I had always envisioned that when I got my first gray hair, I would wholeheartedly embrace going gray. I also thought I would be a lot older when that happened. But, as it turns out, life had other plans. I started getting gray hairs a few years ago at the ripe old age of 27. And I surely wasn’t happy about that. Rather than letting them be, I did everything in my power to hide them. Yes, that meant plucking them, even though I’m fully aware I shouldn’t have done it. What? My options were limited and I didn’t really have much of a choice. That is, until, I was introduced to Arey (pronounced a-ray).
An appropriately-timed email made its way to my inbox highlighting the brand’s gray-preventing shampoo and conditioner. You better believe I got my hands on those products ASAP to try them and get to know all about their preventative system. Scroll below for everything you need to know!
(Image Source: Inspire the Now)
The Science and Story Behind Arey
As with many hair and beauty companies these days, Arey was birthed from a personal problem. When co-founder Allison Conrad started going gray, she was frustrated at the inability to really do anything other than cover her grays up with color. “I was doing all the anti-aging things—wearing sunscreen, using wrinkle cream, exercising—but there really wasn’t anything for hair,” Conrad tells me over a call. Then, she confided in her hairstylist-turned-business partner, Jay Small, to come up with a solution.
(Image Source: Inspire the Now)
“Allison was initially coming to me as a haircutting client, but wanted to make the transition to color when she noticed grays coming in,” he starts. “I’m always a bit hesitant for people to start coloring grays early, just because that means you have to do it frequently. Plus, it could be damaging to the hair and there are a ton of other factors to consider. So, Allison and I kind of took it upon ourselves to find a more proactive solution to that.”
And just like that, Arey was born. But, what about Arey’s products allows them to prevent and possibly repigment gray hair? Science. “All hair strands come from our hair follicle just below the scalp,” shares Small. “Vitamins and minerals help support a litany of functions, so imagine them as the fuel and the key in the ignition. And when you go into topicals, that’s where the peptide is delivering amino acids to the follicle, which then get converted by the body into keratin, elastin, or collagen,” he adds. “So that makes our product formula helpful for color but also helpful for strength of hair density, and then general oil production so that we don’t see a dry scalp or too much stress.”
When it comes to repigmentation by the products, both Jay and Allison stress that it will vary from case to case. If you have an entire head of white hair, your chances are low that you will see repigmentation, if any at all. Most importantly, Arey is designed to give you healthier hair and aid you on your journey in taking better care of your strands.
“The hope is that consumers become better educated about their haircare choices, allowing them to feel in control of their future hair,” Small shares. “Arey was created to solve a problem that I was presented with too many times as a stylist: ‘What can I do to stop gray hair?’ As a stylist, I offered color to cover up gray hair as it grew, but this was likely to make more gray hair with every application. Being able to educate clients about how gray hair is more within our control than we previously realized allows me to truly help people solve this inevitable problem,” says Small. “Hair color should be a choice not a necessity, and using it should help you express your style, not hide what your body is trying to tell you.”
The Products
Arey’s products provide a proactive approach to dealing with gray hairs. Allison found that genetics only make up 30 percent of why hair turns gray and the other 70 percent is all within our control. This is where Arey’s gray-preventing products come in to save the day. Known for being “the wrinkle cream of haircare,” the brand’s current products are designed to be used together to prevent your strands from aging. Both Conrad and Small share that in order to get the most out of these products, they should be used as a complete system.
Not Today, Grey: $45.33
Not Today, Grey is a daily supplement and Arey’s first-ever product “that supports hair health from within, supplying vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to the body,” says Small. He goes on to explain why the blend of antioxidants is critical for maintaining hair health.
“These are key resources that target the fundamental needs of hair growth, helping pigment, density, and strength. Oxidative stress is a key factor in why hair ages, whether the body was exposed to smoking, pollution, hair color, or UV rays. Our proprietary blend of antioxidants is formulated for their ability to combat free radicals which are a result of oxidative stress and take up space for vitamin and mineral storage in the body.”
(Image Source: Areygrey.com)
Wash Shampoo: $48
This shampoo was designed with skincare in mind. “It will not over-cleanse or strip hair strands, and it’s recommended to be used as a daily cleanser and before or after hair color services,” notes Small. He shares that it “is a gentle cleanser that delivers Arey’s complex formula of antioxidants and peptides to your shampoo routine, designed to be massaged into the scalp and left to absorb for three-to-five minutes.”
(Image Source: Areygrey.com)
Smooth Conditioner: $32
The secret to shiny, soft hair is here and it’s not just surface level. “Smooth is a conditioner that approaches the process from the inside and out, drawing and retaining moisture in the cortex of the hair strand and leaving a delicate barrier on the cuticle to protect from environmental stressors and smooth the strand,” shares Small. “It’s designed to help hair that is coarse, dry, or brittle due to age, health, chemical, and/or environmental exposure.”
(Image Source: Areygrey.com)
To the Root: $54.66
To the Root is a topical serum formulated to reduce signs of aging hair, while offering healthy hair in the process. Small mentions that its “complex formula of antioxidants is designed to help To The Root absorb into the scalp, delivering a clinically-effective peptide that stimulates cell production.”
“This peptide delivers amino acids that are used by the body to make keratin, elastin, and collagen. These proteins are essential in the protection and production of all hair strands producing pigment, density, and strength,” Small adds.
(Image Source: Areygrey.com)
Live in Mist: $36
Arey recently launched the Live in Mist, which is a lightweight leave-in conditioner that protects the hair from harmful UV rays. Not only can it be used on wet hair before detangling on styling, but it can also be used on dry hair to rehydrate and refresh between wash days.
(Image Source: Areygrey.com)
My Experience With Arey
I was set up with the Wash Shampoo, Smooth Conditioner, and Not Today, Grey supplements. I am a sucker for supplements, so I started there because they don’t require much effort on my part. I polished off the bottle of supplements in about a month and have been using the shampoo and conditioner for about a month and a half now. Arey notes that within the first month of using their products, you’ll notice a healthier scalp and it takes about four months of continued use to see noticeably less gray hair growth and possible repigmentation.
Though it’s only been about 90 days, I’ve already noticed fewer gray hairs popping up compared to before. I should also add that repigmentation hasn’t happened just yet, so the gray hairs I had before I started using Arey (which you can see in the photo below, on the left) are still visible.
Surprisingly, what I loved most about the wash products was their scent. The non-synthetic fragrance was earthy, herbaceous, and totally relaxing—I found myself actually looking forward to washing my hair (something I don’t experience often) just to get a whiff of the shampoo and conditioner.
And overall, my hair does feel a lot healthier. I’ve even noticed that my scalp is a lot less oily between wash days. The verdict? Big fan.