Meet Rica: The Sicilian Brand Doing Professional Hair Care Differently

You've heard of Davines. You know Olaplex. You've probably got an opinion on K18. But Rica? If that name is new to you, you're not alone — and you're also about to understand why it's one of the brands we're most excited to talk about at Moda.

Rica is a professional Italian hair care brand founded in Sicily in 1994. It's been in salons across Europe for decades, sold in 70+ countries, ISO 9001 and GMP certified, 100% vegan across its hair care lines, and built on two ingredients that come directly from its Sicilian home: Opuntia oil pressed from the prickly pear cactus, and volcanic water drawn from the slopes of Mount Etna.

It is not a mass market brand trying to feel professional. It's a professional brand that happens to be accessible — and that distinction is the whole point.

Where Rica comes from

In 1994, Mario Puglisi started Rica as a small craft workshop in Sicily producing hair removal waxes. It was hands-on, small-scale, and deeply rooted in its place. Over the following thirty years it grew into one of Europe's most comprehensive professional beauty brands — first expanding into permanent colour for the salon market, then developing its Naturica hair care line in 2014, then building the Cromearth pigment colour refresh system, the Opuntia Oil line, the Volcanic Elixir treatment, and opening the Rica Academy — a professional academy for hairdressers — in 2017.

In 2015, Rica formalised what had always been true of how it sourced and formulated: Opuntia oil and volcanic Etna water became the two signature ingredients across the brand. That same year began the journey toward what Rica calls Responsible Beauty — the philosophy that beauty should care for people, products, and the planet equally. The manufacturing facility now runs on solar panels producing 600,000 kW/h annually, saving approximately 300 tonnes of CO2 per year. Naturica packaging was reformulated with 35% recycled PCR plastic. The entire hair care range is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

This is not greenwashing. Rica holds ISO 9001 and GMP certifications — standards that require documented, auditable quality management systems across every stage of production. When Rica says its products are responsibly made, there's a paper trail behind it.

The two ingredients that define the brand

Opuntia oil — pressed from the seeds of the prickly pear cactus that grows across Sicilian volcanic soil — takes approximately one tonne of fruit to produce one litre of oil. That concentration makes it extraordinarily rich in linoleic acid, vitamin E, and antioxidant compounds. It absorbs rather than coating the hair shaft, delivering softness, shine, frizz control, and protection from oxidative and environmental damage without heaviness or residue. It's the ingredient thread that runs through everything Rica makes.

Volcanic Etna water is mineral-rich spring water filtered through the volcanic rock of Mount Etna. The mineral profile — calcium, magnesium, silica — is distinctive to the Etna geology and contributes to scalp balance, cuticle smoothing, and a quality of shine that reads as genuinely healthy. It's also the source material for Rica's Volcanic Elixir, which is the product our stylists reach for most consistently from this brand.

The Volcanic Elixir — why our stylists won't stop recommending it

The RICA Volcanic Elixir Natural Detox — $19.90 CAD is a mineral-rich final-rinse lotion applied after shampooing. It removes hard water mineral deposits, rebalances the scalp, and leaves hair shiny and significantly easier to style.

The reason it's become a standout in our shop has nothing to do with the price — though $19.90 for a professional treatment is worth noting. It's that it removes mineral buildup without interfering with hair tone or colour. Every other detox product we carry strips with some degree of indiscrimination — lifting mineral deposits alongside warmth from a gloss, or shifting the tone of a freshly done toner. The Volcanic Elixir's pH-balanced mineral formula resets the surface precisely, leaving the colour exactly where the appointment left it.

For colour clients — particularly blondes, glossed brunettes, anyone maintaining a specific tone — this is the gap it fills that nothing else does as neatly. Use it once or twice a week as a final rinse after shampooing. That's the complete addition to the routine.

Professional quality. Genuinely accessible price.

Rica's Naturica shampoos start at $34.70. The 10-in-1 Opuntia DD Haircream leave-in is $20.50. The Cromearth colour refresh masks are $41.50. The Volcanic Elixir is $19.90.

These are not entry-level formulas dressed up in professional packaging. They're ISO-certified, GMP-certified, vegan, sustainably packaged professional formulas at prices that don't require a second thought. The value isn't in cutting corners. It's in a brand that's been in professional salons across Europe for 30 years without needing to be the most expensive name in the room to earn its place.

Over the next three weeks we'll go deeper into each Rica line: the Cromearth colour system, the Naturica targeted hair care range, and the Opuntia Oil collection. If you want to explore the full range now, everything is available to shop at Moda, shipped across Canada and the US.

Shop RICA Volcanic Elixir →
Shop All Rica at Moda →
Book an appointment in Bowmanville →