The First Shampoo I Ever Made—and Why I Changed It
When I made my first shampoo formula more than 20 years ago, I knew exactly what I wanted it to smell and feel like.
I was thinking about that old Fabergé Organics Wheat Germ Oil & Honey Shampoo—the one Heather Locklear famously advertised. If you're of a certain age, you probably remember it.
My version was called simply HoneyBlossom.
It came in a little plastic bottle and, just like the shampoo that inspired it, I formulated it with wheat germ oil and honey.
It was a good formula.
But I didn't stop there.
I wanted more from the ingredients
As Flourish grew, so did the way I thought about formulation.
I wanted to incorporate more botanicals, particularly ingredients that connected the formulas to the plants and landscape around me here in Vermont.
And once I started looking more closely at what I wanted those ingredients to do, I had to get much more specific.
That was especially true of protein.
“Contains protein” wasn't good enough for me.
Different proteins have different properties. They can change the way hair feels and behaves. I wanted to understand why I was choosing one rather than another—and what job I was actually asking it to perform in a formula.
So I studied them individually.
That research eventually became one of the principles I still use when I formulate Flourish hair care today: I choose individual proteins deliberately rather than adding a blend of proteins simply so I can put “protein” on the label.
Then I had to choose the botanicals
When I began upgrading HoneyBlossom, clover seemed obvious.
Honey + clover.
Of course.
But I was working with an herbalist at the time, and she suggested marshmallow root instead.
She described the difference in a way I've never forgotten.
Clover was lighter and more energetic.
Marshmallow was soothing and coating. It felt more like a hug.
For a shampoo, that made sense to me.
And HoneyBlossom + Marshmallow Root began to become the formula it is today.
A formula isn't finished just because you sell it
This may be one of the biggest differences between being a formulator and simply developing a product to put on a shelf.
I have formulas I've made for years.
That doesn't mean I stop thinking about them.
Customers ask questions. New ingredients become available. I learn something new. I notice something about the way an ingredient behaves. And sometimes I realize I can make an old formula better.
HoneyBlossom has grown up alongside Flourish.
What started as a little bottle of shampoo inspired by something I remembered from years ago became a formula shaped by decades of formulation experience, botanical research, conversations with customers—and even one very good conversation about clover and marshmallow.
Meet today's HoneyBlossom
HoneyBlossom + Marshmallow Root Shampoo
Gentle cleansing with the formula that started it all.
HoneyBlossom + Marshmallow Root Conditioner
The companion conditioner for softness and manageability.
HoneyBlossom UV + Heat Protectant Mist
A particularly good September add-on: heat styling + lingering summer UV exposure.
Not sure HoneyBlossom is your formula? FIND YOUR HAIR ROUTINE →
And if you love our shampoo, be sure to tell two friends.
And they'll tell two friends.
And so on.
And so on.