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Johannesburg, South Africa, 2026 – After more than 50 years of being part of South African haircare routines, HR® Hair Care is entering a new chapter, bringing its trusted treatment heritage together with an expanded range of products designed for the needs of today’s textured-hair consumer.

For generations, HR® has been known for its iconic Placenta Hair Treatment, a product that has become a familiar part of South African haircare. That heritage remains at the heart of the brand, but the HR® Hair Care range has grown beyond its original treatment roots to offer consumers more choice across colour, conditioning, treatment and styling.

The evolution is built around a simple belief:

Healthy hair is the foundation of confidence.

The expanded HR® Hair Care range brings together products across three key areas: Treat, Colour and Style. Together, they are designed to support different stages of the haircare journey, whether consumers are looking to care for dry or damaged hair, refresh their colour, or create and maintain an everyday style.

Treat: Repair, strengthen and restore

Treatment remains an important part of the HR® story.

At the centre of the range is HR® Placenta, the lightweight hair treatment that has helped establish the brand’s heritage over five decades. Designed to condition and strengthen hair while improving manageability, it helps smooth the appearance of split ends and supports a fuller-looking finish with added body.

HR® Placenta is available in a 125ml bottle, as well as 3 x 10ml ampules and a 10 x 10ml ampule pack, making it possible to incorporate the treatment into different haircare routines.

The range also includes products focused on moisture and repair. HR® Hydrating Shampoo and HR® Intense Repair Conditioner form a moisture-focused duo for dry, damaged and overprocessed hair.

The HR® Hydrating Shampoo gently cleanses while helping restore moisture, softness and strength, while the Intense Repair Conditioner provides replenishing nourishment designed to smooth and protect brittle strands, improve manageability and reduce breakage with consistent use.

Together, they offer a straightforward way to build moisture, conditioning and repair into an everyday haircare routine.

Colour: Lift, tone and protect

As the HR® Hair Care range has expanded, colour has become another important part of the brand’s offering.

For consumers looking to create highlights at home, the HR® Highlight Kit is a salon-formulated and salon-approved highlighting kit designed to deliver long-lasting colour and radiant shine. With clear, step-by-step instructions, it is designed to make highlighting at home straightforward while supporting consistent lift performance and even application.

For convenient touch-ups, a Highlight Refill Kit is also available.

Maintaining the right tone after lightening is just as important as achieving the initial colour. The HR® Brightening Toner uses violet pigmentation to help neutralise unwanted yellow and brassy tones after bleaching, helping blonde and highlighted hair look cool, bright and refreshed.

Its conditioning formula also helps leave hair feeling soft, smooth and manageable while enhancing shine.

Style: Shape, define and finish

Haircare is not only about treating or colouring hair. For many consumers, the routine also includes finding products that make everyday styling easier.

The HR® Moulding Gel provides long-lasting hold while helping control frizz and flyaways. Its moisture-locking formula is designed to create defined styles without the stiff, dry or crunchy finish associated with some styling gels.

Whether slicking hair back, defining curls, controlling edges or styling braids, HR® Moulding Gel offers a versatile styling option for everyday looks.

A broader approach to textured haircare

The expansion of the HR® Hair Care range reflects a changing consumer. Haircare routines are increasingly personal, shaped by hair type, texture, styling habits, colour treatments and individual preferences.

For HR®, the opportunity is to build on more than five decades of consumer trust while offering products that are relevant to the way people care for and style their hair today.

The brand’s refreshed identity captures this direction through its essence:

Strong. Radiant. Unapologetically You.

It is a statement about more than hair. It reflects HR®’s belief that confidence comes from having healthy, cared-for hair that allows people to express themselves in their own way.

The brand’s next chapter will also see a greater focus on connecting with consumers through social media, educational content, real consumer stories, user-generated content, retail activations and e-commerce. The aim is to create a more connected experience around real hair, real people and real confidence, while giving consumers useful information they can take into their everyday routines.

For HR®, this evolution is not about leaving its heritage behind.

It is about building on it.

