Ulta Beauty Bets on Scalp Care Market with Prestige Brand Nutrire

Ulta Beauty is expanding its premium hair-care footprint. The retailer is launching Nutrire, a prestige brand focused on scalp care, on Ulta.com followed by a rollout to 250 store locations on August 23.

“[Ulta] is always scouting for what’s next,” said Kristen Chase, general manager at Nutrire. “They didn’t see [scalp care] as a trend; they’re seeing it as a shift, which it truly is.”

Nutrire was incubated and launched in 2025 by the venture arm of Chicago’s Tricoci Salon & Spa, which also created Tricoci Haircare and Tricoci Skincare. Nutrire’s core proprietary ingredient, Complex8, is formulated to block DHT—a hormone associated with hair follicle miniaturization. Ulta serves as the brand’s first retail partner, carrying its complete nine-item lineup.

Hair care represented 18% of Ulta’s $3.2 billion in sales during the first quarter of 2026, according to company earnings data. Salon staples Redken, Olaplex, and Pureology were Ulta’s top-performing hair brands in Q1, according to market research firm Jump Accelerator, which noted that the retailer's top-selling hair products typically sell between $6.50 and $36.

Nutrire enters at a higher price point, ranging from $36 for shampoos and conditioners to $68 for scalp serums. Chase remains confident that Ulta shoppers are ready to spend on premium hair care.

“When you look at the [hair-care] category overall, I think people have been really trading up as they realize that purchasing efficacious products with clinically proven ingredients truly deliver value,” Chase said. This shift toward science-backed formulations mirrors broader beauty trends where clinical positioning drives expansion, much like how CeraVe scaled dermatologist-led skincare in key international markets.

According to Circana’s Q1 2026 U.S. beauty report, hair care is the only beauty category where prestige growth is outperforming mass market sales. From January through March 2026, prestige hair-care revenue grew 10% year over year, compared with 6% growth in mass hair care.

Nutrire will join Ulta’s “Sparked” program for emerging brands, positioning it to reach the retailer's highest-spending loyalty tier. Members achieve "Diamond" status by spending $1,200 annually on eligible products.

“I know, too, that [Ulta] is looking to get further into more higher-end beauty tiers, and they’ve got such a great way of blending mass, masstige, prestige and luxury all together in one store,” Chase said. “[Nutrire] is one of those brands where you could invest in a $68 serum, and then buy a $5 lip balm.”

The partnership comes as Ulta expands its hair portfolio. The retailer introduced detergent-free brand Hairstory in April, added six Korean hair brands—including Growus and Refilled—in the spring, and added Shakira’s Isima line in 2025 alongside celebrity-backed brands such as Beyoncé’s Cécred. Prestige momentum continues to build across retail channels as high-growth brands expand their physical footprints, as seen with Rhode preparing for a multi-country Sephora launch.

Competitors are making similar investments in next-generation hair care. Sephora has expanded its hair selection with K-beauty additions, while skincare brands are increasingly entering the hair category. Product launches range from mass options like E.l.f.’s under-$10 hair collection introduced in June to luxury treatments such as Kat Burki’s $90 hair and scalp serum launched in 2025.

As skin-care habits reshape consumer expectations in hair care, shoppers are building routine-focused regimens beyond basic shampoo and conditioner.

“I feel like this is like the most exciting and disruptive time in hair that I’ve experienced,” said Chase, who spent more than a decade at L’Oréal before joining Nutrire. “You have the skinification of hair; you have people who are now creating customized scalp routines that can act with the same precision and the same results as a skin-care routine.”