Every brand has a beginning, and for Malibu C, that story starts with our founder, Tom Porter, cosmetic chemist Dr. Keith Ault, and a vision to solve one of the most overlooked challenges in hair care: hard water minerals and oxidation.
Together, Tom and Dr. Ault worked tirelessly in the lab to develop a formula that could effectively remove mineral buildup from the hair. This barrier was quietly sabotaging chemical services like coloring, lightening, and texturizing, and leading to bad chemical reactions such as leaking, hot foils, and color not lasting. But as they perfected what would become Crystal Gel, one question remained: how could they ensure the product worked to its full potential?
The Missing Piece
The answer, as they discovered, was heat. To unlock Crystal Gel’s optimal performance, a consistent heat source was needed to activate its antioxidant power and help draw minerals out of the hair. That’s when Tom began searching for the right environment to bring this wellness innovation to life.
Their journey led them through many outlets, but one stood out above the rest: the salon professional. Salons had exactly what was needed, not only the tools and constant heat sources, but also the expertise to understand how Crystal Gel could transform the outcome of their services. Watch the video below to see Tom share how Malibu C products were destined for salon professionals.
The First Professional Tool for Stylists
With the support of salon professionals, Crystal Gel became the first non-oxidative professional tool explicitly designed for hairstylists to ensure optimal results for their chemical services. For the first time, stylists had a way to create a clean canvas that allowed their artistry to shine.
And Crystal Gel was only the beginning. Building on its success, Malibu C went on to create additional non-oxidative professional tools to meet stylists’ evolving needs like Color Pigment Remover and Color Disruptor to help safely remove unwanted artificial color, or De-Ox, designed to stop oxidation after lightening services to prevent further damage. Each innovation carried forward the same mission: to empower salon professionals with solutions that protect the hair while enhancing their results.
Made for the Salon Professional
From the very beginning, salon professionals became more than just customers. They became collaborators. Their input helped refine Crystal Gel’s application, proving that when hair was prepped correctly, services like coloring and lightening could deliver the vibrant, consistent results both stylists and clients deserved.
The lab gave us the science, but it was the salon that gave Malibu C its soul. By pairing innovation with artistry, Crystal Gel became and still is a trusted tool in the stylist’s chair, helping create a clean canvas for chemical services and healthier hair for every client.
Four Decades of Innovation
Forty years later, Malibu C still carries the same spirit that sparked our beginning: science paired with the artistry of the salon. What began as a single innovation has grown into a legacy, and the story is still unfolding.