More than 50 years of familiarity and trust provide the foundation. An expanded portfolio provides more choice. And a renewed focus on today’s consumer gives HR® an opportunity to continue growing as a proudly South African textured haircare brand.

Trusted by generations. Reimagined for today.

Discover the HR® Hair Care range and explore products designed to help you treat, colour and style your hair with confidence.

About HR®

HR® is a proudly South African textured haircare brand with more than 50 years of heritage. Built on the success of its iconic Placenta Hair Treatment, HR® has evolved into a broader portfolio spanning Treat, Colour and Style, combining trusted heritage with modern innovation for today’s textured-hair consumer.

HR® is part of the Avid Brands (Pty) Ltd. portfolio.

Media contact: Avid Brands (Pty) Ltd

info@avidbrands.co.za

Brunel Laboratoria and Avid Brands join forces to strengthen South African healthcare and personal-care offering.

Johannesburg, South Africa – Brunel Laboratoria (Pty) Ltd has announced the commencement of the operational integration of Avid Brands S.A. into the business.

The merger brings together two established South African businesses with complementary strengths across healthcare and personal care, creating a combined business with 37 established brands.

While the merger was completed at shareholder level in November 2025. The integration will combine the capabilities, expertise and established relationships of both organisations under the Brunel Laboratoria name.

The joined capabilities create opportunities to strengthen the business across both pharmacy and retail channels, while enabling greater focus on distribution, customer relationships and product development.

Brunel Laboratoria will bring together a larger commercial operation, with more salespeople operating in the field, supported by dedicated retail and pharmacy leadership. The expanded team will allow Brunel Laboratoria to increase its focus on pharmacy relationships while strengthening its engagement with major retail and trade customers.

“This merger brings together two South African businesses with diverse strengths and a shared opportunity for growth,” said Michiel Venter, Chief Executive Officer of Brunel Laboratoria.

“Brunel Laboratoria has built strong capabilities in pharmacy and distribution, while Avid has developed strong retail relationships and a portfolio of established brands. Bringing these strengths together creates a more capable business, with the scale and resources to serve our customers and partners more effectively.”

“Having been part of Avid since 2004, I have seen the business and its brands develop over more than two decades. Bringing our teams, relationships and expertise together with Brunel Laboratoria creates an exciting opportunity to build on that history while creating something stronger for our customers and the market,” said Deon Verster, Sales Director of Brunel Laboratoria.

The operational integration will bring Avid’s teams and capabilities into the broader Brunel Laboratoria organisation, including sales, marketing, supply chain, warehouse and sales support functions. The combined management structure will bring together combined expertise across commercial, operational, financial and people functions.

The combined business will be headquartered in Gauteng, with a satellite office in Durban to support the company’s national operations.

For existing customers and partners, the focus remains on maintaining continuity while strengthening the capabilities supporting them. Brunel Laboratoria will continue to invest in its brands, relationships and overall capabilities to support consistent product availability and create opportunities for continued innovation and growth.

The merger represents an important milestone in Brunel Laboratoria’s development, bringing together two established South African businesses to create a stronger platform for growth across the country’s healthcare and personal-care markets.

About Brunel Laboratoria
Brunel Laboratoria (Pty) Ltd is a South African healthcare company with a diverse portfolio of pharmaceutical, complementary and consumer health products. Its portfolio includes Famucaps, Lessmusec, Myoprin, Prodol, Brunel-branded products, Elev8, Floradix, Hot Toddy, and Sinulex. Brunel was established in 1974.

About Avid Brands
Avid Brands S.A. (Pty) Ltd is a South African healthcare company with a diverse portfolio of medicinal, complementary and personal-care products. Its portfolio includes Lipsano, Nu-Hair, HR Hair Care, Nu-Lite®, Skinsano, Household medicines, Bioharmony and Impilo, which will continue as part of Brunel Laboratoria’s expanded brand portfolio. Avid was established in 2004.

