Responding to the demand for all things natural, the world’s biggest manufacturer of beauty and skincare products has developed a new plant-based professional hair color called Botanea. L’Oreal Paris created the vegan line of dye without ammonia or other chemicals, which should appeal to millennial consumers.
“There’s a very strong demand from women to move toward healthier formulas,” said Marion Brunet, the international manager of L’Oreal’s professional products division, explained at the Paris launch event in December.
While formulas of plant-based dyes have previously struggled with achieving adequate color intensity and variety, Botanea does both. The company estimates that the market for natural beauty products is growing at about 12 percent a year. It is expected that Botanea will infuse L'Oreal's lagging professional products division with new energy—and sales. Of course, Botanea will have to deliver results. And from what the company says, it does.
“We’ve managed to marry naturalness with a professional result without compromising on either point,” Brunet said, calling the new product a breakthrough.
Botanea will be introduced at European salons in May, the company said. At this time, there is no date for U.S. distribution.