Hi all, I am super stoked to let you know about this awesome eco-friendly hair care company I came across. One day my boss was telling me about her sweet swaps from plastic to non-plastic products and mentioned that she uses HiBAR. I had let her know that I was having a hard time finding a bar conditioner that worked for my long, thick and often tangled hair. I was cautiously optimistic to try out this product (but hopeful because she has super long hair and had a good experience) and am very pleased to let you know that it works great! I had tried 2 previous bar conditioners from another company, but my hair never felt conditioned or detangled- and these things aren’t necessarily cheap!
More: It did take some getting use to using these bars for the first 2-3 days because they feel more slippery in my hand (I think due to the shape and texture) compared to other bars I’ve tried, but I have been officially converted! I also could really tell that the founders worked with a team of hair care professionals to make a great product that not only fits with their goals of decreasing plastic waste, but really meets expectations to shampoo and condition.
PS: this is not a sponsored post or anything- just my honest opinion to share for those of you who are also interested in making more moves to zero waste! So enough from me- check out my interview below with co-founder Dion Hughes.
How did HiBAR get started?
Dion: “I’d just come back from a family vacation in Mexico where I was shocked to see the amount of plastic trash washed up on beaches. I was standing in my shower, noticing how much single-use plastic my family was using in the shape of shampoos and conditioners. I went looking for a product to replace all that plastic but could not find anything that worked for my hair, nor a brand that I felt spoke to beauty and optimism. So I started to think about what that product and brand would be, and it was then that I found out a few friends of mine were pivoting their bath bomb company to get rid of plastic in the bathroom. We joined forces and started developing ideas from there.”
Who are the founders of HiBAR?
Dion: “Nora Schaper, Jay Schaper, Ward Johnson and myself.”
Where are HiBAR bars made and by whom?
Dion: “We make them ourselves in our factory in Saint Paul, Minnesota.”
Tell us about HiBAR’s packaging
Dion: “The packaging is designed to sit on a shelf next to traditional plastic-bottled products, to give shoppers a clear choice between plastic and a recyclable paper-packaged product.”
How much plastic is kept out of our landfills and oceans by using bar shampoo and conditioner?
Dion: “That’s a tough question because it depends upon the way you calculate how long a bar product lasts versus its plastic-packaged counterpart. We are very conservative in our estimate of this: we say that one of our shampoo bars lasts at least as long as a 16oz bottle, and our conditioner bars last even longer than that. The truth is we hear of customers who have been using the same bars for almost a year. Overall, though, we know that less than 8% of plastics OVERALL are actually recycled. And that bathroom plastics have an even lower rate of re-use. Also, over half a billion plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles will be discarded this year in the US alone. So, it’s a lot of plastic. And it’s a meaningful swap, too. We are changing behavior at a particularly important time in a customer’s day – as they prepare themselves to go out into the world.”
What is HiBAR’s mission?
Dion: “We want to help get rid of single-use plastic. We want to change the world, and look good doing it.”
What goals does HiBAR have for the future?
Dion: “Our goal is to keep designing the plastic out of products, wherever there is an impact to be made. We want to influence others to have a shot at the same goal. Because it will take way more than one little company in Minnesota. It’s going to take thousands, all around the world, upstarts and established players, governments, NGOs etc.”
Anything else you would like the people to know about your product or the people who work at HiBAR?
Dion: “We started this company because we believe and still believe that we can make a positive difference. That we can help solve a problem that seems, to many, completely out of hand. We want to be one small example of optimism winning the day.”
I want to give a huge shout out out to HiBAR for collaborating for me to put this post out into the world and especially co-founder Dion for taking the time to do this interview! To the founders, thank you for your dedication to making the world a more sustainable place, while giving us all beautiful hair at the same time!
Dear readers, check out HiBAR’s questions page on their website for other really great information about this company and their products! Just for a sneak peak of some of the info, two of their bars are completely vegan, there are no parabens, silicones or sulfates in their bars, and their packaging contains plant based inks!
Peace and love,
Joanna
Instagram: @waveofconsciousness
Direct message me via instagram if you are interested in collaborating!