Owned by Henkel Consumer Brands, Syoss is set to release the product, called Syoss Clay Cream, on April 14.
The hair dye leverages the rich minerals and adhesiveness of natural clay, which “cannot be produced artificially”, and is specially targeted at concealing grey hair.
“The number one hair concern for adult women is grey hair. In an era where we are expected to live to 100 years old, dealing with grey hair is a major issue for many women.
“In recent years, grey hair removal, which involves bleaching to reduce the contrast between grey and black hair, has been gaining attention. At the same time, there is a growing trend of people who want to ‘dye grey hair to the same colour as their natural hair’,” the brand said.
According to an online survey conducted in September last year, the most common reason for dyeing hair among people aged 40 and above (55.5% in their 40s, 75.5% in their 50s, and 82.6% in their 60s) was to conceal grey hair.
The respondents included 2,062 men aged 16 to 59 and women aged 16 to 69 who have had experience with hair colouring or bleaching within the past year, or who intend to do so in the future.
Additionally, their key considerations when purchasing hair dye products are namely “being able to hide grey hair nicely”, “good colour retention”, and “minimal damage to hair and scalp”.
“This shows that unlike the fashion-forward hair colouring of younger people, those in their 40s and older have a more serious and compelling reason for dyeing their hair.
“Because hair dyeing is something that is done repeatedly, we learned that people not only want the results to be good, but also for the dyed hair to maintain its colour over time without fading, as well as to reduce the burden on their hair and scalp.”
Levelling up at-home hair colouring
According to Syoss, it is the first time that the brand is incorporating clay in its consumer range. The Clay Cream utilises a technology that Henkel developed for its professional hair colouring products.
Used in skin and hair care since ancient times, clay is known for being a gentle ingredient that improves skin tone and texture by absorbing excess oil, unclogging pores, and soothing inflammation, with its high adhesion facilitating the delivery of minerals and other ingredients into the skin.
“During our research of various naturally derived ingredients, with the aim of developing a hair dye that is gentle on the hair and scalp while providing intense colour uptake and retention, we focused on the adhesive properties of clay. The most difficult part was creating a formula that made the most of clay’s characteristics.
“We came up with many prototypes to adjust the texture for easy self-application without compromising the adhesive properties. Eventually, we were able to achieve deep, consistent dyeing even for fine and short hairs through a formula that combines 100% natural clay and other high-quality ingredients to deliver a salon-like colour and finish,” said Koji Takada, Director of Research and Development at Henkel.
Specifically, the formula consists of protective and moisturising ingredients, including marine collagen, organic calendula, licorice extract, shea butter, coconut oil, and almond oil.
These ingredients are claimed to reduce post-dye dryness and leave a glossy finish.
As clay has the ability to hold water and nutrients, it enables the ingredients to wrap around each strand and penetrate more easily while ensuring that the dye adheres firmly to fine hairs at the hairline and short hairs at partings, resulting in an even colouring effect
The product also comes with an after-colour treatment containing keratin PPT (Poly-Peptide Treatment) to help maintain colour.
“With 30% more colour-preserving ingredients [compared to Syoss Hair Color Cream with silk PPT], the colour lasts for eight weeks, hiding grey hairs and keeping the hair looking beautiful until the next dye session.”
In addition, the Clay Cream is infused with a fragrance that marries the freshness of citrus with the calming scent of green, rose, and wood.
There are a total of six shades, ranging from warm to cool tones, which are designed to blend well with natural hair colours.
