Talking with the inimitable Anna Lahey, Founder of TYPEBEA and Vida Glow

Before I had even held a bottle of the elevated haircare brand’s shampoo in my hand, I had heard plenty about TYPEBEA. Like any smart new beauty name the hype began well before the release, and then come D-day – my feed was flooded with it! Fast forward to a year later and the high-performing haircare system is my wash day non-negotiable, with new product releases also going straight into my bathroom cabinet.
For those of you who haven’t heard of it, TYPEBEA was founded by Rita Ora and global beauty entrepreneur, Anna Lahey — the founder of Vida Glow, and now one of Ora's close friends. The two founders, who spent three years developing the original four core products, have both experienced hair loss and hair damage, and their struggles became the driver when it came to formulating a range clinically proven to benefit hair growth. And yes both women are hugely well-known and respected in their fields, but you get the feeling this really is a range designed for all - as opposed to being “just another a celebrity beauty brand”.
With all of that in mind, today I’m placing the focus on the incredibly inspiring Anna, AKA the brains behind my favourite haircare line AND the world’s number one best-selling marine collagen brand, which she launched on her wedding day, at just 25.
Read on for our chat, during which I shamelessly fangirled – because why the hell not?

I first tried (and fell in love with) the original TYPEBEA offering what feels like just a short time ago, and since then you’ve transformed lives and taken the brand global. It looks like a lot! Had you planned for the upward and outward trajectory to roll out so fast, or did it take the whole team by surprise?
AL: Firstly, thank you! It always makes me so proud to hear that someone loves our products. The growth of the brand has been phenomenal and this first year and half has truly been a whirlwind. When we were getting ready to launch the brand we knew we had something special. Hair loss is such a widely experienced concern and we were confident we had an effective, clinically backed solution in our Growth range and hero G1 Overnight Boosting Peptide scalp serum. The hair growth results speak for themselves!
But you never really know how people are going to receive the brand so it’s very affirming that people believe in the results as much as we do.

When you dropped styling products earlier this year it seemed like a given, the inevitable evolution of the brand. Were they always an integral part to the TYPEBEA mission from day one?
AL: You’re right, it was a natural next step after the success of our Growth range. From the beginning we wanted the brand to be about hair growth, health and strength from root-to-tip. Styling is such an important part of your daily routine and can really do damage if you’re not protecting your hair. At the same time, it gets so over complicated, so we wanted to make it really effortless to do your hair and protect your hair growth results at the same time.
Both of our styling products have heat protection and plant-based keratin to strengthen, smooth and soften strands. The S1 Ultimate Styling Serum is your daily go-to for shine and controlling frizz, while the S2 Sea Salt Mist is like faking a beach vacation giving just the right amount of hydrating, crunch-free texture.

The new TYPEBEA Repair range

Now we have the Repair range, a new drop that I didn’t see coming! My hair absolutely laps up G4, which has become my conditioner of choice most washes due to my damaged ends and long length. Was Repair created to answer the need of people like me, but as a full system all its own?
AL: I’m so excited to be launching a Repair range. Damage is the number one hair concern globally, so you’re not alone. 60% of women are concerned about split ends and breakage while 71% report frizz as a top concern. Heat styling, colour damage, chemical treatments and even environmental stressors all take their toll, breaking down the bonds with the hair strand leaving hair fragile, frizzy and prone to breakage.
Bond repair has been around for a little while, but it’s never been done like this. Most bond repair products on the market focus on a single action, usually relying on a single protein or providing a cosmetic effect only. TYPEBEA is different. Our RDS Bond Technology is a complete repair system that works on three levels: Repair with hydrolysed keratin that restores broken disulfide bonds, Defend with encapsulated antioxidants that protect against UV, pollution and colour fade, and Shine with fruit-based extracts that moisturise and add gloss.
It means we’re not just patching up damage - we’re actively restoring the internal structure of the hair while preventing future stress. That’s what makes results so transformative after just one use.

