Katie Holmes announced as co-owner, spokeswoman of Alterna Haircare

NEW YORK, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Katie Holmes has been named co-owner and celebrity spokeswoman for Alterna Haircare, the company officially announced Tuesday.

Women's Wear Daily broke the story of the Holmes-Alterna collaboration last week, but the partners didn't publicly confirm it until Tuesday.

"Katie inspired us by gracefully evolving from an actress to a multi-faceted artist, designer and style icon," Joan Malloy, president and chief executive officer of Alterna Haircare, said in a statement. "Alterna has been haircare's 'best kept secret' for years, but that is about to change. We're confident that adding Katie's natural beauty, gorgeous hair and creative instincts to our state-of-the-art, results-driven haircare collection will be a game-changing combination."

"I'm really proud to be a part of this company -- not only because the products are incredible, but because their 'accessible luxury' and 'free of' philosophy really speaks to me," Holmes said. "I love that Alterna uses natural and organic ingredients and stays away from harsh chemicals like sulfates and parabens. It's good for my hair and good for the earth, so I feel good using it."

The former "Dawson's Creek" teen idol was most recently seen in the Broadway play "Dead Accounts." Her film credits include "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," "Batman Begins," "Pieces of April" and "The Ice Storm."