the strand

the inside scoop on amika:
brooklyn lifestyle, all things hair.
debunking product myths +
serving look inspo, one strand at a time.

all hair is welcome; celebrating friendship, inclusion, and diversity with amika

Hi there! We wanted to take a moment to reintroduce ourselves. We’re amika, and it’s important that you know you have a friend in us. We're a collective of curious creatives, salon bred stylists, chemists, and product enthusiasts who want to share our love of haircare with every one of you beautiful beings!  

amika is known for fun, approachable packaging and high-performance products, but we were missing a brand message that clearly articulated our purpose. Now more than ever, people want to support brands who share their values while still meeting their requirements for product efficacy, customer experience and accessibility,” states Chelsea Riggs, amika’s brand president. “Although amika has evolved immensely since its inception in 2007, our DNA hasn’t changed. The essence of the brand being for everyone and celebrating self-expression came from the foundation of being ‘outsiders’ to the beauty industry. In our case, being a friend meant creating a platform where everyone felt 100% welcome and at ease to be themselves. We cut through the noise by being straightforward and championing positivity, realness and fun. By clarifying who we are, we aim to continue attracting like-minded people, whether that’s customers, employees or business partners, and will give everyone that interacts with the brand a renewed sense of purpose to ensure that all are welcome, always.” 

Now that you’ve seen what we’re all about, lets break it down: 

amika means friend

The name amika means friend in the language Esperanto and is a symbol of our belief in power of community and the beauty of diversity. This means we make every decision through the lens of being a friend. We use this guiding light to bring amika to life, but our commitment to being a friend doesn’t stop at you; we’re also a friend to the planet. We’re working hard to go cleaner and greener. Starting in 2021, we will begin to switch to using 90% post-consumer recycled plastics in our bottles, reducing our virgin plastic production. Our products are cruelty-free, leaping bunny certified, and packed full of super ingredients sans the nasties like sulfates, parabens, phthalates, + more. We're a friend to all, which means we’re always willing to lend a helping hand. We donate 1% of sales to causes near and dear to our hearts such as NAACP, HairToStay, Black Lives Matter, Know Your Rights Camp, + PBA Covid-19 Relief Fund. 

brooklyn born + salon raised

Brooklyn-born + salon-raised, we celebrate our heritage by bending rules that don’t make sense and pushing beauty boundaries. In Brooklyn, creativity and culture are a way of life, and we take inspiration from our surroundings- did you see our holiday packaging this year? It's an ode to all things Brooklyn, from pigeons to pizza! The brand may have been born in Brooklyn, but it was brought to life in the salon. That means all our haircare and tools are effective, high performing, and kind to your strands. But don’t worry, you don’t need to be a stylist to get the most out of our products. We make sure you get salon level results at home by only using the highest quality ingredients- ever heard of sea buckthorn? This superfruit is one of the few plant sources of the fatty-acid omega 7, responsible for increasing the production of elastin and collagen, making it the holy grail for all things scalp and hair health, and it’s the signature ingredient in all our products.  

all hair is welcome!

Here at amika, all hair is welcome. Seven years ago, we started with 6 products, and now our lineup includes 10 unique collections with various strengths to ensure we encompass different hair types, textures, and styles. Our products repair, hydrate, tone, care for your curls and color, style and more- there’s bound to be a collection for you! 

Not only do have products for all types of hair, but we celebrate and showcase hair from every walk of life. We are committed to championing diversity in all aspects of brand so that everyone will feel welcome.  

As always, if you need us, we’re here for you! Reach out to us via live chat, slide into our Instagram DMs, or leave a comment. We're proud to be your friend and will continue to work hard so that you’re proud of us.  

@amika