British hairstylist Adam Reed has been a creative force behind the scenes for over two decades. He has worked countless fashion shows for designers such as Erdem, House of Holland and Matthew Williamson, styled an arsenal of Hollywood stars and served as an ambassador for global brands such as L’Oréal Professional and Diptyque.
Arkive Headcare by Adam Reed
Yet most recently, he has funnelled most of his creative energy into a personal passion project – a vegan, B-corp-certified and cruelty-free haircare line called Arkive Headcare, which combines technical product performance with perfume-worthy scents.
‘I have always seen how big a role product plays in our understanding of ourselves and our self-identity,’ says Reed. ‘When I was young and trying to understand who I was and my sexuality, products (and specifically hair product) were the one thing that I looked to as a way to express myself.’
‘The pandemic really sped up the concept of using self-care rituals as a way to take care of ourselves and reconnect with ourselves during a time where we all felt so isolated. I had always thought there was a gap in the market for a range of hair products that did more than just look after your hair, but Covid is what made it so important for me to launch Arkive,’ he continues.
Bolstered by two proprietary fragrances (with more to come on the horizon), Arkive Headcare’s scent component has been intentionally designed to support wellbeing. Undefined by gender or age, the universal fragrances are comforting and soothing. Future Bloom is a warm, dynamic floral, featuring mandarin, vanilla, tea rose and white musk, and features in the line’s shampoo and conditioner, treatment mask, and the scalp scrub that elevates an everyday shower into a sensual experience. No One Elsie – a herbaceous scent tinged with tomato leaf, rhubarb and palo santo in homage to Reed’s grandmother’s greenhouse – adds a zesty finish to the line’s primer spray, ahead of more styling.
Throughout the collection, nourishing ingredients such as aloe, baobab oil, jojoba oil and glycolipids restore moisture and cleanse easily without stripping the natural structure and density of hair. Finishing products, such as an adaptable hair pomade, a weightless aerosol hairspray and a blow-dry spray boast a host of natural ingredients to ensure results without harming hair.
All products available from arkiveheadcare.com in GBP, USD and EUR
