We stepped into the sunflower fields of Dyson Farm to learn more about its latest hair-care launch
Dyson turns to farming ventures for inspiration for latest hair-care launch.
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The wide open faces of the sunflowers buzzed with big, chubby bees.
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We stepped into the sunflower fields of Dyson Farm to learn more about its latest hair-care launch Back to video
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As I leaned in to get a closer look at the blooms, I spotted the insects thrumming about as they collected pollen and nectar, some resting amid the task, on the generous expanse of flower face.
Originally introduced at the Dyson Farm in Lincolnshire, England, to promote biodiversity and pollination, the stalky, yellow flowers have become a focal point for recent growing innovation at the farm.
“One of the main challenges to scaling sunflowers to a commercial scale, in the U.K., is climate,” Ben Abell, head of agronomy at Dyson Farming, explains. “It relies on sunshine and temperature. It really wants average temperature through the growing season, 18 degrees (C), which can be difficult in the U.K.”
Sunflowers have generally been bred to thrive in different parts of the European continent where there is warmer weather and more sunshine. But, at this farming operation, the flowers are being bred for heartier genetics that can help them survive, and even thrive, in the cooler climate.
As the lead agronomist — or crop doctor — at the acreage, Abell is helping to drive the innovation around this particular plant.
“We’d be one of the larger growers, for sure,” Abell says of the expansive field of shoulder-high flowers we’re standing in. “Generally, sunflowers have been grown for the seed for the bird-food market. We’re the first to be growing it for oil in the U.K.”
Started in 2012, the Dyson Farming division is now considered to be one of the largest farming businesses in the country. It totals some 146 square kilometres of land across various locations.
A “new” commercial crop for the farming arm of the engineering giant, Dyson Farms is homing in on sunflowers for a specific purpose. And it’s called Omega.
While barley, potatoes, peas, maize and more are among the more common crops coming from the operation, the sunflower initiative is part of a full-circle ambition to introduce more natural ingredients into its hair-care range.
Dyson entered the beauty space with the release of the Supersonic hair dryer in 2016. Since then, the company has released several hair tools, as well as its first foray into hair products, the oyster mushroom-derived Chitosan range of pre- and post-styling creams, in August 2024.
The new Omega launch targets two primary hair concerns: heat protection and dryness. While company researchers, formulators and engineers were examining ways to address these common concerns, the Dyson Farming division brought sunflower oil to the table.
“We were, at that time, starting to study the crops,” says Justina Mejia-Montane, senior vice-president of Global Product Innovation at Dyson Beauty. “As the research was coming in for the sunflower seed oil, we recognized that it’s chock full of omega fatty acids, and that actually is an ingredient that is really beneficial for dry hair. So we started playing around with, how do we incorporate this into a formulation?”
They first had to develop a cosmetic-grade ingredient that could be used in a mass hair-care product. Then, they had to find the right mix of oils that could nourish strands, without weighing them down.
The formulators settled on a mix of seven oils: sunflower, Abyssinian, macadamia, sesame, corn, olive and avocado. Aside from the sunflower seed oil, which is sourced from the Dyson Farm, the other raw oil materials for the blend are primarily sourced form France, Mejia-Montane notes.
“We wanted a blend of different oils that would help to penetrate into the hair,” she says of the selection. “It was quite a bit of trial-and-error to figure out what was the right combination of the different oils that didn’t give you something that was too heavy and that they were all enhancing each other.”
In development for about two years, the launch features a leave-in conditioning spray and a hair oil.
Rather than rely on silicones, which are a common ingredient in many smoothing hair-care products that can feel heavy or greasy on strands, the Dyson team looked to find nourishing ingredients that boasted the conditioning benefits, along with heat protection.
“The team sought out to be able to find polymers. ‘What are some of those polymers that really helped to maintain the curl retention?,’ and that’s how we uncovered Chitosan,” Mejia-Montane explains. “And I would say that Omega is continuing on that story, because heat protection is something that continues to come up.”
With the new Omega products, the company now offers options for hydration, styling, heat protection and style retention. The Chitosan and Omega hair products are formulated to work both with Dyson and other heat-styling tools.
Mejia-Montane recommends applying the Omega leave-in spray — which she notes is “like a cloud of moisture on the hair” — on damp strands post-shower, then following with the Chitosan pre-styling cream for those who have hair that’s more resistant to styling techniques.
Heat styling would follow, and then a few drops of the Omega oil can be applied to add shine and provide a “humidity shield,” she notes. The Chitosan post-style serum could then be used to really lock in a style on more stubborn hair.
Dryness, a common hair concern that a Dyson study found one-in-three people worldwide deal with, can be caused by a variety of concerns including heat-treating, colouring, the environment, water hardness and more.
“We want to ensure that we’re kind of stress-testing it … so that it is able to solve the issue for consumers, no matter where they’re living in the world, or if they’re travelling as well,” Mejia-Montane says, noting the global testing Dyson carried out with the products before their release.
The beauty category, Mejia-Montane notes, has become a strong pillar for the business, which started with a home vacuum cleaner launched in May 1993. In 2022, Dyson invested half-a-billion GBP into hair-care research.
That number, executives say, offers an idea of the “size of the prize” they see within the beauty category.
“Beauty is quite a prominent part of the mix of business of the portfolio now,” Mejia-Montane says. “We’re giving the floor-care business a run for their money. And we’re close to 50, 50 at this point. So, we’re really getting up there.”
Postmedia News was a guest of Dyson in England. The brand neither reviewed nor approved this article.
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