Presenting Planet-Friendly, Female-Founded Haircare (Win!)

Did you know most shampoos, conditioners and body washes are more than 70 per cent water? As we head toward Earth Day on April 22, a Canadian company is out to change that, limiting its carbon impact by 77 per cent and its waste impact by 62 per cent compared to a traditional water-filled haircare in a plastic bottle. Named one of Time’s Best Inventions and Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, Everist is leading the waterless beauty movement with the first-ever hair and body concentrates. The brand’s patent-pending shampoo, conditioner and body wash creams are three times concentrated and simply activated with the water you’re already using in the shower. Rated five stars, the brand’s newest product, The Deep Conditioning Concentrate, is part daily deep conditioner, part hair mask, and was voted Cosmopolitan‘s Best Clean Conditioner. We chatted with Everist founders Jessica Stevenson and Jayme Jenkins to learn more.

Please tell us a bit about yourselves to start.

Jayme: Jessica and I have been friends for a long time and went to business school together. After graduation, we both ended up working in the beauty industry at some of the biggest players like L’Oréal, Revlon and P&G. We love beauty and the industry as a whole, but we also knew that it had a major plastic waste problem. After trying (unsuccessfully) to make a big change from the inside, we knew that if we wanted to do something radically different, we would need to do it ourselves.

When and why did you launch Everist? What niche were/are you aiming to fill?

Jessica: We launched Everist in February of 2021 with the goal of creating a line of ‘elevated’ sustainable haircare products that are better for the environment, but also just better, in every way, than the status quo. We know that for people to make more sustainable choices, these choices need to be an upgrade, not a compromise. What we didn’t know at the time was that we were creating a whole new category of products – concentrates. Our haircare formulas are waterless and three times concentrated, compared to most shampoos which are 70% water. We made them in a base of aloe vera and glycerin to make sure they were super nourishing for hair and scalp. After a few years in the market, amazing customer feedback, and a pre-clinical trial with TRI Princeton under our belt, we now know that these rich creams we made are more like a hybrid of haircare meets skincare! They are great for scalp health and hydration, which is where healthy hair growth starts. They also have a 77% smaller carbon footprint, are packaged in 100% recycled and recyclable aluminum tubes and are made with clean, plant-based ingredients.

What products/services do you offer, and what makes them standouts?

Jessica: Our concentrates are 15-time award-winning formulas, and there is nothing else like them in the market. We offer shampoo, conditioner and body wash concentrates, as well as sustainable accessories, and our concentrates have good results across hair types. They’re silicone- and sulphate-free, colour-safe and give a rich creamy lather without stripping skin or scalp. They are in a whole new category of their own with more than 50% skincare ingredients –aloe and glycerin – as the base.

What’s the issue with shampoos, conditioners and body washes that contain more than 70% water?

Jayme: There’s nothing wrong with them per se, but you’re paying for a lot of water and we collectively are shipping a lot of water around the world, which has a major carbon impact. There is a better way. Shampoo bars are great for some folks, but coming from the beauty industry we wanted to create something closer to what people are used to and something that could have mainstream appeal. Think of Everist concentrates as if you ground up a shampoo bar and put it in your moisturizer. They’re great for the health of your hair and scalp, especially if you have any dry scalp, itchiness or irritation – they are incredibly soothing.

When one switches to more earth-friendly beauty/skin products, does one compromise on results?

Jessica: On the contrary. When you invest in high-quality, plant-based concentrates designed to hydrate your scalp and support healthy hair growth, your investment will pay back in spades, especially over time. Masking your hair problems with cheap synthetics is a band-aid solution and catches up with you in terms of hair quality.  What’s better for our planet is very often better for us as well.

What’s some of the best feedback you’ve received from Everist customers?

Jayme: We are so grateful to get incredible feedback from our customers, and nearly every day we hear from a customer saying that Everist has transformed their hair. People are genuinely shocked! Often we hear that their hair has been transformed back to the ‘hair of their youth’ that they had only seen 20+ years ago. While every other liquid shampoo you find on the store shelf is formulated generally the same, Everist is different. So we’re not shocked when our customers have drastically different experiences – but it’s still amazing to hear!

Personal question: what’s your Everist shower routine?

Jessica: While we sell the concentrates in both a tin and a tube format, right now I’ve been loving the tins, and have them in my shower as we speak. Of course, I use shampoo, deep conditioner and body wash tins, and can easily take them with me when I am travelling to keep up my routine.

Win! Everist’s The Hair & Skin Hydration Essentials Bundle!

Congrats Manon M. of St-Jacques, NB, who will receive The Hair & Skin Hydration Essentials bundle from Everist, which includes:

• Full-size Shampoo Concentrate
• Full-size Deep Conditioning Concentrate
• Full-size Body Wash Concentrate, 
• Quick-Dry Hair Towel, 
• Compostable Konjac Sponge 
• 3 zero-waste tube keys

Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.