When it was announced last October that Jennifer Aniston had inked a deal with the tech-savvy, MIT-born hair-care brand, Living Proof, it may have seemed like a fairly ordinary piece of celebrity endorsement news. But as more details emerged about the partnership, it became clear that this particular celebrity endorsement was quite different, considering Aniston had signed on not only as the face of the range, but as a part-owner and product creator. “That’s what’s interesting about it,” the actress explained yesterday at the launch of her first official campaign for the brand, a three-part video series called “Good Hair Days.” “Being just the face of a name—I’ve done that. But as I get older, and see how I want to expand as a business woman, this is something that’s almost a no-brainer. It’s exciting—and more interesting,” she continued, pointing out that she’s been to the MIT labs and met with the scientists responsible for coming up with the line’s unique PolyfluoroEster molecule that creates a weightless shield around hair to prevent moisture flux as it coats the cuticle—without silicone—thus reducing build-up and unmanageable frizz in the process.

When the conversation turns to Aniston’s reign as one of the most oft-referenced celebrity hair icons—from the moment her trusted stylist Chris McMillan snipped “the Rachel,” to latter-day incarnations of the style that have seen Aniston immortalize the “lob,” and a coveted kind of honeyed highlight—she’s surprisingly humble. “It’s never honestly been a big deal to me,” she insists in the first installment of the new video shorts, which premieres today and polls real women on their hair obsessions and confessions, followed by “Good Hair Day Lessons” with Aniston and McMillan.

What has been a big deal to Aniston is the quality of her hair, which is frequently battered on movie sets, and which she says legitimately changed when she first started using the line. “I’m not a scientist, I’m an actor; but I know how my hair feels,” she says, staring deep into the camera. “It feels thicker, it feels stronger”—affirmations you can’t help but believe for the same reason you tuned into to watch her on Friends in the late nineties: Aniston is incredibly likable, and plenty comfortable sharing some of the trials and tribulations from her own journey to good hair. “I was obsessed with Valerie Bertinelli and brought a picture of her into the salon and ended up with a mullet,” she recalled of a particularly “bad hair” moment from a life that has also known $6 trims at New York’s no frills-favorite Astor Hair; an Aqua Net addiction—”It reminds me of the Palladium!”; and a set of her own hair icons: “I’ve always loved Kate Moss’ hair—and Gisele.”

As the remaining two videos roll out this month, Aniston embarks on the beginning of what will likely be a fruitful partnership for both herself and Living Proof—one that will also include product creation, as advertised. “I’ve got ideas,” she said coyly, careful to keep any specifics on those developments under wraps. We imagine plenty of women will be excited to hear about them.