Flow Vice President Brand Marketing, Roz McVean, is very happy to be going against the flow with the launch of new professional hair care brand, Flow. “It is a rare opportunity to be able to introduce completely new technology to the professional hair care industry,” McVean says. McVean answered questions posed by MODERN SALON about Flow’s proprietary technology and how they how to introduce Flow to the pro hairdresser and salon industry.

MS: Please provide a brief brand overview.

M: Flow is a new professional hair care brand that is changing the way product performance is perceived and experienced. Featuring the industry’s first Dynamic Technology System called H5 Architecture, Flow products deliver a new sense of radiant shine, concentrated treatment and lightweight movement to the hair with zero processing time.

 The Flow line up consists of 14 stylist-focused products that include nourishing cleanse and conditioning systems, fortifying treatments and prep options, and versatile styling solutions. With environmental consciousness at heart, Flow products are sustainably manufactured and sulfate, sodium chloride, paraben, formaldehyde donor, and cruelty free.

MS: What is H5 Architecture?

RM:  H5 Architecture is the foundation to all Flow products.  It is a dynamic system of five unique technologies that are customized within each product to maximize performance and provide immediate, noticeable results. 

 The secret of H5 Architecture is Hyaline Water, which is naturally-sourced and pharmaceutically purified by Flow. The crystalline purity of Hyaline Water eliminates the need for unnecessary ingredients that are typically required to offset the effects of less pure water alternatives. These additives can weigh hair down, decrease performance and dilute the delivery of key ingredients to the hair.  Hyaline Water, on the other hand, ensures the maximum benefit of each ingredient used by flow is delivered directly to the hair and scalp immediately, providing concentrated treatment and exponentially increasing performance.

H5 Architecture doesn’t stop at Hyaline Water.  H5 Architecture’s four Precision Infusion Technologies work synergistically and are tailored to enhance each product’s effectiveness. Together, they incorporate 11 key ingredients derived from natural plant extracts and hydrolyzed vegetable proteins to replenish moisture, restore vitality, protect color, optimize scalp health and control frizz.  

 MS: Why did you decide the industry needed another hair care line?

RM: There is always a need and space in the marketplace for true innovation, however, to succeed in today’s salon world it takes a lot more than revolutionary product performance to resonate with stylists, distributors and consumers.

 That’s where the Flow team and philosophy come into play. We operate with a steadfast focus on partnership, collaboration and meaningful connection across all levels of business. We are directly engaged with our distributors, salons, stylists and consumers alike.  We challenge ourselves to exceed industry standards by pushing boundaries and being passionately involved at a granular level.  In our view, the way to build staying power in an industry that demands change is to engage, listen, adapt and repeat. 

MS: How are you reaching the hairdresser?

RM: Not only do we directly participate with salons and stylists, we also inspire through education. Flow Craft Advancement is led by our Artistic Director, Lindsey Feurer and is wholly inspired by the collaborative expertise of the Flow Style Team. Class, demo and workshop curriculums are specifically developed with today’s stylist in mind, ensuring that any stylist, at any level, can immerse themselves the flow experience and creatively explore who they want to be.  In addition, we are actively focused on creating imagery, trend inspirations and how-tos that keep hairdressers connected with us.

MS: How is flow distributed? Where do you seem the most future potential?  

 RM: As an entrepreneurial salon-only brand, we have established distribution with like-minded partners. Flow is currently available across Canada and in select U.S. markets, with national U.S. expansion planned through 2017.  While we do have a long term global vision, we strongly believe that that our greatest potential is right here, in our own back yard. It is a very exciting time to be a new brand and we are looking forward to all that lies ahead.

MS: What does it mean to be “sustainably manufactured”?

RM: Many brands today are embracing sustainability but typically do not manufacture their products within their own facilities.  More often than not, production is outsourced.  While brands may employ sustainable practices outside of manufacturing, outsourcing can limit the ability to prioritize sustainability during the manufacturing process itself, which is actually the aspect that has the largest impact on the environment. Flow products are sustainably manufactured within our own, state-of-the- art LEED Silver Certified production facility. This means that the building itself has been meticulously constructed to meet stringent environmental requirements. It also means that the processes that are involved with manufacturing Flow products have been specifically designed to drastically minimize carbon footprint. For example, Hyaline Water is naturally sourced from our own aquafer and is not drawn from a city source or ‘the grid.’ This means that we are not drawing from or burdening city sources as H5 Architecture is made.  We then take the runoff or grey water that is a natural by-product of all product manufacturing and run it back through our facility where it is re-used, further minimizing impact. These are just two examples of several key differences that truly sustainable manufacturing can make towards environmental stewardship and that Flow products represent. That’s why at Flow, we can honestly say that sustainability is at the heart of all that we do.