Media Contact:

Brunel Laboratoria (Pty) Ltd

info@brunel.co.za

www.brunel.co.za

About Brunel Laboratoria (Pty) Ltd

Established in 1974, Brunel Laboratoria is a leading South African healthcare and pharmaceutical distribution company with over 50 years of industry experience. Headquartered in Gauteng, Brunel operates a SAHPRA-licensed, state-of-the-art 1,800 m² temperature-controlled distribution facility in Centurion, providing compliant, end-to-end supply chain solutions to over 1,700 active accounts monthly across independent pharmacies, major retail chains, and hospital networks nationally.

Following the strategic integration of Avid Brands S.A., Brunel Laboratoria manages a diverse portfolio of 37 established consumer healthcare, personal-care, and pharmaceutical brands. The company’s expanded brand stable includes household market leaders such as Lipsano, Nu-Hair, Famucaps, HR Hair Care, Lessmusec, Myoprin, Prodol, Sinulex, Elev8, Floradix, Hot Toddy, Skinsano, and Bioharmony. Built on strong core pillars of Service, Quality, Innovation, Growth, and Responsibility, Brunel is committed to driving growth for trade partners while delivering accessible, reliable, and trusted healthcare solutions to South African consumers.

Your new year’s resolutions may be firmly abandoned, but that’s no reason to ignore your health until 2021! March is #NutritionMonth, and it’s the perfect time to get on track with sustainable lifestyle changes.

Of course, overhauling your nutrition can be overwhelming at first, especially with the wealth of information out there regarding diet and supplements. Luckily, there’s a simple way to figure out which superfoods should go into your cart – and your belly.

The best superfoods are the ones you’ll actually eat

That’s right – step one in your decision-making process is asking yourself, “Will I eat this, or will it quietly rot away in my fridge?” Be honest about the things you don’t like, such as certain textures, but be willing to experiment with new foods as well. Drafting a weekly meal plan that incorporates superfoods can greatly increase your chances of better nutrition.

Choose superfoods that meet your unique needs

If you’ve got a specific medical concern like high blood pressure or are looking to support a goal like healthy aging, choose superfoods that integrate into your overall wellness plan. Not all superfoods are created equal, and a diet that would help your neighbour feel amazing might not be right for you.

Do your research and try different approaches to see which superfoods make you feel your best. Experts say the right diet shift should create positive changes in your body within a day or two.

So which superfoods will you choose for your #NutritionMonth health journey?

Sweet Potatoes vs Beetroots

For starch lovers, these two options have popped up in restaurants and packaged snacks as the healthier alternative to the humble white potato. Both are high in fibre and rich in antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are bursting with beta carotene, which may help slow the aging process and reduce the risk of some cancers. However, the beetroot stands out as being a lower calorie option and boasting plenty of nitrates, which have a blood-pressure lowering effect.

Heart health on your radar? Try Bioharmony® Bio-L’Arginine.

Fish vs Nuts

We all know avoiding greasy fast food meals is a good idea, but some fatty foods are simply super for your health. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may lower your risk of heart attacks. A handful of almonds provides over 30 percent of the vitamin E you need daily, which supports brain health. Most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated fat — a healthier type of fat that may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Focused on improving your mental performance? We recommend Bioharmony® Bio-Ginkgo Smart.

Tomatoes vs Avocados

These two superfoods are always included in beautiful stock photos of healthy living, but which should be the star of your salad? Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. While the avocado is higher in calories per serving, it also comes with a hefty serving of vitamins A, E, and fibre, which may help lower cholesterol.

Need more vitamin C than a salad can provide? Try adding Bioharmony® Ultimate C to your daily routine.

Garlic vs Mushrooms

Having a superfood-filled diet doesn’t have to be bland, and these two flavour-packed contenders confirm it. Garlic (apart from being delicious) has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and might help protect from cancers, especially colorectal cancer; and scientists are studying the powerful antioxidant effects of mushrooms on the prevention of cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s.

Want an anti-inflammatory boost? Try Bioharmony® Bio-Bromelain for aches and pains.

 

Want to weigh in on the best superfoods out there? Join our Superfood Showdown posts on social media, and you could win a Bioharmony health hamper!

