The NUELE standard
What we'll
never put in
your hair.
The clean beauty category has a honesty problem — brands use the word "clean" while still including ingredients that are harmful, unnecessary, or synthetic. We hold ourselves to a stricter standard. These are the ingredients you will never find in a NUELE formula, and exactly why they're excluded.
Never in any NUELE formula — 8 hard exclusions
Never
Sulphates
Strip the hair's natural oils and damage the cuticle. Linked to colour fade and dryness, particularly in chemically treated and textured hair.
Often found in
Conventional shampoos, cleansers
Never
Parabens
Synthetic preservatives that disrupt hormones and accumulate in tissue. Banned in several countries. We preserve formulas differently — or formulate without the need for them.
Often found in
Conditioners, leave-ins, styling products
Never
Synthetic fragrance
"Fragrance" on a label can legally hide hundreds of undisclosed chemicals. Many are allergens, sensitisers, or endocrine disruptors. Our products are fragrance-free — or scented only with naturally derived sources that are fully disclosed.
Often found in
Almost every conventional hair product
Never
Silicones
Create the appearance of healthy hair by coating the strand — but this blocks moisture from actually entering. Over time, silicone buildup weakens bonds and causes the kind of damage it appears to be fixing.
Often found in
Serums, conditioners, styling products
Never
Formaldehyde & releasers
Carcinogenic. Used as preservatives in some bond treatments — including in the conventional bond-building category. Not in ours.
Often found in
Keratin treatments, some bond builders
Never
Mineral oil & petrolatum
Petroleum-derived ingredients that sit on the hair surface and prevent real moisture from penetrating. A common filler in conventional haircare that creates a dependency loop.
Often found in
Moisturisers, styling creams, treatments
Never
PEGs & PEG derivatives
Synthetic compounds that are potentially contaminated with carcinogens during manufacturing. Used as thickeners, emulsifiers, and penetration enhancers — unnecessary when you formulate with naturally derived alternatives.
Often found in
Conditioners, shampoos, treatments
Never
Filler water
Water as the first ingredient dilutes the active ingredients, reduces product performance per drop, and creates the need for more preservatives. We formulate waterless — more actives, less packaging, better results.
Often found in
The first ingredient in most shampoos & conditioners
What we always include — our ingredient principles
✓ Always
100% naturally derived actives
Every active ingredient is sourced from plants, minerals, or other natural sources. Nothing synthesised in a lab to mimic what nature already provides better.
✓ Always
Full ingredient transparency
Every ingredient is listed by its full INCI name. No "proprietary blends" that hide what's inside. No hidden fragrance mixtures. What's on the label is everything in the bottle.
✓ Always
Purposeful formulation
Every ingredient has a documented reason to be in the formula. We never add ingredients for cost reduction, texture, or consumer perception — only for performance and safety.
✓ Always
Supplier vetting
We only source from suppliers whose own ingredient standards align with ours. Our supply chain is audited, traceable, and transparent from farm to formula.
✓ Always
Independent safety testing
Every formula is independently tested for safety before launch. Our December 2023 clinical trials included both user studies and laboratory analysis of submitted hair strands.
✓ Always
Family safe concentrations
Every formula is designed to be safe for the whole family — from children to adults. No irritants. No sensitisers. Hypoallergenic as standard.
Where our ingredients come from
From the
source to
your hair.
We take ingredient sourcing seriously because our products can only be as excellent as the ingredients they're made from. Every key ingredient is traced back to its origin — and we only source from suppliers whose values match ours.
🇬🇭
Ghana
Our shea butter is sourced directly from a female-led cooperative in northern Ghana under verified fair trade terms. The women who grow and process our shea are paid above market rate and work in safe conditions. This isn't certification-washing — it's a direct, ongoing relationship.
Ingredient: Shea Butter · Used in: Shea Moisturizer, Hair Mask
🇲🇦
Morocco
Our argan oil comes from a women's argan cooperative in the Souss-Massa region — the only place in the world where wild argan trees grow. Cold-pressed, unrefined, and sustainably harvested. No extraction at scale. No industrial processing.
Ingredient: Argan Oil · Used in: Hair Serum, Nighttime Scalp Serum, Hair Mask
🌿
Certified Organic Suppliers
Our aloe vera, castor oil, jojoba, and lavender are sourced from USDA-certified organic farms. We require certification documentation and audit our suppliers annually. Organic isn't just a label for us — it's a sourcing requirement.
Ingredients: Aloe, Castor, Jojoba, Lavender · Used across all collections
Independently verified
Every claim
is certified.
✦
Vegan
No animal-derived ingredients in any formula. Certified by Vegan Society standards.
◎
Cruelty Free
No animal testing at any stage of development or manufacturing. Leaping Bunny principles.
◻
Organic
Key ingredients USDA certified organic. Full traceability from farm to formula.
◇
Sulfate Free
No SLS, SLES, or any sulphate-based cleansing agent across the entire range.
△
Gluten Free
Safe for those with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Formulated and tested free of gluten.
❋
Fragrance Free
No synthetic fragrances, masking agents, or undisclosed scent compounds. What you smell is what's listed.
○
Paraben Free
No parabens or paraben derivatives used as preservatives. Ever.
◈
Waterless
No filler water in our formulas. More actives per bottle, better results per drop, less packaging waste.
✿
Family Safe
Formulated at concentrations safe for all ages. No irritants or sensitisers. Safe for children and pregnant women.
◑
Hypoallergenic
Formulated to minimise allergic reactions. Tested across all skin and hair types, including sensitive scalps.
Sustainable packaging
The bottle
matters too.
Sustainability doesn't stop at what goes inside the bottle. We've made deliberate decisions about what surrounds our products as well — and we're transparent about where we are and where we're heading.
Post-consumer recycled materials
Our bottles and caps are made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. We're working toward 100% PCR across all packaging by 2025.
FSC-certified outer cartons
All outer cartons are printed on FSC-certified recycled board. Fully recyclable kerbside. No plastic coatings or laminates.
Concentrated — less packaging per use
Waterless formulas are concentrated formulas. A 5 fl oz bottle of Shea Moisturizer lasts 60–90 days of daily use — three to four times longer than a water-based equivalent.
Minimal packaging design
We've deliberately avoided excessive secondary packaging, tissue, and void fill. What you receive is what's needed and nothing more.
Refill program — coming 2025
We're developing a refill system for our core products. Buy the bottle once. Refill it. We'll share more as we get closer to launch.
Community & giving back
Growth with
purpose.
We were built by a community that was underserved by the mainstream industry. We haven't forgotten that — and we invest actively in giving back to it.
Minority-owned business support
We actively source from and partner with minority and women-owned suppliers, agencies, and vendors wherever possible. Our spending reflects our values.
Female farmer partnerships — Ghana & Morocco
Our fair trade sourcing directly supports the livelihoods of female farmers in two communities. Above-market pricing, direct contracts, and long-term relationships — not spot buying.
Clean beauty education
We publish free guides on ingredient transparency, what labels actually mean, and how to navigate the clean beauty category as a consumer. Education is part of the product.
Community events & sampling
We regularly bring products directly to communities that have historically been last to access premium haircare — through events, partnerships, and direct outreach.