Vogue Studio with Chiara

Five Vogue readers with Chiara Scudieri to talk about what worries us most about our hair.

Worried about your hair health? Chiara Scudieri, I.C.O.N. co-founder, reveals tips for a great hair.

Together with five Vogue readers, we chatted with the co-founder and creative director of the hair beauty brand at an exclusive event that has already changed the life of our hair.

If you had the chance to sit down and talk to one of the world’s leading hair care experts, what would you ask her? It seems impossible to choose just one question – after all, hair care is what we have most questions about – so we’re going to ask them all. We invited Chiara Scudieri, co-founder and artistic director of I.C.O.N., to talk about everything that concerns us and to get a sneak preview, along with five Vogue readers, of the new products of the INDIA line that have just been relaunched.

«The inspiration came in my trip to India in 2010, I was very into the practice of Yoga and wanted to know more about the culture and Ayurveda. I had tried it at a spa in Los Angeles, and as the oil fell on my body and hair I felt a peace I had never felt before,» Chiara explained in the meeting with Vogue readers how the first product of the INDIA line was born in 2012, a nourishing, non-greasy oil based on her experience with Ayurveda. «Then I noticed that my hair had a lot of shine but it was very weighed down.» So the creator of I.C.O.N. did what she loves best: researching how to pass on that magical blend of argan and moringa seed to create one of the brand’s most beloved hair products, INDIA Oil.

Now we have coco complex, the star ingredient that makes the conditioner a super moisturizing treatment, and black walnut, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that provides elasticity and is part of the shampoos. The INDIA line offers two types of shampoos: the cleansing shampoo, which nourishes while maintaining hair strength, and the moisturizing shampoo, perfect for dry hair. And now the eternal question arises: how often should we wash our hair? Chiara is clear: it’s not so much a question of frequency as of using the right products. She recommends washing two to three times a week and alternating different types of shampoos to get more than one benefit.

But there are no benefits if the hair is not healthy. That’s what Chiara’s work is all about, achieving shine, elasticity or strength from the start. It makes sense, after all, the INDIA line is inspired by Ayurveda, a system of traditional medicine. «Our goal is to take care of the scalp, rather than to get the benefits on the hair, because when you have a healthy scalp, the hair grows strong.» A healthy hair can only start from the scalp: «You have to give it the same importance because you have to nourish the follicle.» The trick is to massage this area with the product – something like feeding it with nutrients – and for the rest of the hair it will be enough to let the excess shampoo fall on it with the movement of the water. And although we seem to have it ingrained in us that masks and conditioners should only be applied from mid-lengths to ends, Chiara recommends dabbing a small amount of product with your fingers in this area. Not with a direct amount, but with what we have left in our hands.

No time to treat your hair with the mask? Chiara has an infallible trick that also solves a bad hair day: apply the mask on wet hair in the morning, put your hair in a ponytail or bun – the INDIA line will protect you from breakage – and leave it on all day until you can rinse it out when you get home. For a double effect, after rinsing also apply the conditioner, as it will work as a sealer, maintaining the properties of the mask. This can be applied once or twice a week without fear of weighing hair down because all the combinations of I.C.O.N. ingredients, between the natural and the laboratory, are conceived to bring out the best of both parts and achieve only the benefits we desire.

And not only benefits our hair health. All Chiara’s creations respond to a holistic concept of beauty, so we not only improve the appearance of our hair but also live a unique experience through self-care. «The fragrance, made up of cinnamon, clove and amber, embraces you, and has a soothing sensation that brings you benefits,» and manages to recreate, along with the packaging, a spa feeling without leaving home. Because luxury is not found in excess but in our well-being.

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