Modernising Hair Oils
in India
This was our first project with Unilever, led personally by Kanchan Dhankani, Founder & Principal Designer of Kanchize Design Studio.
The brief to modernize hair oils became a milestone project not just creatively, but symbolically as it took shape alongside the very inception of the studio. It marks the beginning of our journey and continues to represent the essence of our design philosophy: Sensorial engineering a product with its consumer centric concepts and insights.
Unilever ‘s brief was to create a product that could either redefine or replace traditional hair oils, positioning it as a modern solution within the hair oil category.
Challenge:
The hair oiling experience is often perceived as outdated and messy, with packaging commonly associated with sticky, leaky bottles that feel unappealing and inconvenient to use.
Our process:
We dived deep in research and collecting user insights for pan India. Some common insights were as follows:
Dove Elixir : Precious Hair Oils with Real Ingredients
Oiling Habit
Barrier of hair oil
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Sticky and tacky look & feel
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Fiddy-diddy bottle sticky and leaking (undesirable)
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It leaves one with an un-presentable look Therefore different methods of oiling are adopted
The adopted methods of applying hair oil
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Overnight oiling - Weak end oiling
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One hour oiling
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Applying less frequent but when applied they make sure to intensify oil benefits
(inducing herbs, mixing 5 types of oil, heating oil, massaging wrapping wet towel, steaming after oiling) -
The quantity of oil application pre wash is more than post wash
Seeing is Believing
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User habits in hair oil category can be influenced and changed by removing "tacky" sensorial experience and offering emotive cues in packaging.
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Here, we aimed at changing the perception of hair oil and create an aspiring Modern Hair Oil, check it out how!
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Here design thinking took the lead and poured possibilities on paper. It started with complicated flow charts put together multiple times to trace and track the thought process. Semiotic lens was applied to look at the specific context of hair and habits associated with it. Habits and behaviour are progressive phenomenon that has evolved with time and exposure to new opportunities and innovations.
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Nuances of consumer behaviour and hair oiling practices were decoded to layer out their core sensory experiences. Sensory perception and reaction to an elevated design experience are key touch points of this case study.
The formative research for this project was led by two broad spectrums based on LSM cut to dive deep into consumer behaviour.
We discovered there are 2 kinds of believers:
Analogy: They are the ones who know spinach is healthy but they are not able to consume it in traditional formats. Hence adding spinach in the food they prefer is a way out.
Indians are truly hair oil believers however some have migrated to other formats due to the negatives in hair oil. People who have moved towards other formats like hair cream, gels, conditioners, leave in conditioners etc feel guilty of not oiling their hair. This mindsets are our target audience for this project.
Hair care regime has region specific peculiarities. This was discovered in the qualitative consumer research conducted with different set of respondents living in diverse geographies. People in southern part of India add herbs to their hair oil to enhance its goodness.
Our solution
The insight of “Seeing is Believing” led to a tangible design idea - real ingredients visible in the oil, making the promise more believable for consumers.
Design research influenced not only the visuals but also the formulation a lighter, non-sticky texture enabled by nanotechnology. Inspired by southern rituals, flower petals were infused into the oil to enhance sensorial appeal and reinforce the belief that oil is truly “food for hair.”
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Birth of sub-brand
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This project grew up as an integrated narrative, which travelled through different segment of a typical product development. Open brief hypothesis was brought to the users. Research insights induced the formulation and inspired the nomenclature for this product. Dictionary defines Elixir as “magical or medicinal potion”. Users always come to a brand with aspiration and expectation for magic. Here it is, best-suited name for this potent hair oil infused with flower petals. Visual identity for the product was crafted with precision and alignment with the core concept for formulation. The word mark has cues of flower petals well thought out in the typographic form of character “x” in elixir.
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A thoughtfully designed glass bottle became the perfect container for this potent, petal-infused hair oil.
What should a modern hair oil bottle look like?
This question shaped the design journey for Dove Elixir. Drawing inspiration from precious attar bottles, we crafted a tinted glass form with a pump, merging beauty with function. The stable, elegant structure not only elevated the visual and tactile experience but also reflected the oil’s potency—making it feel like a luxurious ritual rather than a daily routine.
Colour and form study was made of hair care product categories to understand their visual space and define visual space of modern hair oils.
To let the beauty of the petal-infused oil truly shine, we knew the bottle needed branding that wouldn’t hide it. Inspired by the idea that “Seeing is Believing,”
we chose screen printing a transparent, minimal approach that kept the design clean and aligned with Dove’s elegant aesthetic.
Product view with secondary pack
With this secondary packaging in form a white carton with crisp branding on it completed the over all product experience, precisely the dove way.
Carton added functional traits of stacking and brand blocking on the retail aisle.
This project was a hands-on learning journey where design played a role at every stage from concept to formulation.
An open brief gave us room to explore, while insights on oiling habits and user behavior shaped the final outcome.
Dove Elixir became a thoughtful solution for modern hair oil users at a premium positioning
Next up: our case study on similar offerings for mass positioning and hence at affordable cost.
Clinic Plus : Almond Gold Vita Oil
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This project builds on the insight-driven foundation laid by Dove Elixir, now addressing a new user segment consumers who believe in the benefits of hair oiling but prefer the lightness of Non-Sticky Hair Oil (NSHO). These users apply oil before washing or overnight but avoid visibly oiled hair in public. Many even use NSHO post-wash for frizz control.
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However, design research revealed a key barrier: NSHO is often perceived as diluted or less natural raising doubts about its authenticity and efficacy. This insight led to the development of Clinic Plus Vita Oil: a non-sticky yet potent almond-enriched oil that bridges belief and experience.
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To make the ingredient story feel real, the visual identity was carefully designed. A textured almond slab on the label cues nourishment, while visuals of almonds on the back label, visible through the clear bottle, create the illusion of real almonds settled in the oil. This simple yet powerful detail reinforces trust and transparency.
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The term “Vita Oil” was coined to communicate nourishment with vitamins, and the clean, intuitive packaging enhanced its shelf appeal and emotional connect.
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Clinic Plus Vita Oil redefines non-sticky hair oils for today’s evolved users offering the care they trust, in a modern, mess-free format. It proves that even small design details can bring big meaning, blending tradition and innovation seamlessly.
