Infusium23, a brand owned by Idelle, is bringing a special oil from a tree that grows at the base of the Himalayas, to the masses in a new hair care new collection—its first in more than three years.
 
While argan oil has been all the rage in hair care, the R&D team at Idelle has instead tapped moringa oil, derived from one the most nutrient dense plants in the word. Also known as the “Miracle Tee” the marina plant is said to contain 90-plus essential minerals and vitamins. That powerful punch delivers benefits to treat and restore hair, which is at the heart of Infusium’s mission.
 
 “The inherent, unique benefits of moringa oil and Infusium23’s brand promise are truly synergistic,” noted Rick Cutler, marketing director at Idelle Labs, which is part of Helen of Troy.
 
According to Cutler, the hair care category is one that is “generally devoid of a lot of compelling innovation. This means that new developments in fragrance, ingredients, forms and packaging are critically important in gaining retailer and consumer support.  In this context, launching a product featuring ingredients that are already featured in many other brands does not qualify as news or innovation,” he said.
 
Idelle was looking for a point of departure with Infusium23 Miracle Therapy.
 
“When we develop new products for Infusium23, it is critical that we identify ingredients or blends of ingredients that will differentiate it from competitors and enhance the brand’s promise of fixing or preventing damaged, unmanageable hair,” he said. “No other product in mass retail has moringa oil.”
 
For Idelle, moringa is consistent with Infusium’s heritage “as brand that was born in and is still offered for sale in the professional hair care trade, that leads the way in the application of a salon-based ingredient story for the broader retail market.”
 
Infusium23, created in 1924 for the California salon market, became a national brand in 1973. It was acquired in 2001 by Procter & Gamble, which sold it to Helen of Troy in 2009.
 
Moringa oil can currently be found in a few skin care products from Kinerase and salon hair care offerings from Redken and Biolage. But Idelle’s team is confident that Infusium23 Miracle Therapy is the first to offer it in a mass market range at price point that’s easy on consumer’s wallets. Prices for the Miracle Therapy Collection fall between $6.99 and $7.99.
 
The Miracle Therapy collection—five SKUs that are set to hit stores in January—also includes styling products, new territory for Infusium23.
 
All Miracle Therapy products are designed to provide high-performance, therapeutic care for hair to help restore it to the best condition possible, according to Cutler.
 
For example, the Miracle Therapy Leave-In Treatment serum helps rebuild hair and imparts shine while  Miracle Therapy Foaming Mousse Leave-In Treatment is a weightless leave-in product that revives and nourishes.  Both compliment the shampoo and conditioner products.
 
In addition to the new Miracle Therapy collection, the entire Infusium23 franchise is being refreshed for 2014. Idelle tweaked the brandmark and hair swoosh, making it more elegant and more consistent with its salon heritage. The “shopability” was also enhanced, with the addition of the brand and SKU-specific benefits on the front label.
 
Cutler also pointed to the Miracle Therapy bottle’s gold cap and use of gold foil, which reinforce “the high-performance, upscale and premium cues of the line.”
 
The launch of Miracle Therapy will be supported with TV, print, digital, social and sampling programs.