“On a professional set, the hairstylist is under extreme pressure and only has one chance to get it right. Iles Formula was born out of this need for a high-performance, breakthrough product that would deliver instant results on any hair texture and deliver perfectly nurtured hair every time.”
– Wendy Iles, Founder of award-winning Iles Formula
Any time of year, or occasion, no matter the texture or color, we all want gleaming, detangled, and healthy hair. With the boom in limitless hair care brands tailored to every type, texture, and status of hair – virgin, colored, keratin – promising smooth blowouts, textured waves or defrizzed styles, the common factor in many is silicone. It’s the secret sauce that delivers moisture and shine IRL when pressed for time … although it’s really smoke and mirrors. Whether included as Cyclopentasiloxane or Dimethiconol, silicones don’t nourish hair – they coat it and leave a film that’s difficult to dissolve and remove completely without clarifying or heavy surfactants. To this end, I’m constantly on the hunt for silicone-free hair care – as well as free of the other ickies – that contributes to the health of my hair without requiring a 30-minute wash-and-condition window. Also, I must have shampoos free of sodium-chloride for my color and keratin. I drive a hard bargain. Few rise to the occasion at all, especially as exceptionally well as Iles Formula.
This clean brand, founded by a celebrity stylist who’s been in the business for decades, is free of sulfates, silicones, parabens, peptides, and bond builders. With formulations incorporating raw, deeply nourishing, antioxidant and polyphenol-rich, sustainably-sourced ingredients like – Tucuma Palm, Pracaxi Oil, Vitamins B & E – the three-part Signature Collection is designed to Cleanse, Repair, and Protect all hair types instantly. Whether oily, dry, fine, virgin, or processed Iles’ optimally pH-Balanced Shampoo, Conditioner & Finishing Serum – measuring 5.50 – 6.5, 4.0 – 5.0, and 4.0 – 5.0 respectively – deliver moisture and nutrients into the hair shaft to smooth and yield silky tresses, preferably with heat.
The ultra-concentrated Shampoo Haute Performance works hard to clear the scalp of gunk and promote a healthy scalp to maintain healthy hair growth. Just keep adding water to maximize the cleansing power of the fragrant foam. Conditioner Haute Performance, the genesis of the brand, combines a proprietary blend of scientifically optimized extracts to seal up the nourished cuticle and make detangling a breeze in just a few minutes.
The Finishing Serum Haute Performance, applied on wet hair pre-styling, and on dry hair for touch-ups, is the final step for protecting the cuticle and yielding a silky finish. With the consistency of an oil serum, this leave-in absorbs into the hair instantly without a greasy or sticky residue – it’s moisture you can feel and see on tamed, hydrated hair from mid-shaft to ends. Extensions drink them up instantly. An added bonus is the line’s bespoke fragrance. The whiff of White Tea Flower reminiscent of fave boutique scents will be yet another reminder, in addition to lustrous locks, that this is a luxury beauty product worthy of the label. For the upcoming summer season, the Signature collection is available as a trio of Minis, perfectly proportioned to fit in carry on luggage.
For more targeted needs, Iles Formula Scalp + Body Exfoliant is a popular offering in the award-winning brand’s collection for a reason. Not only is it designed to multi-task, it’s salt and sugar-free. The dual exfoliation comes from rice bran husk and kiwi-derived AHAs. For an extra dose of hair health and nourishment, Hair Mask Haute Performance, with the addition of Japanese silk proteins and Australian nut oils, is recommended twice per month. For mature hair needs, the recently launched Grey Delay Booster harnesses the power of one’s DNA to prevent the dreaded greys and turn back the clock to one’s natural hair color. It pairs perfectly well with Scalp + Hair Rejuvenating Booster. daily on wet or dry hair, and the Signature Collection for a complete anti-aging and nourishing haircare regimen.
After weeks of breezing through my wash days and ever silkier, silicone-free blowouts, I was lucky enough to chat with female founder and CEO of Iles Formula, who worked as stylist to A-list celebrities and masterminded global campaigns for luxury fashion and beauty houses such as Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès. Below Wendy Iles shares her thoughts about summer trends, valuable lessons from being immersed in the beautysphere with real clients and deadlines, scouring the globe to source the best possible ingredients, all the ways she incorporates diversity into a clean beauty brand, and why Iles Formula is like a family to her.
Q&A
1. What trends should we expect in summer hair – styles, cuts and color? What do you expect to go viral?
The clean girl aesthetic that favors healthy, nurtured, natural hair is an ongoing trend which I see carrying on through the summer. Likewise, braids will be a big story this summer as well as micro bangs and bold bowl cuts. The wet hair look from the A/W 2023 catwalks will also definitely still continue to trend strongly this summer.
2. There’s no official designation for wellness or clean beauty – how do you define them personally and as an entrepreneur? (Is there an official designation for medical grade skincare?)
We are certified as a “Brand to Trust” by Positive Luxury and as “Cruelty Free” by Leaping Bunny. It’s something I’m proud of as clean and sustainability are tricky and challenging to achieve whilst maintaining super high performance in the world of haircare. We managed to do that.
3. The beauty and wellness industries are sometimes criticized for fostering women’s insecurities about their appearance and exploiting that insecurity for profit, while others see the beauty/wellness industry as empowering. Where do you fall in this debate?
As the founder of a nurture + repair led haircare brand, I see the beauty / wellness industry, and certainly Iles Formula, as one that empowers women and men. We provide solutions for consumers who have concerns or issues that are oftentimes deeply personal and emotional to them. For example, we recently received a review from a customer of our Scalp + Hair Rejuvenating Booster who had experienced hair loss due to medical treatments and hormonal issues. She shared that, having tried many other options, our drug-free, botanical treatment was the only one that worked and that her confidence was finally returning. The phenomenal reviews we receive across all formulas really is the wind beneath my wings.
