Celebrity stylist launches hair products with a conscience

A-list hairstylist Tara Smith has tended to the hair of hundreds of artists over the years, including Demi Moore, Rosario Dawson, Orlando Bloom, Anna Friel, Gary Oldman, Natalie Imbruglia, Quentin Tarantino and many more. Her film credits include heading up the hair department for the LA leg of Sex & The City: The Movie among others. Tara’s own line of eco-friendly products is due to launch in Tesco on October 1 2008, and is based on her desire to create an accessible line with no nasty additives.

Straplined ‘Tested on film stars, not on animals’, the products have been developed in conjunction with Dr Roger Barr of Cosmetica, former technical director of the Body Shop, who’s no stranger to developing products with a conscience.

Made in the UK with natural and organic earth-friendly ingredients and containing certified organic fragrances, the range is the first to deliver professional standard haircare performance in formulations free from harmful chemical additives. Even the products’ fully recyclable packaging has been designed with sustainability in mind – the pumps are all made in the same materials with no metal so they’re easy to recycle. The products’ swing tag is made from gorgeous handmade paper impregnated with wild seeds, and can be planted – at which point it will grow into a flower!

Demi Moore and Rosario Dawson are among the many A-list clients who have tried the products, and are big fans of Tara’s work. The approach to the range has been to formulate products that deliver performance as defined and judged by Tara’s discerning standards, but which do this by maximising the use of natural, effective ingredients. Purposely excluded from the range are:
Parabens, SLES, PEGs, Phthalates, Glycols, Artificial Colourants, Synthetic Fragrances, Animal Derivatives

In the products (19 in total, including shampoos, conditioners, styling products, plus the travel sizes for easy travelling as carry on – the bottles are also clear) are ingredients such as Aloe Vera for moisturising, Camomile Oil with proven ability to soothe, Marine Algae Complex for soothing and moisturising, Bamboo extract, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil extract, Wheat, Corn and Soy extracts, Gingko Biloba, Rosemary, Sweet Orange, and Borage Oil.

Tara says: “It was important to me to develop a professional-standard line that’s not only environmentally friendly, but accessible to everyone with a realistic price tag. The hair is essentially a plant and your scalp is the soil – you have to feed and nourish it for your hair to be healthy. I was impressed with Tesco’s commitment to making their brand greener and they felt like the perfect partner for my products.”