Lianna Albrizio, Assistant Editor03.08.24
Scalp care has become a hairy concern for consumers.
According to analysts at beauty trend tracker Spate, scalp care saw a +149.3% month-over-month growth on TikTok last summer, with scalp serums and oils drenching the market. Queries for rosemary oil led the searches alongside “hair growth oil” – indicating consumers’ quest for a solution to hair growth stimulation.
According to analysts at beauty trend tracker Spate, scalp care saw a +149.3% month-over-month growth on TikTok last summer, with scalp serums and oils drenching the market. Queries for rosemary oil led the searches alongside “hair growth oil” – indicating consumers’ quest for a solution to hair growth stimulation.
Consumers are swapping the bottle for the bar, too. According to a most recent report from Spate analyzing the highest-searched hair care trends, shampoo bar has a predicted growth rate of 32.3% in the next year. Analysts say hair health issues like hair loss, itchy scalp and split ends are top concerns.
JR Liggett, which bills itself a maker of old-fashioned bar shampoos for “beautiful, healthy clean hair,” is capitalizing on that trend with solutions that return to the roots of cleanliness with a bar over bottle business model.
More than its “wonderful” all-natural scent, the best feedback the brand has received comes from customers who said their hair felt fuller while using its shampoo. Another piece of valued feedback was customers claiming new hair growth, according to Jamie Miller, JR Liggett’s president.
The brand’s Herbal Formula Shampoo Bar– suitable for curly, color-treated and permed hair – contains rosemary, lavender and cedarwood. It helps relieve a dry, itchy scalp. With anti-fungal properties, lavender has been proven to treat eczema. Cedarwood contains anti-inflammatory properties and has a calming aroma, according to the brand.
JR Liggett’s Tea Tree & Hemp Oil shampoo is perceived to be effective against dandruff. In a recent study by Act Lab, Long Beach, CA, roughly 85% of consumers said the product reduces dandruff between washes and relieves itching associated with the condition.
Fragrance-Free & Sustainable
According to Miller, in addition to scalp care, fragrance-free haircare is also top-of-mind for consumers.
For Miller, good-smelling hair does not equate to clean hair.
“We all know that it’s hard to not associate freshly washed hair with the fragrance of flowers, but chemical-laden fragrances can wreak havoc on our scalp,” she said. “Perfumes and synthetic fragrances have been correlated with dry, red and flaky scalps and even allergic contact dermatitis.”
JR Liggett’s bars contain natural fragrances derived from essential oils to create a fresh scent.
Consumers' embracement of their natural texture is set to be another hair trend dominating 2024, Miller says.
“We’re going to continue to see people embracing their natural hair texture with simpler, nourishing haircare routines,” she said, adding that Liggett’s Moisturizing Formula and Virgin Coconut & Argan Oil Formula shampoo bars can help control unmanageable hair while restoring luster and smoothness.
Cognizant of Gen Z’s wish to buy products that are as eco-friendly as they are efficacious, sustainability is at the root of JR Liggett’s business values. So much, in fact, that the brand utilizes 100% solar power in the production of its personal care products – with nothing left to waste and contents repurposed or recycled. Bars are housed in biodegradable packaging. What’s more, an JR Liggett shampoo bar is equivalent to a 24-ounce bottle of liquid shampoo and can accommodate up to 75 washes, according to the brand. Bars are also formulated with a “minute amount” of water and reduce carbon dioxide emissions due to their compact size and low weight, according to the makers.
From Art Director to Soap Maker
The genius behind JR Liggett’s stemmed from the man himself, or should we say, boy. Liggett was only 5 years old when he hatched a passion for soap-making while at an Aunt’s Nebraska home. Later, he used soap recipes from an ancient book to concoct a batch of all-natural shampoo. After presenting these soaps to the delight of friends and family at Christmas, Liggett felt it was time to open a family business.
He eventually abandoned his job in New York City where he worked as an art director for Ogilvy & Mather. A two-time Clio Award winner, he created national TV campaigns and print ads for big-name clients; he co-created the Owens Corning’s iconic Pink Panther campaign and designed products and packaging for Clairol.
In 1982, Liggett and his wife purchased a sprawling farm in Cornish, NH where they have since operated their soap-making. The location is home to JR Liggett’s current headquarters.
Today, JR Liggett’s has more than 35 vegan products that extend beyond shampoo and conditioner bars to pet shampoos, body oil bars, lip butters and shave foams—all free from detergent, sodium lauryl sulfate and GMOs.
JR Liggett’s is sold at large-scale chains like Publix and Whole Foods, natural product stores, outdoor retailers, pharmacies, gift and travel shops.