4. Was your line born out of frustration with commercial products? Or were you motivated to address a specific need not addressed by most brands?
It was never my intention to be the founder of a haircare brand. I formulated my 3 original formulas; the Signature Shampoo, Conditioner and Finishing Serum for my personal use on the sets of all the editorial shoots and hair campaigns that I was booked for at the time. I needed formulas that would deliver instant results to repair the damaged hair that I often found in my chair, all without leaving any residue on the hair shaft. As any session stylist knows, you have one chance to get it right when working under the intense pressures of a professional photoshoot and I couldn’t find what I needed in the market, so it took me 3 years and my life savings and resulted in benchmark haircare.
5. What was your eureka moment, when you knew deep-down that it was the time in your life, and in the market, to start your own brand and make your own products?
The eureka moment to launch Iles Formula as a brand came via my celebrity clients, many of whom I met during my beauty campaign years. They often asked me to give them my special formulas to take home with them and I never had enough. Until one day, they grouped together and gave me enough orders to put a small batch into production to provide them each with enough product for a year. One of these sets, known today as the Signature Collection, landed in the hands of a leading store buyer and the rest as they say is history!
6. Do you have formal business training, such as an MBA, or a similar degree in chemistry? Or is your professional background mostly in the beautysphere?
I’ve worked as a hairstylist over the past 4 decades and my career has taken me right across every path that a stylist may encounter. Following my training in the UK under the late Vidal Sassoon, I initially started my career in hairdressing as a salon owner. From there, I discovered the world of editorial styling via my first shoot for Vogue Australia, which then led to the very international world of hair campaigns with some of the biggest hair care brands in the market. Nowadays, I continue to handle a handful of VIP celebrity clients with whom I work as much as my commitments for Iles Formula allow. I spend most of my time in R+D alongside our chemist, formulas that really make a difference. Honestly, there is no doubt in my mind that to produce outstanding haircare, you need to know and understand hair. In my case, live and breathe it. Much better than any MBA.
7. Is sustainability compatible with ROI and business growth?
Sustainability is certainly compatible with ROI and business growth. In fact, at the luxury end of the market in which we are positioned, the consumer now expects brands to not only use clean ingredients, but to also adopt sustainable practices. Therefore, it’s an absolute must in order to grow a brand.
8. When the next generation of women beauty entrepreneurs make themselves known, how will you help or support them?
Throughout my professional career, I’ve been amongst the company of a surprisingly large proportion of men. Therefore, whenever a new generation of female beauty entrepreneurs comes along, I am always keen to support them as much as possible. Whether that be by using my professional platforms to help share their message, or just to make myself available to any who may seek advice. I’ve been fortunate to receive the support of others and so it’s my responsibility to now play that forward.
9. What are your favorite brands, aside from your own?
I am a loyal consumer so my go-to’s for skincare are Vintner’s Daughter and Bioeffect. Both are clean and family-owned, female-founded brands whose values align with mine and deliver results.
10. Describe the moment when you first opened and tried your first, officially launched, product.
These were my private formulas for several years so I wholeheartedly believe in their performance. But the first time I ever saw Iles Formula produced in our beautiful packaging, was much like what a parent feels on their child’s first day at school. Undoubtedly a sense of immense pride and joy, knowing that these formulas which had been an instrumental part in my success as a hairstylist, were now being given their own wings to fly.
11. What product in your line are you most proud of? Describe the genesis of the product.
My favorite ‘child’ will always be our Signature Collection, the DNA of my brand. To this day, there’s nothing like it on the market and it’s the best way to experience the power of Iles Formula. These 3 original formulas; the Signature Shampoo, Conditioner and Finishing Serum, which were initially formulated for my personal use only on those editorial and beauty campaign sets, are now award winning and available in the most prestigious salon and stores around the world.
12. Where do you see or hope to see the beauty and wellness industry in a few years?
I think the beauty and wellness industries will continue to go from strength to strength in the coming years. Between consumer demand for an increasingly wider range of concerns and the technological innovations available to address them, I think it’s the most exciting industry which I love being a part of.
13. In addition to clean formulations and sustainable practices, diversity is one of the hottest trends in beauty and wellness. How does Iles Formula approach/embrace diversity?
Our core messaging from day one has been ‘for all ages, hair types and genders’. We were one of the very first to disrupt the otherwise heavily oversaturated haircare market in this way. We have 1 shampoo and 1 conditioner for all hair types because they are perfectly pH balanced and leave no residue on the hair, hence they work on every hair texture. Over the years, I have developed additional formulas to ensure that we continue to cater to the specific needs. For example, our award winning Scalp and Hair Rejuvenating Booster, a drug free, botanical formula, delivers spectacular results in hair growth.
14. It’s hard to believe that there are still skeptics out there about the benefits of dedicated, wellness-based skin and hair care regimens. How do you address that skepticism?
The proof is in the pudding! We made the decision early on to invest quite heavily in sampling because we have full confidence in the transformative power of our formulas. As Iles Formula grows, we do face skeptics, amongst both professional stylists and consumers too. However, there is nothing more gratifying than seeing their reaction once they try our formulas. It becomes an addiction, albeit a healthy and nurturing one!
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Read Part 1 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Glow Bar CEO HERE.
Read Part 2 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Uzima CEO HERE.
Read Part 3 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Kinship CEO HERE.
Read Part 4 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Raw Sugar Living CEO HERE.
Read Part 5 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Alchimie Forever CEO HERE.
Read Part 6 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Kindness Powered Skincaee CEO HERE.
Read Part 8 in the “Female Founders Q&A” series with the Blessed Bananas CEO HERE.
