Industry expert and hairdresser Chloe Zara couldn’t find a salon brand that was natural, effective and focussed on overall hair health — so she built her own. Formulated and made in New Zealand, the modern and multifaceted Chloe Zara Hair products grace cabinets with their minimalist design, from a silk hair wash and a crème to a perfume oil. Throughout the range, some things are sure to remain the same — the product’s commitment to hair and scalp health, and the founder’s unwavering commitment to creating simple yet luxurious routines. Here she shares the secrets of her career success, and her brand’s cult following.
This year marks almost two decades in the hair industry for me, which is something I’m really proud of. It’s been a rich and rewarding journey too — working in some of New Zealand’s leading salons, learning incredible skills and doing so alongside some of the most amazing stylists. I largely built my own hairdressing business on word of mouth, taking appointments via social media, which gave me the confidence to open my own studio. Obviously, beautiful, healthy hair has always been my passion and I took the learnings from these many years — what makes for healthy hair and why this is important — and in 2019 founded Chloe Zara Hair with my husband Scott. The success so far has been so humbling.
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I’m passionate about hair health and what goes into maintaining beautiful, healthy hair. The right ingredients — plant actives, essential fatty acids, antioxidants to name a few — all work their magic in keeping your hair in top condition. Everyday, effortless hair needs the right nutrients and love so knowing about them is vital. Also, in order to have beautiful healthy hair, we must not forget the importance of where it all starts, our scalp.
I’ve been dreaming of my own haircare range for a long time. We’ve built a strong relationship with our chemist who I work closely with. We start with the desired and work backwards. One thing that is important to me is that these aren’t a quick fix so we’ve worked hard to find ingredients that honour long term hair health. As a result, all products are natural and clean, and I love that it’s nature that gives us exactly what we need.
Naturally, we consider what is better for us, better for our planet and how this comes together. We’re lucky in that natural ingredients really are best when it comes to hair health and results. There’s no need for anything unnecessary — everything we use is there for a reason and is proven to improve hair and scalp health with the very best results. My belief is that looking after your hair is just as important as looking after your skin and you’ll find many extracts, vitamins and plant actives commonly found in skincare in Chloe Zara Hair. From anti-aging to smoothing to strengthening and volumising, we’ve looked to mother nature to help.
Our Hair and Body Perfume Oil has gained a cult following and works in a multitude of ways. It works as a leave-in treatment that protects hair from hot tools and UV rays, as well as sealing split ends, and adding shine. I also love to use it as a body oil, it is so lightweight and absorbs so well into the skin. Because the hair and body perfume oil is a leave-in treatment it combines perfectly with our silk hair balm. Mixing the two together creates an intensive hair treatment masque, repairing dry, stressed strands and leaving your hair smooth and shiny. The scent was custom formulated for us in Grasse, France, with tones of sandalwood, fig and pineapple.
Take risks, set goals, work hard, be persistent and don’t give up. From leaving a salon and starting out on my own, to launching Chloe Zara Hair, it has sometimes felt like the scariest career move, but I have never looked back. I think the key is to be driven and know what you want, have a clear vision, and to not give up. It’s not easy, but when you have a passion and a dream and see the incredible results along the way, that is what keeps you moving forward.
My goal is to share Chloe Zara Hair with the world — a lot of our research and development was done in Europe, so I can’t wait to see the brand expand globally and take things full circle.
We are working on some very exciting new products, which will launch later this year. As ever, we’ve worked hard to create the perfect formulas and find the perfect ingredients for them. They’re currently being trialled and I can’t wait to share them.
