Ales Groupe harnesses power of botanicals to enhance beauty

Legendary hairstylist Patrick Alès thought of creating a gentler hair-care product in 1965 when he saw how shampoo chemicals damaged the hands of salon workers. Alès then spent many years studying plants and harnessing the power of active botanical ingredients in his Paris salon, which still stands today.

A pioneer in the use of plant ingredients in the beauty industry, Alès developed the French botanical hair-care line Phyto, which has been healing and maintaining healthy scalps and locks since 1969.

The renowned hairdresser is also the genius behind premier aesthetic medicine brand Lierac, luxury perfume Caron and professional hair-care line Ducastel Laboratory. Together, these top-selling French brands compose the Alès Groupe.

"We bring something different to the market," says Raphaël Yousri, president and director of Alès Groupe. "Our whole business is not just based on a trend or a marketing campaign. Our company is anchored on more than 50 years of research and development (R&D), and science-backed belief in the healing capabilities of botanical ingredients."

With R&D at its core, Alès Groupe manufactures all of its products in France using only natural ingredients. To this day, it continues to sell some of its original offerings such as Phyto 7, a daily hydrating cream that has been nourishing dry hair for more than 40 years. Phyto 7 contains seven plant extracts that help maintain the hair's optimum hydration level, making it healthy, supple and shiny without weighing it down.