David Chung Heads Into Hair Care With The Rootist
The brand will debut at Sephora this month with six products.
David Chung is getting back in the beauty brand game.
The founder of Farmacy, which sold to Procter & Gamble in 2021, has unveiled a new venture. Called The Rootist, the hair care brand is entering the market via full distribution in Sephora with six products. It will launch on Sephora's website on Tuesday before rolling out to stores on Feb. 23.
Phase one will include cleansing products, a dry shampoo, two treatment serums and a pre-shampoo wash. Prices range from $26 to $48.
The brand derives its name from its hero ingredient, a patent-pending compound called Rootbiomic Ferment. That ingredient, which entails eight different botanicals and prebiotics, postbiotics and parabiotics, supports scalp root and hair health. Since the shampoo and conditioner are waterless, a single use only requires half the usual amount of product, Chung said.
“We want to talk about this as the kombucha of hair care,” Chung said. “Every product that we bring out has clinical studies done. Our advantage is our own in-house teams that we tap into.”
Chung was referring to his other role, that as founder and chief executive officer of contract manufacturer Innovation Labs Inc. and Morae Packaging.
“What took a long time was the formulation,” said Chung of formulating The Rootist. “For reference, it took more than 60 lab samples. It took a lot of manpower to stabilize and perfect.”
Industry sources expect the brand to reach $20 million in retail sales for its first year on the market.
Although Chung is focused on the U.S., the brand's marketing efforts will be global at launch and will focus around consumer education and the products' clinical underpinnings, as well as proper usage.
“The majority of hair care is 500 milliliters and 90 percent water,” Chung said. “Because there's no water in this formula, we need to educate consumers to only use a little. We have to figure out how to change their habits to only use a small amount of products. That's a big challenge.”
The marketing strategy involves social media, traditional PR, influencer and other channels. “We go global, as far as marketing is concerned,” Chung said. “We may not be in global distribution channels yet, but we're going to invest tremendously in that area. If no one knows about it, no one's going to use it.”
He has a few key geographies in mind — after he conquers the brand's home market.
“In the U.S. and North America, we're going to focus on Sephora and building community to build demand. We're pouring all of our energy into this market,” Chung said. “But we are also looking ahead for international expansion like Europe, Asia and the Middle East.”
Prestige hair care is still a bright spot in beauty. Circana reports 15 percent growth in the category for the third quarter. “With its proprietary Rootbiomic Ferment, The Rootist offers highly concentrated, clean formulas that support healthy, strong and balanced hair,” said Jennifer Lucchese, vice president of hair care merchandising, Sephora. “We look forward to introducing the brand and know that it will be a valuable addition to our growing hair care assortment.”