Meet Õmniae, the newest Australian hair and scalp care brand entering the market with a clear focus: treating the scalp as the foundation of healthy, nourished hair.
Founded by industry veterans, Bianca Scown and Yovanka Rothschild, Õmniae was born from more than 20 years of combined experience in the treatment room, where the pair repeatedly saw clients seeking support for postpartum shedding and thinning, along with sensitive and reactive scalps.
Launching with the Hair & Scalp Nourishing Oil ($59.95) and Botanical Hair Scrub ($39.95), Õmniae combines traditional botanical ingredients with a modern, science-backed wellness approach, with formulations designed to nourish, exfoliate and support a balanced scalp.
BD spoke with co-founders, Scown and Rothschild about the launch of Õmniae, the market opportunity they identified in the treatment room, and why they believe scalp care is the next essential step in the hair care category.
Image: Õmniae co-founders, Bianca Scown and Yovanka Rothschild
Congratulations on the launch of Õmniae! Can you tell us about the brand and its ethos?
The brand is about teaching people that good, healthy, flourishing hair starts with a healthy scalp. Taking traditional ancient botanical ingredients and bringing them to the modern world and giving them the respect it deserves.
Science-backed wellness doesn’t have to be precious or self-serious – it’s about having ‘rich scalp energy,’ creating confidence in people and turning your hair care into a ritual not a routine.
Your background is in the spa industry, what gap did you see in the market and how did this inspire Õmniae?
With both Bianca and I having backgrounds in the hair industry and running a head spa business, we kept having the same conversation over and over again.
Clients would come in for a treatment, and their concerns would be postpartum shedding, thinning, hormonal changes, scalp issues – a scalp that had been ignored for way too long. By the end of their treatment, they would feel amazing but then they would leave and that was it. No way to keep the momentum going.
That’s the gap; the industry treats hair like the main character and the scalp like an afterthought, when really the scalp is the foundation.
There wasn’t anything on the market that brought the proper Ayurvedic grade treatment room quality into someone's at-home routine. So, that’s when Bianca and I decided to bottle it.
There are two hero products in the range: the Hair & Scalp Nourishing Oil. What was the formulation journey like, and what were some of the non-negotiables for you when it came to ingredients and efficacy?
The formulation journey can always take a while. We wanted everything in the bottle to earn its place.
For our Hair & Scalp Oil we wanted ingredients with real traditional track records for scalp health. Sesame oil and coconut oil as the base. Bhringraj extract, hibiscus, onion seed oil, neem, the list goes on. Every ingredient has a purpose behind it.
The Botanical Scalp Scrub took a bit longer because scrubs are so easy to get wrong. Too harsh and you're stripping the scalp, too gentle and it’s not doing anything.
We landed on reetha, shikakai and walnut shell powder – genuine, but not aggressive exfoliation. Partnered with curry leaves, aloe vera, shea butter, and many more to keep the hair and scalp from feeling dry.
Our non-negotiables were ‘no filler’ ingredients, it had to feel good in the hair, and we had to see results. If it’s not a nice ritual, people won’t stick to it. Every ingredient had to have a reason, either backed by Ayurvedic tradition or by what we actually saw work in our treatment rooms.
What was the biggest challenge in taking Õmniae from an idea born from your 20+ years' experience in the treatment room to a finished product on shelves?
Honestly, I don’t think it’s ever just one single thing. There’s always a risk of doing something like this. Cost is probably the biggest challenge, and once you overcome that, then there’s always the question of, will it actually work? I mean we know it does but turning an idea into a bottle that people use at home, without us guiding the ritual, meant we had to be certain the formulation itself was doing the heavy lifting.
The products have been specifically designed to help treat sensitive and reactive scalps, why was this an important area to focus on for the brand?
We kept seeing a common factor in our clients. People weren’t just coming to see us for treatment; they were genuinely struggling with irritated, dry, oily, itchy scalps. They had tried numerous products, and nothing worked, so they had given up.
The ingredients had to work without working against the skin barrier. Gentle enough for sensitivity but still effective enough to shift things like postpartum shedding or hormonal scalp changes.
How should consumers incorporate the Õmniae products into their routine, and how do the two products work together as a scalp care ritual?
The two products are designed to work as a pair. The Oil nourishes the scalp, and the Scrub resets it.
We recommend starting with the Hair & Scalp Oil as your pre-hair wash ritual, use four to five pumps of oil in your hands, massage into the scalp and then brush through the hair to nourish, calm, and support circulation. For best results, leave in hair as an overnight treatment.
The next morning, rinse it out and continue with one shampoo. For the second shampoo, use the Scrub, concentrating on circular motions all around the scalp. Rinse, then finish with conditioner. The Scrub and Oil can be used one to two times per week.
Image: Õmniae Hair & Scalp Nourishing Oil and Botanical Hair Scrub
You've also developed Õmniae with postpartum hair concerns in mind. What did you learn from working with new mothers, and what do you think is missing from the conversation around postpartum hair and scalp care?
Listening to new mums has taught us that postpartum shedding is a big concern for them and yet it’s one of the most normal things that your body does – and women aren’t prepared for it.
You go from having pregnancy hair where the hair is thicker and shinier than it’s ever been, to suddenly finding clumps coming out in the shower, and this can be alarming for new mums.
They’re not told that it’s just hormones doing exactly what they’re supposed to. I think what’s missing is the conversation around postpartum hair is too black and white. It’s either “don’t worry” or “buy this miracle serum”, when what’s needed is more in-between understanding. Acknowledging it is normal and still hard and that the scalp itself needs attention, not just the hair.
That’s really where Õmniae came from, wanting to create a ritual, not just a rescue mission.
What's a common misconception you hear about scalp health?
One misconception is that people think flaking always means dryness, so they reach for heavier oils. A lot of the time it’s actually build-up or a sensitive, inflamed scalp that needs gentle more consistent care rather than more product piled on top.
Scalp care is often an overlooked step in hair care routines. How can treating and having a healthy scalp impact and improve overall hair quality?
Think of your scalp as the soil your hair grows from – if it’s not healthy, it doesn’t matter how good the ‘seeds’ are. A congested or inflamed scalp restricts circulation to the follicles, which affects how strong each strand grows from the start.
At Õmniae, scalp health comes down to three things: Circulation, build-up, and balance.
Good circulation feeds the follicles what they need. Clearing build-up means nothing is blocking that process, and balance means the scalp isn’t fighting itself between too dry and too oily.
The results will build over time, but people will notice stronger, shinier, denser feeling hair and a clean scalp because we started at the root.
What are you most looking forward to with the launch of Õmniae and the range finally being out in the market?
Honestly, we are looking forward to it being in people's hands and homes. We are also really excited to hear the stories. Everyone who has tried it so far has their own reason for needing it and the feedback has been really heartwarming.
Shop Õmniae from September 2026, via omniae.com.au.
You can find the Õmniae product range and download hi-res images for editorial inclusions, here.
Image credit: Supplied/Õmniae