Completing Hair Care with Just One Shampoo: The Appeal of the Pioneer Organic Shampoo "uruotte"

Due to the growing awareness of hair care, shampoos have been diversifying in terms of functionality and ingredients in recent years. Among them, organic shampoos are expanding their market size year by year.

This time, we spoke with Naoko Sasagawa, the CEO of Queen Inc., which has been behind the organic shampoo "uruotte" since its dawn in 2005, about the brand's philosophy and the advantages of organic shampoos.

While the organic shampoo market is vibrant today, before the birth of uruotte in 2005, the term was not even common. It was primarily supported by naturalists sensitive to environmental and health issues.

"In the 1970s of my childhood, pollution became a social issue, and many people became sensitive to chemicals and food. My mother, who thought naturally, used natural foods and soap shampoos, so organic products were familiar to me from a young age.

"However, soap shampoos had a poor user experience, and during my teenage years, I wanted to enjoy commercially available trendy products. After having children, I started to feel that I wanted to use safe and secure products for my family.

"So I researched shampoos that felt good to use and were gentle on the skin, discovering that amino-acid-based shampoos are beneficial for the skin. At that time, however, they were new on the market with a price tag of around 10,000 yen per bottle. This inspired me to create the kind of shampoo I wanted, and thus, Uruotte was born."

Because it was something I wanted, I focused not only on organic ingredients but also on the quality of the materials, keeping the price accessible. That is the shampoo created by Sasagawa.

The amino acid-based cleansing ingredients used are of high quality with excellent moisturizing properties. The key ingredient, jojoba oil, is extracted using a low-temperature pressure method from organically cultivated jojoba.

"Initially, we used typical jojoba oil, but at one point, we switched to organic oil, and I felt that the moisturizing effect improved.

"This is a personal experience, and there isn't scientific data, but I believe that even if the ingredients have the same chemical symbols, there can be slight variations in aroma and other aspects depending on the weather in that year.

"We believe that there are aspects in nature that cannot be quantified, and that slight fluctuations in quality are important."

At Uruotte, not only are high-quality organic materials used, but product development is also carried out in collaboration with chemists to enhance functionality.

"We scientifically verify what ingredients to use and how to formulate them for better effectiveness. For instance, there is a wide range when it comes to the degree of shine. Some people expect a sleek feel like just coming back from the salon, while others envision a wet feel like oil.

"It can be challenging to achieve such shine with just one organic shampoo, leading some individuals to become dissatisfied and move away from organic products. However, organic products are akin to Eastern medicine rather than Western medicine: while they do not offer drastic effects, they improve the scalp, which serves as the foundation for healthy hair in the future. This is the power of organic shampoos."

Gentle on the Scalp & the Earth with Just One Shampoo

With 20 years since its founding, what Uruotte continues to emphasize is the simplicity of completing hair care with just one organic shampoo during bath time.

Despite offering styling treatments and scalp care products that address aging concerns, Sasagawa asserts that, fundamentally, one shampoo is sufficient.

"Consider why you are using conditioner or treatment. Ultimately, it’s because we tend to strip too much oil with shampoo, compensating with conditioner. Those who use a lot of hair styling products or have oily hair may find that amino acid-based shampoos lack adequate cleansing power, but for the average hair type, I don’t believe such high cleansing power is necessary.

"Ordinary shampoos or even the soap shampoos I used during my childhood can be surprisingly high in degreasing power. For those with dry or sensitive skin, I think it’s better to choose a shampoo that provides moisture rather than focusing on cleansing power. Even then, for those who still feel the need to compensate, I recommend addressing just the specific areas of concern with out-of-bath products."

One more advantage of hair care being completed with just shampoo is that it has a low environmental impact.

"Even before the term sustainability was coined, we have been considerate of various environmental issues.

"Uruotte's shampoo, made from 99% plant-derived ingredients, is highly biodegradable and does not pollute the sea or rivers through wastewater. Additionally, by eliminating the need for conditioner, we can reduce water usage and wastewater by approximately 12 liters per person per day (around 4.4 tons annually).

"Furthermore, the 'dedicated eco-bottle' used for refillable 500mL packs aims to reduce plastic waste by 90%［1］, and we strive to create products that are gentle on nature in various ways."

During the renewal in 2020, we addressed domestic environmental issues by adding ingredients derived from Japanese plants.

"Previously, I visited the Morino Kyuuyakuen herbal garden in Nara, where a vast number of plants grow naturally, and I was amazed by the richness of Japan's nature. Historically, the Japanese have lived in coexistence with nature since ancient times. I wanted to convey a message to reconsider that spirit, so we decided to incorporate Japanese plants into our products."

A prominent example is the tea seed oil used in the unscented shampoo.

Due to the proliferation of bottled beverages and a decrease in the habit of drinking tea at home, the shipment volume of tea leaves has been declining year by year. Due to a lack of successors and other factors, abandoned tea fields are increasing across the country. uruotte utilizes oil extracted from tea seeds harvested in these abandoned fields. The fact that these fields have not been treated with pesticides for many years adds to the advantage.

"Rich nature is also an asset of Japan. I hope to continue creating products that are in harmony with nature."

I look forward to seeing what kind of organic world uruotte, a pioneer of Japanese organic shampoo, will unveil in the future.