The Beginning

I knew Chris from grad school, but I never expected a call about his bad hair days.

He told me every styling product he tried was inflaming his scalp and causing breakouts — and that he was embarrassed by the flakes and pimples showing up at work.

After months of research, he realized the culprit: most hair products disrupt your skin’s natural microbiome, triggering dandruff, acne, and eczema. Then he asked me, “Is it crazy to want
to make something better?”

That’s when it clicked: I had the same problem!

I never made the connection between my products and my scalp issues. I thought flakes and forehead breakouts were just part of life. I told Chris: “You’re not crazy, and I want to help.”

Today

Two plus years, countless formulations, and a lot of testing later, we launched OCHRE.

What started as a personal fix turned into something bigger. For the first time in years, our scalps feel calm, our skin is clear, and we don’t need medicated shampoos to manage flare-ups.

We’re proud of what we built—not just because it works for us, but because it’s already working for others. We created OCHRE for sensitive skin, but we think it just might change haircare for everyone.

- Sri