When haircare industry veterans Penelope Cheshire, the entrepreneur behind hair extensions powerhouse Beauty Works, and MattLumb, the former Tangle Teezer chief executive, began testing the cleanliness of hairbrushes generously donated by their friends and family at a British Medical Group-owned laboratory, the results were confronting.
“Some of the brushes were described as ‘rancid’, containing more bacteria than your typical toilet seat,” explains Lumb. It was a lightbulb moment for the duo, who immediately turned their attention to the category, determined to address the blind spot lurking amid the bristles.
At a time when many of us are enthusiastically investing in an ever-growing raft of advanced — and often expensive — supplements, serums and treatments to enhance the health of our scalp and hair, the daily use of a tool that harbours dead skin, oil, product build-up and unwanted bacteria feels somewhat counterproductive.
Cue Killabrush, a first-to-market hairbrush that, after two years of rigorous research, development and testing, features integrated antimicrobial technology borrowed from the medical industry to reduce bacterial and fungal growth.“ It’s a hairbrush for the clean girl beauty space,” says Cheshire. “The antibacterial technology is integrated directly into the bristles during the manufacturing process, helping reduce the build-up of bacteria found on traditional hairbrushes by killing up to 99.9 per cent of bacteria and 99 per cent of fungi.”
Best hairbrushes at a glance
Killa original paddle – £29, Killabrush.com
La Bonne Brosse no.1 petite brush – £120, Libertylondon.com
Hershesons the everyday essentials brush – £41, Hershesons.com
ghd all-rounder hair brush – £27.50, Sephora.co.uk
Ziggy flexi brush – £16, Ziggy.hair
The brushes are available in two styles — the Original Paddle (£29, Killabrush.com) for daily detangling and the Vented Styling Brush (£29, Killabrush.com) for speedy, more controlled blow dries
I can attest that both do exactly what they promise, making them a no-brainer for anyone who’s into hair health. And style, too — they come in a chic range of colours, from rose water to matcha.
