We are so lucky to have the EverEscents team come in and teach our Shine Personal Development Course students all about organic hair care. Check out this quick video of them at one of our recent courses! We also chatted with their General Manager, Julia Charters to find out what ingredients we need to look out for in our hair products and why buying local, organic products is so important.
Meet Julia, the General Manager of EverEscents
What was the driving force and inspiration behind you and your husband, Luke, buying EverEscents?
I was brought up by a very alternative Mother who was into everything healthy and eco-conscious which was amazing. It wasn’t until I was approaching my thirties that I really started to come back to this way of thinking and we started living our lives more naturally as well. At the time we were in between businesses and looking for something to sink our teeth into. EverEscents was introduced to us through a friend and we found out the owner was thinking about selling. It was just the perfect business for us as it ticked all the boxes.
What makes it different to other hair care companies?
Our main point of difference between other hair companies is that we are 100% Australian owned and made. There are quite a few other companies that are Australian made but none that go to the extent that we do to keep our business here. We source all of our packaging including our bottles, tubes and labels from Australia too. We also get all of our marketing collateral (posters, brochures, special packs etc) printed here. We also offset our carbon emissions and are participating in the 6 green steps program on our quest to become a carbon neutral company.
Our other main point of difference is that we use natural ingredients in all of our products and don’t just take out the key “fad” ingredients that consumers may be aware of such as Sulfates and Parabens. Many companies are trying to market themselves as natural by taking out these 2 ingredients however they still have their products laden with many other different chemicals which make them far from natural.
What are some of the harmful ingredients that we should be avoiding in hair care products?
The list is actually quite long which is scary and it does change regularly as companies reformulate ingredients slightly so that they can give them a new name. However the main ones to steer clear of are as follows:-
- Cetrimonium chloride
- Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone (Silicone)
- D-Limonene (preservative)
- DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine)
- Disodium EDTA
- Fragrance / Parfum (artificial)
- Methylisothiazolinone (preservative)
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone (preservative)
- Methylparaben, Propylparaben (Paraben preservative)
- Mineral Oil
- Phenoxyethanol (preservative)
- Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) compounds
- Propylene Glycol
- PVP/VA Copolymer
- Quaternium-7, 15, 31, 60 (& other numbers)
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), (SLES)
What’s your favourite product in the range?
My personal favourite is probably our slowest seller as it’s a product that is not always understood but, once people know how to use it, then it becomes a regular in their hair care regime. It is our Orange & Sandalwood Finishing Serum and it is a Heat Protector and finishing product – great for use before using heat tools and then after to smooth frizzies and flyaways.
What’s the most common mistake people make when it comes to hair?
There are a few common ones however probably the biggest one that many people do (especially teenagers!) is that they brush their hair when it’s wet. This is a huge no no and causes a lot of damage to the hair shaft.
What’s one thing you do each day to help you shine from within?
Read my Louise L Hay daily affirmations calendar and say the affirmation to myself. I love her inspiring words!
If you could tell your 15 year old self one thing, what would it be?
To believe in myself more and have more confidence – I lacked a lot of confidence as a teenager and look back now wondering why I didn’t have more faith in myself.
We are so lucky to have the support from Julia, Luke and the whole EverEscents team. They have donated their time to teach our students the importance of avoiding chemicals, how to know which products are right for their hair, how to style their hair and more. They even give each student some product to take home.
Thanks again guys!!! We adore you!