As childhood friends growing up in Moscow, Anna Dzhilavyan and Ksenia Zaytseva playfully threw heads of burdock root into each other’s long manes. Now in their 30s, the grade-school desk-mates have turned business partners with the founding of a haircare brand.

Bur Bur (named after, you guessed it, burdock) was born in Los Angeles, during the covid pandemic when DIY self-care routines were king.

“Ksenia and I always had this entrepreneurial spirit,” Dzhilavyan told Happi. “We always wanted to create something of our own.”

The women were sitting at their kitchen table mixing a mask that Zaytseva’s grandmother had often whipped up during their childhood. It was for a pregnant friend who wanted a treatment with all-natural ingredients that she could trust.

That mask, a take on on Zaytseva’s grandmother’s concoction, was a burdock infusion made with olive oil sourced, squalane and bakuchiol—and it was the starting point for what would become their brand.

“We were going through all these business ideas, and it clicked,” recalled Dzhilavyan. “This has been the product we’ve been using since our childhood. Our friends love it. Why don’t we make a product of it? It helps all our friends, why don’t we introduce it to other people? Everyone needs good hair care.”

On an educational ingredient journey, the women said they developed a distaste for several of the products on the shelves given their indecipherable ingredient lists.

“It only made sense to use something that we can control and that we would love to use and feel proud of,” said Zaytseva. “It has a sentimental value and a tribute to my grandma. She’s an amazing woman and creating something that is a piece of her in every bottle feels right.”

Growing Season

After many iterations of oils for hair and skin, Bur Bur was officially established in 2022. The brand’s first product, Growing Season, was a botanical hair growth and repair oil. It has personal significance to Dzhilavyan; she experienced a bout of telogen effluvium during her move to the US a decade ago. The common condition causes temporary hair loss that can last from three to six months brought on by stressful life events.

Growing Season is a dermatologist-tested weekly treatment that the brand says is suitable for all hair types and visibly strengthens hair, adds shine and softness and supports healthy hair growth. The droplets are dispensed onto the scalp after and gently massaged in. For scalps in need of TLC, a bonnet can be worn over hair while sleeping before washing the oil off the following day.

Apart from being cognizant about stress levels and diet, Zaytseva says proper sun protection habits can benefit the scalp; strong UVA/UVB rays can be another culprit of seasonal hair loss, according to the brand.

“Your scalp ages faster than your face,” said Zaytseva. “If you think about it, it’s in direct contact with the sun. People don’t think about it until they experience hair loss. You have a nine-step skin routine and zero steps for your hair. If you don’t moisturize it enough and you don’t nourish it enough, it becomes very dry and your hair follicles are basically drying out and you’re losing hair.”

Bur Bur also makes a botanical oil for the face that contains bakuchiol, vitamin C and a cocktail of rosehip, marula and sea buckthorn oils. It soothes, brightens and deeply hydrates skin while protecting against environmental damage, according to the founders.

Bur Bur also offers a fragrance—Memories of the Future roll on perfume oil, which contains notes of vanilla, sage, bergamot and black pepper.

New Products, New Dreams

The brand plans to introduce a derma roller, which can be used in conjunction with the hair oil for optimal results, per the founders. Retailing for $34, the roller’s 540 high-strength titanium 0.3-milimenter micro-needles glide through hair without tangling to provide for maximum product absorption.

Bur Bur is currently sold in boutiques throughout the US, the Dutch Health Store in The Netherlands and online at burburcare.com.

In 2025, a brow and lash oil, hairbrush, and shampoo and conditioner duo will be released with a partnership with Sephora.

“I think it’s so amazing to create something that beautiful with your childhood best friend,” said Dzhilavyan. “I feel blessed to be able to do that.”

Check out this short video of the founders as they explain how their business came to fruition here: