One of ColorProof CEO Jim Markham’s top goals as a product developer has been to keep things clean. Clean in the sense of using as few additives and unnecessary ingredients as possible, while still producing an outstanding product.

His journey started with Sebring and Markham products in the ’70s, followed by ABBA products, which he created using healthy botanicals. An “aha” moment occurred when he launched Pureology, now owned by L’Oréal Professional Products. “Before my wife Cheryl and I created Pureology, we had a friend who had cancer,” Markham says. “We were shocked when she gave us a list of haircare and cosmetic ingredients her oncologist advised her to avoid. She asked us to create products that didn’t contain any of these ingredients, which eventually led to our clean, carcinogen-free, sulfate-free formulas.”

As product formulation technology evolved, Markham was able to create even cleaner formulas when he launched ColorProof.

“By then Cheryl had also been diagnosed with cancer, which motivated me to develop formulas that were as additive-free as current technology allowed,” Markham says. “So the existing 50 ColorProof products are as clean possible.”

But product developers are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest, and with the new ColorProof SuperSheer Clean Shampoo and Conditioner, Markham believes he’s achieved a new level of clean products that are also effective. SuperSheer is all about free—they’re free of silicones, sulfates, fragrance, paraben, paba, mineral oil, coal tar, keratin and formaldehyde. The formulas are 100% vegan. And they’re powered with natural bio-actives that support ColorProof’s mission to protect hair color while performing like champs.

“SuperSheer lathers well, it feels light on the hair, it leaves hair soft and shiny,” he says. “It performs.” The holy grail for “clean” products is being allowed to claim they are hypo-allergenic and with SuperSheer, Markham believes they are close. “We’re testing now and so far it has passed all the tests,” he says. “There is so much demand among clients and hairstylists for hypo-allergenic formulas. How many times do you see stylists with red, irritated hands from shampooing hair all day?”

The sulfate-free formulations Markham created for Pureology were game changers—they protected hair and hair color like never before. With SuperSheer, Markham thinks he has another industry first. “It meets so many needs—for ingredient-aware consumers, individuals with allergies, people with cancer, and hair color clients who want to preserve their color,” he says.

And it’s just the beginning. “We’re already working on more SuperSheer formulas,” Markham says. “This is the future. It’s a whole new category.”