Oway

Oway is an Italian professional haircare and personal-care brand based in Bologna, known for its "Agricosmetica" approach: growing medicinal and aromatic plants on its own biodynamic farm and turning them into salon products. The name is short for "Organic Way," and the brand builds its identity around biodynamic, organic and upcycled ingredients scented only with essential oils.

The brand belongs to Rolland srl, a Bologna company whose roots reach back to 1948, when it began producing natural perfumes and essences in a local laboratory [1]. The Oway consumer line itself is more recent: editorial coverage records it opening in 2005 as a dedicated professional brand grown from that older family business [9]. Oway remains active, distributed to salons internationally and publishing regularly through its own journal.

Oway's lineage starts with Rolland, described on the brand's timeline as beginning natural perfume production in Bologna in 1948 [1]. Over the following decades the family business moved from fragrances and essences into professional haircare, developed botanical-extract products through the 1970s and 1980s, and introduced a plant-water line in the 1990s following organic research. In the 2000s it shifted from organic to biodynamic agricultural methods.

The Oway brand as it exists today is generally dated to 2005. Lampoon Magazine describes the brand as having "opened in 2005 as a lifestyle brand," evolved from a family company founded in the 1940s that specialised in botanical extracts [9]. The two dates describe different things: 1948 marks the founding of the parent, Rolland, while 2005 marks the launch of the Oway line specifically. No individual founder is named in the available sources; Luca Laganà is identified as the company's chief executive rather than its founder [9].

Oway is owned by Rolland srl, the Bologna company that also carries its 1948 origins; the brand's contact page still lists "Copyright 2025 Rolland srl." Third-party profiles describe the parent as the "Italian Rolland group."

The concept Oway places at its centre is "Agricosmetica," a registered term the company uses for growing its own raw materials. According to the brand, Agricosmetics means "growing zero-mile plants, medicinal and aromatic shrubs" on its Ortofficina estate in the hills outside Bologna, where plants are cultivated using biodynamic methods to obtain essential oils, hydrolates and extracts [9]. The company frames its wider mission as "a virtuous cycle that respects the environment and breathes new life into natural resources" through a low-impact production model.

Oway positions itself as a professional, salon-oriented brand rather than a mass retail line. It describes its products as composed of biodynamic, organic and upcycled actives, scented exclusively with essential oils, and says its formulas contain "over 90% natural ingredients." Its stated values include biodynamic and organic cultivation, circular and low-impact production, post-plastic packaging, cruelty-free formulation and zero-kilometre, fair-trade sourcing.

The "organic" element of the brand's identity has been questioned. While Oway markets itself under the "Organic Way" name and emphasises organic and biodynamic ingredients, the clean-beauty reviewer OhDaisey states that Oway is "not certified organic despite marketing as 'organic'," estimating that only around six of the 40-plus ingredients across its products are organic or biodynamic [10]. No third-party organic certification such as Ecocert or COSMOS was confirmed on the pages reviewed; the "organic" claim reflects the brand's positioning and name rather than an external certification.

Oway's range spans haircare, skincare, and hand-and-body products, alongside its Ortofficina and Artigiano lines of fragrances, home objects and personal care. Its haircare is organised into named families such as Blondeway, for blonde, white and grey hair, and Sunway, a sun-care and after-sun line.

Colour is a defining part of the professional offer. The brand structures its "colour ecosystem" around Hcolor, a permanent base colour, a customisable Agricolor system, and Hnectar, a gel-oil colour infusion. These are formulated without ammonia: OhDaisey records Hcolor as offering 95 permanent ammonia-free shades and Hnectar as 34 shades, ammonia-free and free of PPD and resorcinol [10]. The company describes its hero ingredients as biodynamic essential oils, hydrolates, upcycled actives, phyto proteins and micronised plants, extracted through natural processes such as steam distillation and maceration.

On animal testing and formulation, Oway states that no tests are performed on animals and describes its products as paraben-free and free of SLS and SLES. It does not claim to be fully vegan; OhDaisey notes the range is roughly 98% vegan, with about 2% of products containing honey, silk or beeswax [10].

Sustainability is central to how Oway presents itself, under the heading "conscious choices for a post-plastic world." Between 2011 and 2013 the company replaced plastic with glass and aluminium packaging, and Lampoon Magazine describes it as the first Italian brand in the professional sector to move to fully recyclable materials, a change dated to 2013 [9]. Packaging is built from glass bottles, aluminium tubes with metal caps, reusable metal dispensers and FSC-certified recycled paper, with an emphasis on avoiding secondary packaging.

The brand also makes a broad environmental claim about its operations. Through eco-design, zero-kilometre materials, renewable energy and carbon-offset projects, Oway states that it maintains "one hundred percent carbon neutral practices" [9]. Its 2010 inauguration of the Ortofficina biodynamic farm and a 2017 workshop, Artigiano, producing furniture and design objects from natural and recycled materials, extend the same circular approach beyond cosmetics.

Oway has received editorial coverage rather than a documented record of awards. In 2021, Lampoon Magazine published a feature profiling the brand's circular business model, its Agricosmetics philosophy, its carbon-neutral claim and its salon distribution [9]. The company has also presented its philosophy at the Cosmoprof trade fair, noted in its journal for 2025.

Oway is active. Its website carries a 2025 Rolland srl copyright, and the brand publishes regularly through its online journal, with the most recent post at the time of review dated June 2026. According to Lampoon Magazine, Oway works with roughly 25,000 beauty and wellness salons across more than 70 countries on five continents [9], reflecting a professional, international distribution model.