Claims ‘least chemicals of any hair color product on the market’
Clairol Canada has launched a hair coloring product, called Natural Instincts, that should appeal to those mainstream consumers who rebel against artificial products.
About 88% of Natural Instincts’ ingredients are derived from natural products, compared with about 45% to 50% of most products, according to Robin Thornton, publicity manager at Clairol.
‘It has the least chemicals of any hair color product on the market,’ Thornton says.
At least two other products, both available through health food stores, fall in the natural hair colorant category: Herbavita from Italy, and Vitawave from the u.s.
Natural Instincts will be marketed as a premium product, and will fit into the demi-permanent category of hair colorants which last between about eight and 24 washes.
There are three types of hair colorants: semi-permanent which washes out in about eight shampoos, demi-permanent, and permanent or long-lasting hair color, which lasts until one’s hair grows out.
The target market for this product is young women 18-34.
‘It’s for people looking for color enhancement, and those interested in blending beginning greys,’ Thornton says.
Natural Instincts will be available in 16 shades, and will retail between $8.49 and $9.99, which is comparable to Clairol’s premium L’Image hair coloring product.
The product, on the shelves now, is being supported by tv spots being rolled out this week in Canada.
There will also be print ads in a number of women’s magazines, starting in mid-March.
The tv spots are ‘pretty, green, organic,’ and stress the naturalness of the product, but Thornton refused to reveal the name of the Canadian agency responsible.
‘Before a post-mortem, we wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing that information,’ she says.
Clairol, a division of Bristol-Myers Squibb, markets other hair coloring products under a number of different names including: Nice ‘N Easy, Miss Clairol, L’Image, and Lasting Color by Loving Care, and Loving Care.
Clairol is the market leader in the hair coloring category, with L’Oreal second.
Thornton says dollar sales for the hair coloring market were about $24 million last year.