Complement a high-superfood diet with the right supplements

Diet is an incredible way to overhaul your wellness, but sometimes the body needs an extra boost that’s even more concentrated than superfoods. That’s where smart supplements come in. Whether you’re seeking to maintain your healthy lifestyle, boost your immune system or support a specific condition, Bioharmony offers an extensive selection of everyday essential nutrients and vitamins to help you live your best life.

Always consult your doctor or registered healthcare professional for advice on taking supplements or making diet changes.

The first signs of winter may conjure up visions of quiet evenings in front of the fire with a mug of hot chocolate or a glass of red wine, but the reality is usually quite a different story.

As the weather cools, your metabolism begins to slow down, and if you give in to cravings for carbohydrate heavy comfort foods you’ll feel sluggish and tired, and there’s a good chance you’ll begin to gain weight and put your immune system under pressure.

And in case that is not bad enough, when you are under stress or exposed to germs and viruses, the threat of winter sniffles can rapidly become a reality.  Instead of that serene evening in front of the fire, all you’ll really want is to be left alone with your box of tissues and something to dull the ache in your head.

But by following three easy steps, you can revitalise your system and build your immunity, and enjoy the crisp, clear autumn days, knowing that your body is prepared for the cold season ahead.

You might still be exposed to friends and colleagues coughing and spluttering around you, but your choices now can make the difference between getting a slight cold and suffering a week of misery.

1-2-3 Easy Steps to a Healthy, Happy Winter

Ensure that you are getting all the essential nutrients you need

Start by eating right – you know the rules!

• Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day
• Opt for lean proteins including skinless chicken, grilled or steamed fish (salmon and mackerel are particularly good) or legumes
• Replace refined carbohydrates, including white and brown bread with low GI seed bread
• Eliminate sugary foods, especially cakes and biscuits
• Ditch fried foods and take-aways
• Snack on nuts or a crunchy apple. Or try chick peas cooked, drained and dry-fried till crispy- delicious!
• Eat nourishing soups and stews made with beans, lentils, vegetables and lean meats
• Try adding chilli to stimulate your metabolism, or cinnamon to help balance your blood sugar

But don’t rely on diet alone.  Processes such as irradiation and refrigerated transportation may give your fresh foods a longer shelf life,  but they can rob your food of vital nutrients, so supplement with a good quality vitamin and mineral formula such as the Bioharmony Ultimate A-Z Nutrition Formula.

Make sure your body can absorb these nutrients

Simply put, if your digestive is system is disrupted and not working efficiently, your body won’t absorb nutrients effectively.  This means that even though you might be eating fairly well, or taking a supplement, you can still lack of specific nutrients.  And the build-up of free radicals and toxins interfere with the body’s ability to access and break down energy stores, causing tiredness and lethargy.

So if you suffer from food intolerances, bloating, IBS, constipation or diarrhoea, avoid any trigger foods that you know cause problems (wheat and dairy are the most common culprits) and take a dietary enzyme such as Bioharmony Bio-Enzymes for Life or Bioharmony Bio-Amara Digestive to help your body break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats, digest foods and eliminate waste products effectively – and allow your body to absorb the nutrients it needs.

Stimulate your immune system

A strong immune system will protect you from infection from the inevitable winter germs and bugs that you’ll encounter, allowing you to enjoy winter.  Vitamin C has always been a winter essential, but a new report from the Harvard School of Public Health tells us that “There’s no question that vitamin C plays a role in controlling infections. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize harmful free radicals.”

Don’t wait till you feel a cold coming on; stimulate your immune system with vitamin C throughout autumn and prepare your body for winter.  Choose a buffered vitamin C formula such as Bioharmony Ultimate C, which is more easily absorbed and suitable for anyone with ulcers or a sensitive digestive system.

Add a little local healthcare with Bio-Sutherlandia.  This fabulous little herb has been trusted for generations in South Africa for a host of ills, but recent clinical studies have shown it to be a fabulous immune booster.

