Minu Shampooing & Après-shampooing Pro Size Duo

Both use Caper Blossom Extract as the hero colour-protecting active, but from different sources with different specifications. The Original Formulation uses a general Caper Blossom Extract — antioxidant polyphenols that protect colour and add shine. The conditioner is a 2–3 minute formula. The New Essentials 2.0 Formulation uses Salina Caper Blossom Extract specifically — Slow Food Presidium, sourced from Mr. Salvatore D'Amico's farm on Salina Island in the Aeolian Islands, Messina, Italy. The Salina Island variety is prized for its high quercetin content; the extract is rich in quercetin and protective polyphenols that work synergistically to preserve colour brilliance. The conditioner is a 5–10 minute formula. Scent: sweet citrus, blooming jasmine, warm vanilla amber.

Quercetin is a flavonoid antioxidant — one of the most potent in the plant kingdom — found in high concentrations in Salina capers. For colour-treated hair, oxidative stress is the primary driver of colour fade: UV exposure, heat styling, hard water, and environmental pollution all generate free radicals that degrade the colour molecules in the hair shaft. Quercetin neutralises those free radicals at the cuticle level, which is why the Salina Caper Blossom's high quercetin content is specifically relevant to colour protection. The protective polyphenols in the extract work synergistically with the quercetin — together they provide a broader antioxidant shield than either compound alone.

The new MINU conditioner's colour-protecting polyphenols need contact time to bond to the hair shaft and the colour molecule structure at the cuticle level. A 30-second or 2-minute rinse deposits the conditioning agents but does not give the antioxidant polyphenols sufficient time to work. 5 minutes is the minimum for the colour-protection benefit; 10 minutes on hair that has had multiple colour services or is particularly porous gives a deeper result. Comb through before rinsing — this distributes and drives the actives into the hair during the contact time.

MINU works for highlighted hair — colour protection, softness, and illumination for hair that has had colouring services. For significantly lightened or bleached hair where bond damage is the primary concern, the Davines Heart of Glass system (Biacidic Bond Complex + Baobab Extract) is the more appropriate choice because it actively repairs disrupted disulphide bonds at every wash. MINU does not contain the Biacidic Bond Complex. For hair that is both coloured and somewhat lightened, some clients use MINU as the shampoo with Heart of Glass Rich Conditioner — check with the Moda team for the right combination.

Salina is one of the Aeolian Islands off the northeast coast of Sicily. The volcanic basalt soil and Mediterranean microclimate produce capers of exceptional quality — Salina capers have been prized in Italian cuisine for centuries and are protected as a Slow Food Presidium variety. The Presidium designation means the variety and farming method are officially protected, the farming community receives above-market pricing, and the supply chain is fully traceable. Mr. Salvatore D'Amico's farm is the specific traceable source for the extract in the new MINU formula. Davines chose the Salina Caper Blossom for the same reason it chooses all Slow Food Presidium ingredients: documented ingredient quality, traceable origin, and support for a traditional agricultural community.