In 2009, entrepreneur Donna Pohlad saw “a giant white space” in the at-home hair color industry, and decided she’d be the one to fill it.

“What was missing was an at-home color that resembled something I or any of my friends would not only use, but be excited to use: a more elegant, thoughtfully-packaged product that not only looked beautiful in my bathroom but didn’t make my scalp itch,” said Donna, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of dpHUE. “I had never colored my hair on my own and frankly was a little scared by it.”

With a background in the technology business, Donna began to delve into the world of hair color, asking customers, product developers and consumers to weigh in on how the at-home hair color market could be improved. In 2011, she opened the doors to the dpHUE flagship color bar in Minneapolis, a salon where patrons could receive color services and consultations, then leave with their expertly-mixed color for DIY application. According to Donna, it was through this take-home service that the idea for a corresponding color-centric range was born.

“My idea was based on a new way to experience at home-color,” said Donna, who evolved her take-away color concept into a consumer product line, which launched in May 2016. Items are made in Italy.

With the goal of creating an at-home coloring product that was salon quality in ingredients, results and experience, Donna launched dpHUE, a 24-sku range of color-focused products, meant to complement and simplify at-home color, into 900 Ulta stores and select online distribution.

According to industry sources, the brand is on track to generate $5 million to $6 million in retail sales in its first year at Ulta Beauty and its other retail partners, including Sephora.com.

To see how the product works, take a look at this company-created video.

Donna tapped California-based colorist, Justin Anderson, to become the brand’s Creative Director. “I was looking for a passionate, knowledgeable hair dresser to bring on as a creative director and help develop products.”

The brand’s hero product, the Root Touch-Up Kit, $30, is comprised of two applications of “odorless” permanent color, developer, two pairs of gloves and samples of shampoo and conditioner, delivered in an innovative origami-like kit, which opens up to serve as a disposable work station for users. The kit comes in eight shades, which according to Justin, matches every natural hair color at the root.

The application, which lasts for three weeks, takes 45 minutes. According to Donna, although it takes a bit longer for color to develop, the technology in dpHUE allows for lower levels of ammonia and peroxide to be used, resulting in a more gentle process as compared to traditional home hair color.

“The mass products that are available for touch-ups boast that they process in 10 minutes – as if that is a good thing,” said Donna. “For the product to work in 10 minutes makes us think that the chemical content is super high and that it needs to blast open the hair cuticle to deposit color and then try to close it quickly.”

Additional dpHUE products include the Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse, a $35 shampoo and conditioner substitute meant to leave hair healthy and restored, a $30 hair gloss, which is a semi-permanent treatment that gives hair a fresh dose of color, a reparative hair oil, called Oil Therapy, $35, as well as an assortment of color-safe shampoos, conditioners and masques, priced between $24 and $26. In September, the dpHUE app will be launched, which, according to Justin, will provide women with information, tips and tricks to help them match and apply their perfect color match.