Meet Joanne McCabe!

Joanne is our Technical Development Manager and has been working at De Lorenzo headquarters for over 25 years.

She joined the company early on in her career as a Quality Assurance Chemist, and her first project was to achieve the company’s first ISO9001 certification. Joanne established an in-house microbiology laboratory for the company and performed microbiological testing on all De Lorenzo products.

We asked Joanne about the journey from those early days, and she says, “As the Lab grew, my role evolved and there was a need for me to enter a new role as a Research and Development Chemist, formulating new products for the company. With the experience behind me and changes in the company structure, the opportunity for me to lead the technical area became possible as the Technical Development Manager. I have been in this role for more than 15 years and manage the Laboratory Department which includes Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Research & Development and Evaluations. I also manage any trouble-shooting in Manufacturing and Investigating Product Complaints.”

What would you say are the highlights of your career with De Lorenzo?

The highlights of my career have been many; the development of Novacolor, Novaplex and Bond Defence Ranges have been some of the most outstanding and satisfying projects in my career, knowing that we can achieve world class results from products that are generated right here in Australia.

Tell us more about formulating the products, sustainability and using organic ingredients?

At De Lorenzo we use suppliers of ingredients that provide minimal impact on the environment and address long-term project sustainability.

Our formulations are based on natural plant ingredients because they contain elements that are essential for healthy hair and scalp including vitamins, fruit acids, fatty acids, protein derivatives and minerals. De Lorenzo uses natural, organic and organically certified ingredients to create unique hair care ranges that suit and protect against the unpredictable Australian and New Zealand climates.

Native plant extracts are right at our doorstep, and Indigenous First Nations people have used them for thousands of years for nourishment. Globally, we are only just realising their potential in cosmetics.

Is it harder to formulate products using botanical ingredients and without using animal by-products?

We were a pioneering company in creating haircare products that contained no animal derived ingredients. It was not cool and hype (mainstream) when we started, which meant that in the early days there were not many plant materials available that could substitute for ingredients such as beeswax and lanolin. In fact, we found that we needed to use multiple plant oils and waxes in unique combinations to achieve the same textures, consistency and hold that people were accustom to (from animal derived products).

What do you love most about working at DL?

I love that De Lorenzo is focused on being socially responsible and developing products that are environmentally-friendly for salons. A great deal of time and resources are spent in the lab performing tests to determine the suitability of ingredients and packaging in the effort to move the company towards an even more sustainable objective.

Upcycling of materials, using organic & wild harvested ingredients where possible, and sustainably sourced palm ingredients are just some of the initiatives.

What’s your favourite product or favourite products (regime) to use on your hair?

I love to use Hair Moisture Repair Revive as it provides many benefits. My hair being fine knots very easily. I only need to use a small amount of product to detangle, soften and provide lightweight hydration. Being a leave-in product, it provides extra protection against environmental elements such as pollution and U.V light.

I find Barrel Wave gives hold and definition to my curls without the tack. I let my hair dry then scrunch the hair to break the encased curl and achieve a natural look.

Essentials Absorb in between washes is a life saver to refresh my fine hair and control the scalp oil.

Illumin8 Shampoo is a must have to maintain my blonde hair and neutralise unwanted yellow tones.