Scientific research beauty company responsible for the revolutionary K Hair Pep hair treatment hit Sydney and Melbourne recently, officially launching their leading innovations and insights to Australian hairdressers, writes Cameron Pine.
Aquis Directors Suveen and Britta Sahib have a passion for beauty beyond the cosmetic surface, developing a company of market firsts that hallmark them as true industry innovators.
With a background in the technology space across automation platforms, Suveen believes that science plays an integral role when it comes to hair transformation.
Made in the USA and available in Australia through Luxury Beauty Concepts, Aquis has reinvented the salon and spa experience for professionals in the hair and beauty space with both K Hair Pep and Aquis salon and spa towels. Via two intimate events in November for leading hairdressers and salon owners committed to the science of simultaneous business growth and hair transformation, Suveen and Britta told their story and elevated the mindsets of hair lovers in the process – from understanding a peptide to acknowledging old damage creating habits, the walls came down.
“We were overwhelmed with the number of products in the market and wanted to ensure our point of entry into hair wasn’t about creating another shampoo and conditioner. The world doesn’t need another shampoo and conditioner,” Suveen said.
Experiencing significant salon growth in Australia in 2018 since first releasing the revolutionary K Hair Pep, salons have been rapidly jumping on board to stock the leave-in peptide treatment for damaged hair – clinically proven to resurrect the various adverse effects of damage.
The technology is anchored by Khairpep’s patented K18Peptide™ – a revolutionary peptide that can penetrate the hair cortex and permanently repair the hair’s disulfide bonds. But to truly understand the benefits, coming together in an intimate yet collaborative environment for Luxury Beauty Concepts was key, with many salons becoming avid ambassadors for the brand since understanding a more medical approach to hair, the product has hit more than 170 salons in Australia.
The peptide is formulated to shuttle amino acids into the inner structure of the hair. The unique amino-acid chain bonds with the hair protein, repairing the broken disulhide bonds and reattaching the hair fibre. This ensures hair strength, elasticity, shine, manageability and health. A leave-in hair masque, leave-in serum and leave-in masque treatment program hero the range, with easy to use packs of three creating a great retail incentive for salons wanting to offer clients a solution, not only with an in-salon treatment but for a treatment on the go.
“There’s very little haircare in the haircare industry, it’s mostly hair makeup and what we people need is to protect and keep hair strong during those aggressors so you have a healthy base. Stylists and colourists must think about haircare the same way they think about healthy skin. Research into this peptide goes back as far as 2006,” Suveen said.
In-line with industry demand for damage protection at any cost and Aquis’ mission to create truly unique products, Aquis towels are an industry first, utilising a technology known in high-end ski clothing to provide superior drying performance over any other salon towel.
Aquis towels are the result of Aquitex ultra-fine water wicking technology that prevents water damage, cuts drying time in half and minimizes frizz, friction, breakage and colour fade – bringing to the fore the fact that a traditional cotton towel is also actually a key cause of hair damage, wasted energy on drying time in the salon and doesn’t hold as much water – just to name a few.
“We worked with a lab to find a better solution to a cotton towel – something that would dry 50 per cent faster with no loops and less friction. Water has a huge adverse effect on hair,” Suveen said.
“You see more broken hair in the shower than any other time – it’s stripping, its high ph, the list goes on,” he said.
By working with the biology of hair and helping professionals and consumers to better understand how to protect it, there are several applications in the salon that can be adjusted by using the serum and masque both prior and post colour, for example, changing towels and recommending a real maintenance changing retail solution is just the beginning. When the customers start to roll back in saying the salon ‘has changed their life’ the true power of this peptide is better understood. Having a suitable application anywhere, the peptide can instantly repair extremely damaged hair – smooth it backstage before the ultimate show, it can easily be a session kit staple as well as an in-salon and take home.
There are so many applications and demystifying discoveries just by tapping into the high level of knowledge Suveen and his wife Britta and the Aquis team possess, but a true passion for giving back lies within the company’s culture – helping those less fortunate wherever they can through homeless initiatives and charitable causes. Less maintenance and complicated formulas but more revenue for the salon. Isn’t that what we all want?
Aquis has turned around the industry, not just in the salon, but by simplifying the take-home experience for everyone. The modern-day hair hacks? Perhaps yes, but the reality is that this dynamic duo turns the 100-year-old shampoo formula completely on its head.
The dynamic couple is well on the path to building a global brand. Having raised over $11M in financing during the past four years, It’s time to trust the innovators.
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