This year, don’t put your life on hold during winter, waiting for the season to change and the sun to reappear.  Use autumn to prepare your body, improve your energy and stamina and build a healthy immunity – then get up off the couch and enjoy the weather!

Conventional wisdom is that we all know what to expect from menopause, but the reality is that the signs and symptoms can vary dramatically. Only about 75% of women suffer symptoms, so you might even get off scott-free.  But you might also find that while all you had expected was hot flashes, you don’t get them; instead your contact lenses could get sticky and give you constant problems.

Of course, the first and most obvious sign is that periods become irregular.  You might have been on a strict 28 day cycle since you were 17, and all of a sudden you never know where you are.  Your period might arrive unannounced and unexpectedly, or not at all.  And while you might think you are too young to be heading for menopause, it is normal to see the first signs from as early as 40.  (So if you are 45 and you’ve just skipped two periods, it’s quite possible that you are not pregnant.)  But if you’ve had a hysterectomy but kept your ovaries, you won’t exactly be able to use this as a marker – since you wouldn’t have had periods anyway.

Let’s be specific for a minute.  Medically, the term menopause refers to the time when you are finished with all the symptoms.  When it has been a full year since your last period and you are no longer bothered by the uncomfortable symptoms of oestrogen rushes.  Basically, when you hit menopause, things get simpler.

But what we colloquially refer to as menopause is more correctly called peri-menopause.  And this is the problem.  This is the time when your hormones are in flux; your ovaries begin to slow down and produce hormones on an ad hoc basis, up one minute and down the next.  Seems when the ovaries haven’t produced enough oestrogen in a while, the brain wakes up and sends a panicked message: Hey, we need oestrogen, now!  The ovaries leap into action and the oestrogen surges, causing hot flashes and a list of other equally unappealing problems.  Then just as suddenly, the ovaries go back to sleep and the moment passes.  And you might even have a sudden chill as the oestrogen subsides.  Fabulous!

Hot flashes can last as long as 30 minutes, which is a long time if you are red-faced and sweating profusely while trying to maintain your equilibrium.  And there’s nothing quite like a hot flash to take your mind off your train of thought in a client meeting or yelling at a wayward teenager.  (Oh well, at least someone might benefit.)

Fatigue is a classic symptom of menopause. But since we’re often busy and under pressure, we often don’t recognise this as a menopausal issue.  Don’t we almost expect to be tired?    And when you’re tired, you probably expect to be a little grumpy or fragile from time to time so you may not consider it a “mood swing”.  And if you have night sweats that wake you up at night or suffer from insomnia, it’s no surprise if you are exhausted.  And if that’s not bad enough, you’re likely to put on weight, particularly around your waistline.

You’ll probably notice the prune effect:  the way your hair and your skin are suddenly dry, and your favourite moisturiser just doesn’t seem right any more.  Of course, it’s not just your hair and skin that is drying out.  Back to the gooey contact lenses – even the moisture in your eyes can dry out.  It can also make you react badly to the odd glass of wine.  And since dehydration is a well recognised cause of headaches, they can appear too.

Needless to say, this problem extends to vaginal dryness too.  Add that to being tired and it’s hardly surprising if your libido goes into recess.

In a dream world, we cope with everything that life throws us, and your lifestyle can make the difference.  Firstly, eliminate all your bad dietary habits.  Avoid caffeine.  So cut out the coffee and chocolate, even tea and move to rooibos or another herbal tea instead.

Cut out curries, chillies and all spicy foods, and eliminate processed starches like pasta, white bread, biscuits and cakes.  Then give up alcohol, and if you smoke, stop now.   (And if tiredness and raging hormones weren’t making you miserable, this might just do the trick!)

Lastly take up some kind of exercise.  While most people need about 15 minutes of exercise a day, or half an hour every second you, women in menopause should exercise for 45 minutes a day, five days a week.

Stress adds to the severity of the symptoms, so try to avoid stress.  Easier said than done, but give it a try.  But the reality is that sometimes we need a little help.

Hormone therapy is effective, but there is no doubt that it can have severe side effects and that there are risks attached.  So if you opt for HRT, make sure your doctor does a full family history to establish  your specific risk profile.