Can you mix and match products from both systems, perhaps alternate between the two?
AL: Of course! While they’re both focusing on different aspects of hair health, every product works in synergy. Our Growth range laid the foundation by focusing on the scalp - the source of thicker, healthier hair. But growth doesn’t stop at the root. Breakage and damage along the lengths can undo all that progress, which is why we created the Repair range. It protects and rebuilds the hair shaft from the inside out, sealing and strengthening strands so you retain more length and density.

Do you have a favourite formula from the new drop, and why?
AL: I’m so proud of every product but the R4 Intense Repair Leave-In Treatment (above) is an easy hero. If you’re only investing in one product to treat damaged hair, this should be it. It’s an easy to use leave-in creme that you apply to towel dried hair post shampoo. It activates in just three minutes and the results are impressive.
Our RDS Bond Technology delivers 80% less hair breakage, hair that is 52% stronger, and a 44% increase in shine on dry, damaged hair. And the best part is these results aren’t just cosmetic - they’re backed by clinical testing, showing that the hair’s internal structure is being repaired and protected after just one use.

I loved the imagery of the pop-up salon/hair repair shop in London; I wanted to book a flight immediately and visit – it was that cute! Do you have plans to roll the same out anywhere else?
AL: Our London Hair Repair Shop was such a fun event! It’s always nice to meet our community and see our campaign come to life. I’d love to do it in every city if we could. But there’s so much more coming up for us and hopefully more in person experiences too.

I’m also a massive Vida Glow fan, and as a beauty editor who feels like they are sent a new collagen formula to try every week, it’s the one brand I have purchased over and over again. Pro Collagen+ is one of my non-negotiables! For those looking to really address hair loss (in my case, hormonal), how would the two brands work best together?
AL: Hair loss was where my collagen journey began and was the inspiration behind Vida Glow. I’ve always believed in a bi-directional approach to health and beauty, with ingestible products and topical products working in synergy. Advanced formulas like Vida Glow Pro Collagen+ and our capsule, Hairology, work from within to address nutritional deficiencies, provide essential amino acids to strengthen keratin in the hair strands and support healthy skin on the scalp.
The TYPEBEA G1 Overnight Boosting Peptide contains a clinically backed active called Baicaipil that’s applied directly to areas of concern on the scalp to extend the growth phase of the hair follicle and reduce hair loss by 60%. The combination is how I've been able to maintain such healthy hair through four children!

You’re a mum, wife and always-innovating beauty and wellness entrepreneur, I don’t know how you do it all! What is one thing, one practice you do regularly to stay in balance?
AL: You know, I don’t really believe in balance. My family always comes first and it’s been a big year for us. I’m in awe of how my kids have handled so much change. But the reality of having four children, three dogs and multiple businesses is that nothing is ever balanced.
I’ve always admired Emma Grede who talks about this a lot. Some weeks work gets more of the focus and others I choose to move meetings or say no to events in order to prioritise school drop off or having more family time. That flexibility and understanding is something that we’ve built into the culture of all of our businesses, because our team has just as much going on in their own lives.
Mum guilt will always exist, but the sooner you forget about trying to achieve a perfect balance, the easier it is to maintain a constant shift in priorities.

From left to right, Keiran Lahey, Anna Lahey, Rita Ora, Taika Waititi (image: Instagram @anna.lahey)

You’re based in Europe now; do you and Rita find you’ve got more time to catch up? She and Taika are my neighbours, but I feel like she hasn’t been back to Aotearoa in the longest time!

AL: You’d think living closer would make it easier but we’re both on the go so much. Rita’s career takes her all around the world and this year alone we’ve had brand events in eight different countries and multiple cities in each, so I feel like I’m always on a plane! We’ve had some really fun events together this year and our first TikTok Live, but thank goodness for technology that makes it so much easier to stay in touch from anywhere in the world.

Lastly, on the subject of constant innovation. Can you share any newness to come across your brands?
AL: There’s always something in the pipeline. Whether we’re looking at how we can innovate existing solutions in the market to increase effectiveness or develop something brand new to address the most common beauty concerns women have. I wish I could share more, but you’ll just have to wait and see.

To discover TYPEBEA for yourself (I highly suggest that you do!) head here.