleaching and hair colouring can cause scalp irritation.

“The aim was to replace what was unnecessary for the hair and scalp with completely natural alternatives that not only have colour protection but also have amazing scalp benefits,” ​said Taimana.

CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ previously reported that the Kiwi firm discovered that manuka leaf extract also possesses the same strong anti-bacterial properties as manuka honey and essential oil.

The second hair care active that was showcased in Paris was OceanDerMX Restore and Protect.

The active features a few of the company’s natively grown New Zealand botanicals including red seaweed, black fern, oolong tea, and blackcurrant.

“It’s an algae-based product packed with very bioactive polysaccharides – glycosaminoglycans. And has New Zealand organic green tea and New Zealand blackcurrant which you will usually find in hair care products because they are very strong in antioxidants,” ​said Taimana.

With 2%, the active was shown on hair swatches to help control frizz and enhance hair shine. It also observed more manageable hair in terms of detangling and styling.

Furthermore, the company found that the hair swatch treated with the active exhibited better volume and form after styling, thanks to the active’s film-forming properties.

Organic Bioactives recently appointed a new vice president of sales and marketing, Cecile Nayl, who held a director position with the company for the last three years.

Nayl was previously the global director for cosmetics and personal care ingredients at Inter Actifs by Aceto.

Taimana expressed her excitement about having a person of Nayl’s vast experience and calibre overseeing the firm’s expansion into the US and Europe.