When it comes to hair, Miriam Quevedo knows a thing or two about the most luxurious ways to care for your tresses. As a pioneer of the “Skinification of Hair” movement, the Spanish hair care guru believes that you should treat your locks with the same level of care that you give to your face.
We tend to forget that our skin doesn’t end at our foreheads, it extends up to form our scalps, and as Quevedo says “the same factors that affect the ageing of our faces also affect our hair and scalp.” It was this unique concept that drove her to launch her eponymous brand in 2005, utilising the most precious active ingredients that nature and science have to offer. I caught up with her recently to find out more about her innovative approach and the cutting edge technology behind her new Black Baccara line.
Luxury Anti-Ageing Hair Care
For years, your brand has been using anti-ageing ingredients and focusing on specific concerns. Finally, the rest of the industry is catching up! What made you take this approach to begin with, when no other brands were doing the same?
I always had thick, very frizz hair, that lacked silkiness, and in the past it was very long which meant that it needed extra care. I had a very hard time finding products that really suited me and I became frustrated with what was being offered on the market. I began to wonder if I could create an anti-ageing cream for my hair and scalp as I had done for skin. So I decided to work on a range made specially for scalp and hair, as a continuation of the skincare collection based on caviar and applying the same philosophy: luxury anti-ageing treatments.
You use a lot of unconventional ingredients in your range, which ones really make the biggest difference to hair health?
My passion is mixing the world’s most precious ingredients to create treatments that address different hair concerns; using powerful concentrations with high-tech peptides, organic botanical blends and biotechnology to combat the signs of ageing, restore radiance and offer long-term protection.
Black Baccara is our latest collection developed with Fresh Rose Stems Cells to improve vitality and prevent premature ageing. The highly concentrated products not only stimulate growth and prevent hair loss at the cellular level, but they also reverse fibre damage. They contain 100% natural and vegetable-based keratin which increases strength and elasticity, protecting against damage from harsh salon processes, environmental aggressors and oxidative stress. It improves manageability and leaves hair looking shinier and healthier.
Should you change your hair care products from season to season?
Yes, always! Our scalp tells us what it needs and those needs will change with each new season. It’s OK to keep using your favourite products, but I would recommend to change the shampoo at the very least according to your scalp needs.
The Perfect Routine
Can you walk us through the ideal routine? What products do you recommend for warmer climates?
In the Middle East for example, due the poor water quality, overexposure to sun, humidity, pollution or the wearing of the hijab, it’s important to sanitise and oxygenate the scalp, and to provide extra nourishment and protection to prevent dehydration and dullness.
The perfect sequence of a hair ritual is like a facial:
First, I’d recommend a detox once a week using our Extreme Caviar Exfoliating Scrub Scalp Mask and the Extreme Caviar Purifying Charcoal Shampoo to eliminate residue which accumulates day to day.
Then, the Black Baccara complete collection is ideal, always use shampoo, mask and serum. It will reverse signs of ageing and protect against all the usual aggressors: pollution, stress, chemical treatments, hair colour etc.
If you are overexposed to sun, I recommend applying one of our hair oils such as the Sublime Gold Oil or Precious Elixir which are infused with vitamins, proteins and antioxidants that renew the natural glow of your hair.
One of my secret weapons for healthy hair is our Shock Treatments. For our Middle Eastern clientele, I suggest our Extreme Caviar Bio-Regenerative Shock Treatment Vitamin Reinforcing that boosts the scalp with a potent cocktail of vitamins to restore vitality and extreme shine of healthy hair.
What’s the biggest mistake that people make with their hair?
Not washing your hair properly is the most common mistake. It’s very important to choose your shampoo according to your scalp type; and of course, to apply the shampoo on the scalp as well, not just on the lengths. I would also suggest considering the double cleanse technique: applying your shampoo twice. You could even choose two different shampoos if you have different needs to address. Proper hygiene is the foundation of a healthy routine.
Does application technique affect the efficacy of products?
Absolutely! But not only the application technique: the quantity also affects the efficiency. With our products, less is more. The secret is to activate the product in your hands first and then distribute it correctly. Also, many people think that a mask should be applied only to the middle of the hair shaft to the ends, but our potent formulas can also be used on the scalp to deliver the necessary nutrients the heart of the follicle.
