It's been touted as one of the most successful creations in the beauty world, and for good reason. If you’re not across the wonders of a Tangle Teezer, this news might help, says editor Trudi Brewer.
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Sometimes, hard-working beauty buys are life-changing; a case in point with this simple but clever hairbrush named Tangle Teezer. It had a rocky start; the inventor, founder and CEO Shaun Pulfrey and his hairbrush were thrown out of the famous UK TV show Dragon's Den. Pulfrey went into the show in 2007 while working as a hair colourist in a salon, requesting £80,000 for a 15 per cent stake in his hairbrush business. At the time, he had developed a prototype but needed a cash injection to get the brand up and running. Although none of the Dragons was sold on what they called a 'hair brain idea' after the original episode aired, the Tangle Teezer website crashed - and as they say, the rest is history. Fast forward to 2022, and Tangle Teezer is reportedly valued at over $400 million New Zealand dollars, with Pulfrey still at the helm and having the last laugh. Its success, first and foremost, is that it’s a game-changer for grooming hair of any type, making short work of knots and the tears that go with that.
Celebrity endorsement from Kim Kardashian and star stylist Chris Appleton (the Kardashian family’s hairstylist of choice) has helped get this brush into the hands of the fab and fashionable. According to WWD, the brand's work in global markets, including the U.S., like being added to the 2020 Oscar's goodie bags, has seen sales surge 133 per cent in 2021. No mean feat during a pandemic with retail and salons closed for months. Sales have grown in markets closer to home, too, with China and Japan increased by 60 per cent and 43 per cent, respectively. James Vowles, chief executive of Tangle Teezer, told WWD: "We began 2021 with a core goal of dramatically growing our footprint and brand awareness in the U.S. and Asia. Due to the exceptional work of our global team, the expansion of existing ranges and retail relationships, and the entrance of new categories like scalp care. We are surpassing many of our ambitious targets.” Closer to home, New Zealand distributor Laura Bradford from Regional Health and Beauty in Auckland says, "We're happy to say despite multiple lockdowns for New Zealand retailers, and after nine years in the market, we are also still in growth. Last year we recorded a hefty 33 per cent growth." Bradford says, "The Wet Detangler is a firm favourite with Kiwis, especially the pink one." Bradford and her team were winners of the global distributor's award in 2021, recognising that this brush can do no wrong after almost a decade and a global pandemic. “Tangle Teezer keeps punching above its weight. It's a dream brand to represent and a great company to work with. The pipeline for newness just keeps coming," says Bradford.
The brand offers a solution for fragile, coloured hair to fine knotted hair, thick, naturally curly hair and scalps with the new exfoliator and massaging all-in-one brush. Today, there is Tangle Teezer for everyone from the cradle and beyond. There is also a brush for your pouch or puss, Pet Tangle Teezer has recently launched in the U.K., so the entire family is well catered for. With countless beauty awards and accolades all over the globe, to quote the inventor Shaun Pulfrey -"It's the little brush that could."
Our favourites from the Tangle Teezer collection
The new shade of Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler $26. Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hairbrush, $26. Tangle Teezer Scalp Exfoliator and Massager, $22. Tangle Teezer Back-Combing Hairbrush $22.
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