Priyanka Chopra Wants You to Approach Haircare Like Your Skincare Routine

The actress and entrepreneur explains why she encourages people to mix and match Anomaly's products.

Beauty Boss: Priyanka Chopra
Photo: Getty Images/InStyle

Your skin doesn't have the same needs every day, and neither does your hair. That's why Priyanka Chopra wants to you to listen to what your hair wants.

This makes perfect sense, considering that Anomaly, her new haircare brand available exclusively at Target, doesn't make matching sets of shampoo and conditioners. Instead, the actress and entrepreneur encourages consumers to create their own unique product combinations based on their hair concerns on any given day.

For example, if your hair looks frizzy one morning, why not swap your go-to shampoo for a smoothing formula? Then, after a week of styling your hair with a ton of products, you might need a clarifying shampoo to get rid of that extra buildup, and so on.

"I like to mix and match, but I also don't like being told what to do," Chopra Jonas tells InStyle. "I want to give credit to the intelligence of people who know their hair and what it needs."

Anomaly is launching with eight products. The assortment includes three shampoos, three conditioners, a treatment mask, and one styling product: dry shampoo.

Chopra Jonas partnered with beauty incubator Maesa to create the line, focusing on clean, vegan, cruelty-free formulas that perform and come in sustainably-sourced, recyclable packaging. Accessibility was also important to the star. Every product in the line is just $6.

We caught up with Chopra Jonas to find out why she wanted to enter the beauty business, the importance of including the word "trash" on Anomaly's packaging, her go-to products from the line, and more.

What made you want to get into the beauty business?

It was an organic process. I started investing in companies, including Bumble, which I brought to India, and The Well in New York. Then, I got interested in the business side of the beauty industry. I've been in the chair almost every single day for several years of my life, and have seen and used almost every single beauty product because all of the different makeup artists and hairstylists I work with use different things on me.

Haircare has always stayed personal to me because what I do in my bathroom affects my hair. No matter how much hairspray someone else puts in my hair, if it doesn't feel healthy, then you can't really doing anything about it. I wanted to find the gap in the market. For me, that was the lack of environmentally conscious haircare products with superior formulas and affordable price points. This trifecta is really important to me. You see it in skincare, but not so much in haircare.

Why was it important to create clean formulas and use sustainable packaging?

When I was a teenager, I remember going to Target to try to find products for my hair. I wanted to use products that were vegan and made with clean ingredients instead of things like sulfates. All of these products I wanted to use were extremely expensive — in the double digits — and I didn't have access to them for a very long time. That experience really made me think because it shouldn't be so hard for everyone to access something that's good for their hair. Secondly, as soon as I joined the beauty business, I realized how much waste the industry creates and its large carbon footprint. I think the beauty industry needs to take responsibility for that. Our bottles are made from 100% recycled trash from landfills and oceans, and they can be recycled all over again.

It was really important for me to actually say "100% plastic trash" on the bottles because we're so proud to say it was made from trash. I knew it was going to be a huge part of the messaging, but it's also highlighting the fact that even though we used recycled plastic trash, the bottles still look beautiful and stand out in the haircare aisle because they don't scream gender or labels. The bottle caps actually only cost three cents to make. Because we spent so little on the packaging, we had a massive budget to focus on creating superior formulas.

Beauty Boss: Priyanka Chopra
Courtesy

Why did you not include matching product sets in the line?

I like to mix and match, but I also don't like being told what to do. I want to give credit to the intelligence of people who know their hair and what it needs. Every day is different. We can't just say that because you have thin hair, these two products are going to take care of the temperamental nature of your hair — it's not going to happen.

How did you incorporate your South Asian heritage into the brand?

India definitely uses plants and a lot of natural beauty. This is why we have eucalyptus, charcoal, and rosemary in the formulas. We've used a lot of natural product within the line that provide nourishment to your hair. It was very crucial to me to incorporate the natural elements that nature has provided us.

VIDEO: Priyanka Chopra Jonas On Making It In The U.S. and Blending Two Cultures

What are your go-to products from the line? How do you like to use them?

Usually, I use the Hydrating Shampoo and the Smoothing Conditioner. My hair is typically on the drier side and I'm in the chair so much that I constantly have products in my hair and I'm getting it blow-dried almost every day. The Hydrating Shampoo is really helpful; it doesn't strip my hair of all the necessary nutrients. My hair gets frizzy sometimes and the Smoothing Conditioner just puts it back in place. I can air dry my hair and it falls like I blow-dried it. Every time I use it and I air dry my hair, it shocks me. Those are my two go-tos, but I also try to use the Deep Conditioning Treatment Mask at least twice a week because it just makes my hair feel so soft and well-taken care of. It's like a spa day for your hair.

Shop Anomaly Haircare Products

Volume Conditioner

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Anomaly Haircare
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Whether you have fine hair or simply want extra lift at the roots, this lightweight hydrating conditioner adds body, thanks to bamboo and rice water.

To shop: $6; target.com

Smoothing Conditioner

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Anomaly Haircare
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Chopra Jonas swears by Anomaly's Smoothing Conditioner when she wants to air dry her hair without it getting frizzy. The formula is infused with nourishing argan oil and quinoa for soft, silky hair.

To shop: $6; target.com

Deep Conditioning Treatment Mask

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Anomaly Haircare
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For an extra shot of hydration, treat hair with Anomaly's Deep Conditioning Mask. Get the best results by applying it on clean, damp hair, then rinsing it off after five to ten minutes. The nourishing mask is safe for all hair types, textures, and color-treated strands.

To shop: $6; target.com

Shine Conditioner

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Anomaly Haircare
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On top of leaving hair looking more glossy, the Shine Conditioner leaves it feeling soft as silk. The blend of nourishing, shine-boosting ingredients include murumuru butter and jojoba oil.

To shop: $6; target.com

Dry Shampoo

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Anomaly Haircare
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Anomaly's sole styling product is this oil-sucking dry shampoo. Chopra Jonas took great care in creating a formula that doesn't leave a white cast on dark hair. Like the plastic packaging in the line, this can is made from post-consumer materials and can be recycled again.

To shop: $6; target.com

Clarifying Shampoo

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Anomaly Haircare
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What sets Anomaly's charcoal-based clarifying shampoo apart from other options on the market is that it effectively cleanses hair from excess oil and product buildup without completely stripping it dry.

To shop: $6; target.com

Hydrating Shampoo

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Anomaly Haircare
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This shampoo cleanses hair while simultaneously locking hydration in. The secret sauce is a mix of moisturizing ingredients such as aloe vera and coconut oil.

To shop: $6; target.com

Gentle Shampoo

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Anomaly Haircare Products

If your scalp is as sensitive as you are, Anomaly's Gentle Shampoo is formulated to be mild enough for all hair types. Rosemary and grapefruit extracts remove daily dirt and buildup without any irritation.

To shop: $6; target.com

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Beauty Boss profiles the brains behind the brands making waves in the beauty industry. From the ideas that first inspire brands to how best-selling hair, makeup, and skincare products are made, find out how these leaders get it done.

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