Johannesburg, 10 November 2023: Developed in South Africa and dermatologically formulated with pure botanical ingredients from the African continent, the Strong & Beautiful range of products for textured and natural hair has formally begun its international roll out at the Beauty World Expo in Dubai last week!
An intensive 4-year period of research and testing in the Africa market, culminated in the awarding of the international toxicology certification from the European Union accreditation laboratory in the UK, ensuring that Strong and Beautiful complies with international standards in product safety. Dermatological assessment included skin and eye irritation, dermal sensitization and photoallergenicity were concluded which are the foundations of this professional luxury botanical hair care line.
Strong & Beautiful is directed by Wayne La Grange, Terence Fillies and Bongani Mabunda. La Grange, CEO of Blue Sky Distribution International draws his expertise from decades of experience in the international beauty sector, supported by Mabunda an acknowledged international specialist in Afro-specific hair care and product development. Fillies brings over 30 years of GMP ISO accredited cosmetic manufacturing mastery to the partnership.
Says La Grange: “Strong & Beautiful was created in a collaboration of our dermatology and trichology team, focussing on supporting healthy scalps and strong hair using the latest knowledge in botanical, hair loving ingredients. To that end, we have intelligently addressed skin and hair conditions in one Africa centric offering with a pipeline of new product line extension launches well into 2027.
“After the initial consumer market study and product development phase of 18 months, we put the entire range into professional salon testing to review the products physical performance over a period of 2 years. We fine tuned and perfected the formulations during this time based on detailed direct feedback from South Africa’s leading opinion leaders in professional hairdressing. In the process, we generated over 100 comparative heads of hair and tested the product range against all other locally marketed hair brands.
“The development process was conducted with the utmost care. Our research analysts conducted hundreds of consumer and hairdresser surveys so as to determine where the gaps are in the market are, and what they don’t like about their current hair care products. This informed the exhaustive search for identifying the best botanical ingredients from Africa to solve these problems.”
Safety
Of paramount importance to the Strong & Beautiful executive team was not only ensuring the performance of products, but also the safety thereof. Consequently, the EU regulator for toxicology deemed the range dermatologically safe for all scalps, including the most sensitive, and even those of children. Strong & Beautiful is paraben-free, fully recyclable, and proudly South African, manufactured in Cape Town to the highest international standards.
Fillies says: “the range is undeniably technologically superior and we were delighted by the professional test results confirming the new found strength and aesthetic of the hair, hence the brand name, Strong & Beautiful.”
He makes the point that this range is not just for consumers with textured or natural Afro hair – it can equally be used on Caucasian and Asian hair and is also suitable for wigs.
The African Crown
La Grange continues: “In my opinion, women of colour have hitherto not been adequately respected in terms of the careful manufacture of their hair and skin care products. Our goal was to make a luxury line “Worthy of the African Crown”. Furthermore, in addition to their efficacy and safety, the products smell fantastic. In fact, our mystery salon guests were blown away specifically mentioning the beautifully refreshing fragrances that create the luxurious cosmetic feel on the hair and an “awakening of the senses”. The product line is manufactured locally, and so the pricing is internationally attractive to discerning consumers and professional hairdressers.”
‘Medicinal’ plant-based ingredients
The Strong & Beautiful team painstakingly identified the best ‘medicinal’ plant-based ingredients from African botany that have been well known to heal and repair both hair and skin and that include anti-bacterial properties. All commonly known skin and hair conditions – such as sensitive scalps, hair breakage and traction alopecia for instance – were considered.
Star ingredients found in the range include: vitamins E and A; keratin, hydrolysed collagen, tree camphor; Moringa, avocado, sweet almond, peppermint, olive, jojoba, baobab, coconut and Argan oils; tea tree, shea butter, and aloe vera, amongst many others that create a real anti-aging product line for botanical hair care enthusiasts.
The range
Included in the Strong & Beautiful range are the beautifully fresh Camphor Shampoo and Conditioner; luxurious Braid Spray; Hair Food; gentle Hair Relaxer; Neutraliser Shampoo; Leave-in Growth Treatment; Silky Oil Moisturiser Lotion and Oil Sheen Spray; and our star Wrap Set Mousse.
The brand’s Braid Spray and Wrap Sett Mousse are really special! As La Grange explains: “Braided styling results in tension problems that can lead to traction alopecia and receding hairlines on already fragile hair, so there is a dire need to protect both scalp AND hair and hence our dermatological focus first and not just a trichology approach. Our Braid Spray uses a cocktail of ingredients never seen in hair care before to achieve this. The Mousse is a sure star product with built in heat protection, advanced moisturising vitamins and hydrolysed collagen to strengthen and gently care for fragile hair. ”
Strong & Beautiful’s hair care maintenance line is available at the finest hair salons, online at www.strong-and-beautiful.com and leading retailers. Professional Hair Relaxer / Treatment Packs are available to hairdressing professionals only.
For a professional in-salon training and product demonstration email orders@blueskininternational.co.za
Facebook: @strongandbeautifulcosmetics
Instagram: @strongandbeautiful_official
TikTok: @strong.and.beauti
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