One of the most common questions I get is, what exactly does blue beauty mean? Instead of answering that question today, I thought it would be best to take a closer look at a brand that has been working diligently at going blue. Beauty Heroes has been in partnership with Innersense Organic Beauty for almost six years. Over that time, we’ve grown together and evolved. I have seen Greg and Joanne Starkman, the co-founders of Innersense, take on initiatives with heart and sweat, and it’s been rewarding to see the commitment they have made to their customers, the causes that are important to them and the environment.
Recently, Innersense unveiled a formal outline of initiatives, a combination of social and environmental impact initiatives that have, in my mind, made them a leading-edge blue beauty brand. Each initiative holds specific importance and intention and as a whole, their efforts are impressive. But if that wasn’t enough, Innersense just announced a $500 thousand Salon Stimulus Fund, to help their salon partners rebound from the effects COVID-19 has had on their businesses. Now that is what I call leadership. Please read on as we go deeper into what makes Innersense a true-blue Beauty Heroes partner.
Jeannie Jarnot: I know if anyone has looked for a way to deliver hair care in anything BUT plastic, you have. Why is plastic the best material for hair care products, and what type of plastic does Innersense use for your bottles.
We took a serious look at how we could reduce our plastic usage. Our priority from the start was to explore every possible material out there in order to make the best decision for our product packaging before any decisions were made. Not only do we have to evaluate the environmental impact, but we have to look at the uniqueness of hair care products compared to say skincare or makeup. Haircare is, by far, larger in size, and most of it sits in our showers, so functionality and safety are factors we have to consider. Any material, glass, aluminum, or plastic each come with their set of environmental impacts, and it’s our job to choose materials that lead us into a sustainable future for our planet and encourage a circular economy. Our decision to transition the line from virgin plastic to 100% PCR plastic is the most natural next step for our packaging. We are keeping a close eye on innovation and will become early adopters as more progress in materials and recycling infrastructure presents itself.
JJ: On your website, you look at sustainability from every angle, one of which is being ‘plastic proactive’. What does that mean, and how is Innersense actioning this?
GS: We originally had the goal to be plastic neutral, meaning we wanted to take responsibility for our plastic output by reclaiming the equivalent of our output out of the environment. But I wanted us to do more. Being Plastic Proactive means that we are looking ahead of our own plastic output and are committed to cleaning up more plastic than we produce. To do this, we’ve teamed up with and we’ve partnered with The Plastic Bank, which invests in people to collect plastic around the world and turn it into post-consumer plastic that can be re-used, to make this possible. But first, we want to make amends with our planet; this is why we decided to clean up 5-years’ worth of our past plastic output now so that we can be ‘Plastic Proactive’ moving forward.
JJ: A lot of people don’t think about the energy and carbon footprint involved in ingredient sourcing when it comes to product development. How does Innersense source ingredients to ensure a minimal impact on the planet?
GS: We do this by sourcing a large percentage of our organic ingredients within a 100-mile radius of our headquarters, we are meaningfully contributing to our local economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by not shipping ingredients over long distances. Our focus on local, organic suppliers greatly reduces these impacts. By selecting and investing in organic ingredients, we help support agricultural practices in tune with Mother Nature, and that is really important. And the bonus is that organic ingredients perform better when used in our formulas.
JJ: What is the one innovation you are hoping will develop in the next 5 years that will help companies be more sustainable.
GS: We’re hoping to see packaging closures like pumps and sprayers become more sustainable. This is the next logical step for sustainable packaging innovation. It’s also important that we continue to support the reform and rebuilding of recycling infrastructure in our country as so little of what we recycle at the curb is actually recycled. Having these systems in place to recycle materials more effectively and readily will allow for companies to make more sustainable choices without the efforts being lost at the end of the product life.
JJ: Innersense is very committed to philanthropy – you are a 1% For the Planet Company, you donate to the Williams Syndrome Awareness and other causes. And, you recently created a $500K Salon Stimulus Fund to support professional salons in re-opening after COVID-19. Tell us more about these specific initiatives and what the mean to Innersense.
After researching the best ways to support environmental, social responsibility, and sustainable efforts, we decided to team up with 1% for the Planet, just as Beauty Heroes has. We are pledging 1% of our sales revenue (not profit) to environmental causes that are near dear to our hearts.
Beyond that, our daughter Morgan was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome at 22 months old, and every May, Williams Syndrome Awareness Month, we honor Morgan and others with Williams Syndrome by bringing visibility to this special ability in partnership with the Williams Syndrome Association. Also, Morgan partners with Outshine Labels to create a special collection of positive products of which all proceeds go directly to the Williams Syndrome Association. This year her theme is LOVE, exactly what the world especially needs right now.
Finally, our $500 thousand Salon Stimulus Fund was established to assist our salon partners all over the world who have been forced to shut doors during the pandemic. This is not a fund to offer credit, promotion, or loans. It’s a no-strings-attached gift to help our hard-hit salon and stylist community. Our salon partners are the heart and soul of our brand. This program allows them to get back behind the chair, with product in hand, without worry, financial burden or any sort of payback. It’s what they need right now so they can get back to doing what they love, and that’s doing hair. All active salons and stylists can use their gift allotment on in-stock retail inventory, back bar products, and samples.
JJ: Advocacy is another pillar of your commitment to sustainability. What initiatives do you support and what do you think consumers have to look forward to in the near future?
As 1% for the Planet Business Members, we support 3 non-profits, Women’s Voices for the Earth, California Coastkeeper Alliance and Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, but we plan to grow that community. We also love the work by Plastic Bank that help us make our vision of being Plastic Proactive possible. We invite anyone to learn more about the work we do with these partners as well as stay up to date with our future efforts from packaging changes to advocacy opportunities by following our People + Planet page on innersensebeauty.com
JJ: What does ‘going blue’ mean to you?
Going Blue is individual for each brand and company. As we’ve grown Innersense globally, I realized we not only needed to give back but to take meaningful action. Our Planet deserves better from all of us. Being a leader requires us to be responsible and going blue and continuing to seek new ways to be blue, supports our commitment to people and planet, it’s our purpose.
JJ: Being a blue beauty company is important, but so is a high-quality product that performs. Innersense makes a top-quality product. To what do you attribute your formula efficacy?
From day one, and as salon stylists, Joanne and I knew product performance was going to be key. Ingredient selection has always been equally as critical not only for safety and purity but for the performance of each ingredient we select. Along the way we also adapted processes to preserve the integrity of each ingredient, realizing that the concentration of our ingredients is the key to delivering the efficacious performance that makes the performance of our products exceptional. With Innersense, our formulas are ultra-concentrated, so you really need to use a lot less than traditional, watered-down formulas. When we say less is more, we really mean it!
JJ: Last Week Innersense donated $100,000 to four Racial Justice organizations, NAACP, Black Lives Matter, Campaign Zero and The Loveland Foundation. What does the issue of racial justice mean to you, and what do you want our community to know about Innersense’s commitment to fighting for change?
Simply stated now is the time for strong voices and leadership. I realize we are a beauty brand thus politics and shampoo do not mix well. However, we are a socially active company that serves a highly diverse community. The last few weeks have been the tipping point as we have all witnessed tragedies and injustices. Joanne and I have been in shock, feeling hopeless, and frustrated. We also recognize we have a platform and responsibility as a company to take action as passionately as we have for Clean Beauty and Sustainability. We all need to step up and act. We have learned a lot of lessons over the last two weeks and realize that we need to show up differently as a company.
Making meaningful change starts now.
