Introduction
We are so thrilled to finally share with the world a project we are so proud of, not only for the work the Tomorrow Lab team did, but also the client we worked with. The absolutely fearless Dawn Myers, of The Richualist connected with Tomorrow Lab back in early 2021 to help her and her team develop a new hair care tool for women with textured hair. On The Ritualist’s website they explain ‘The Mint’ is ‘a thermal infuser and styler that brings your wash day into the 21st century. Our all-in-one hair styling system detangles, conditions, creams and gels, applied product and styles with just one stroke.” What a stroke of genius! 😉Throughout the years working with Myers and her team, we have enjoyed working through the challenges of creating a product of this magnitude and are so excited we finally get to share the development process and watch The Mint thrive out in the wild.
Just several weeks ago, Myers was featured on the infamous TV show Shark Tank. You will have to watch the episode to see which Shark(s) she scored a deal with, but we can spoil that she did, indeed land a big fish — two in fact!. We are so proud of her and The Ritualist team and we cannot wait to see where Myers takes The Mint next! You can pre-order your own Mint right now for a ship date of September this year.
Photo Credit: ABC
What are the Benefits of ‘The Mint?’
The Richualist sought out to solve several key curly hair challenges, all revolving around the time spent on styling one’s hair. The main objective of the product is to streamline and shorten the user’s wash day experience by unifying multiple hair tools, hair products and steps into one easy to use device.
On The Richualist’s website they exclaim that The Mint is ‘your washday holy grail!’ The device comes with six attachments to help style a wide array of hair types and textures. By using special bristles, the device is able to glide effortlessly through curls, while simultaneously dispensing product that can be warmed, for an even distribution of hydration, leading to less breakage. This powerful combination cuts styling time in half, allowing for both time savings and convenience. The empty pods that come with The Mint allow the user to use their own chosen styling products and are compatible with both creams and gels. The Richualist has a great how-to video on how to get the most out of your Mint!
How was ‘The Mint’ designed and engineered?
The Mint is a perfect example of a Tomorrow Lab project, combining all three of our disciplines, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and industrial design to create a product that is both ethically pleasing and hits all the marks in terms of functionality.
The Mint is a spring loaded tool comprised of two sides: one is a non powered removable brush with interchangeable bristle plates for different types of hair and then the opposite side is powered, which holds the pod, heating element and motor which all work tougher to dispense the warmed product throughout the hair.
In addition to the product housing, Tomorrow Lab developed the user-fillable pods and its dispensing system. As mentioned, the detachable pods are designed for the user to be able to use their chosen hair styling products, filling each pod with the desired product amount for that particular day. The pods were designed to be transparent so the user can monitor how much styling product is being used and when to refill. Having the pods be detachable also allows for very easy clean up and allows the user to switch up styling products as needed. It was important for just the right amount of product to be dispensed with one press of a button, to which Tomorrow Lab designed a special serpentine path configuration to achieve just that. Much thought and development was put into the assorted bristles including material, length, flexibility, spacing and durability.
Tomorrow Lab and The Richualist spent a significant amount of time developing and then testing the electronic features of The Mint. The electronic system uses a motor and heating elements controlled by smart firmware in order to warm and dispense the styling product from the pod to the hair. There is a two button user interface that controls these two distinct features. The entire system is powered by a UL-certified 12 volt DC power supply, which makes The Mint a safer option than most curling irons or other heated tools for hair care. UL certification of a product means that that product has gone through rigorous testing to meet local and federal environmental and safety regulations.
We cannot wait to hear how The Mint is thriving and living their best life for each curly haired gal (or guy!) that gets their hands on this truly outstanding and game-changing technology!
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