Epres LLC

Who owns epres? Epres is privately owned by its founder, Dr. Eric Pressly, through Epres LLC. It is independent and not part of any larger beauty group.

Did Eric Pressly invent Olaplex? Pressly co-invented the bond-building chemistry used in Olaplex before founding epres in 2022. He now leads the newer company, which competes directly with the category he helped create.

Where is epres made? Epres is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. The company describes its products as professionally formulated in the United States.

Is epres vegan and cruelty-free? The company describes its products as vegan and cruelty-free, though these are self-declared claims rather than third-party certifications.

Eric Pressly built his career in materials science, working on pharmaceutical development before turning to cosmetic chemistry. He co-invented the bond-building technology that launched Olaplex in 2014, creating a new hair care category in the process.

After Olaplex's success and its 2021 IPO, Pressly developed a new approach to bond repair at his home in Santa Barbara. The result was a water-based, acid-free treatment that did not need the multi-step routine of earlier systems. He formed Epres LLC in mid-2022 and launched the Bond Repair Treatment first to professionals and then to consumers.

A September 2023 partnership placed epres on goop's shelves, the only bond builder the retailer stocked, giving the young brand a credibility marker in clean beauty. The company has since expanded the line to include a repair shampoo, conditioner, and a styling spray, and it was named alongside K18 as the strongest challenger to Olaplex in 2026 industry coverage. The brand has grown without institutional funding, remaining founder-owned.

Epres markets vegan, cruelty-free, and acid-free formulations and packages its concentrates in reduced-plastic formats. It holds no major third-party sustainability certifications, and its claims are self-declared rather than independently verified.