You can also try natural remedies.  Take a look at the MenoClove range which helps to balance your hormones and is easily available without prescription. Containing only natural ingredients, it helps to get your body back in balance. MenoClove includes red clover (a source of phyto-oestrogen) and black cohosh, both of which have been shown to alleviate symptoms including hot flushes and night sweats. There is also a Day/Night version of which helps you get a good night’s rest and boost energy and vitality during the day.

Finally, don’t ignore your bones!  Menopause and osteoporosis are closely linked because as your oestrogen production reduces, your body’s ability to absorb calcium is limited, leading to reduced bone density and weakened bones.  And since osteoporosis is responsible for broken bones and the stooped posture you see in so many elderly ladies, you definitely want to take steps to prevent it.  Take a good calcium supplement every single day and do some weight-bearing exercise.  In fact, don’t wait for menopause to begin to start taking calcium.

Some people always seem to have energy and enthusiasm; they look good and feel great. If you take a holistic approach to health, you can improve your general well-being, and look good most of the time too.

Take a low GI approach to eating

If you know that late afternoon crash, or have no energy even after a good night’s sleep, take a look at your diet.  Sweet, sugary, processed foods and “empty carbs” may be the cause.  Control your sugar cravings and balance your blood sugar levels by including low GI foods like sweet potatoes, oats, brown rice, apples and pumpkin seeds in your daily diet.  Opt for the new low GI breads instead of standard white loaves and eat apples instead of grapes or litchis.  And make sure you always have protein with your carbs.  A low GI diet is also a healthy way to control your weight. If you needing extra help to stabilise your blood sugar levels try Bioharmony Cinnabalance, a nutritional food supplement which combines cinnamon extract with essential trace elements and vitamins. It assists to stabilise and regulate blood sugar levels making it suitable for diabetics and pre-diabetics.

Improve Your Digestion

Bloating, indigestion and constipation are common complaints.  (Studies indicate that as many as 80% of adults’ digestive systems do not work at an optimum level.) If you follow a healthy diet but still feel uncomfortable, you may have a food intolerance (wheat and milk are the most common culprits).  A digestive enzyme such as Bioharmony Bio-Enzymes for Life will help your system digest food more effectively.

Drink eight glasses of water a day

This is old advice, but it is still true!  Not drinking enough water is a major cause of headaches, migraines and constipation.  And if you drink a lot of coffee, you need to increase your water intake as caffeine dehydrates your body

Eat Essential Fats

We all know that essential fats from salmon and other oily fish help ensure healthy skin, nails and hair but, more importantly, they help reduce the risk of heart disease and are acknowledged by experts as a brain food, helping memory and concentration and even helping to ward of Alzheimer ’s Disease in later years.  Eat salmon, pilchards or sardines three times a week.

Fresh fruit and vegetables will help you look and feel young

Antioxidants help combat the destructive effects of free radicals.  Upping your antioxidant intake can make a huge difference to how you look and feel by helping to counter the anti-aging effects of free radicals. Fruit and vegetables are not only rich in dietary fibre, which is good for digestion; they are also rich in antioxidants.

Exercise at least 15 minutes a day

Exercise is vital to cardiovascular health and helps to keep you strong and supple.  We all need about 15 minutes exercise a day or 30 minutes every second day.  (Menopausal women should have at least 35 minutes of exercise every single day.)  It also reduces stress and helps maintain a healthy weight.

Choose something that suits your lifestyle – walk the dogs, hit the gym, take a dance class.  If you are having fun, you’ll find it easier to maintain.

Get Rid of Emotional Baggage

Emotional baggage is a drain on your health, energy and spontaneity. Letting go of negative emotions and taking the conscious decision to have a positive attitude to life will improve your relationships and your happiness.

Reducing stress is key to improving your well being, Bioharmony’s Ultimate A-Z is the ultimate everyday multivitamin for those leading busy and stressful lives. In addition to providing all the vitamins and minerals that the body needs it also provides a high combination of the important vitamin B’s which are essential for coping with stress.