Jess Gerring, Sophie Zalkauskas and Jade Thomson are the co-founders of Hello Hair and are very hands on within their business. “There is only the three of us, it means that we are super busy, but we are very hands on, ensuring we are all across all aspects,” said Gerring. “We have always had a similar vision for where we want the business to go.”
The trio didn’t study or come from a beauty or hair focussed background, claiming they fell into the beauty industry. Gerring, Thomson and Zalkauskas all had quite blonde hair and struggled to find a hair treatment that wasn’t packed full of artificial ingredients, nasty chemicals or harsh emulsifiers. Together they searched to identify ingredients that were natural, gentle and beneficial for all hair types. “When we launched our business, there were very few companies doing what we were doing on Instagram, and nobody was leading the charge in the hair care space,” Gerring explained. “We were fortunate to come into the market when we did, and our first product, Original Hydrating Hair Mask, went viral on social media when we launched in December 2013.” Their customers have a very high expectation of the products, which drives Hello Hair to continue to develop high performing naturally derived hair care. They also ensure that their products are always ‘instagramable’ as well, given they are a business who is prominent on social media.
The three-year-old brand settled on the name Hello Hair after agreeing on its extensive international reach. “We thought the word ‘hello’ was fitting because it’s such a globally recognised and understood word. It rolls off the tongue quite easily.”
Proudly Australian-made, vegan, and cruelty-free, the team at Hello Hair work with a beauty manufacturer in Melbourne to collaboratively develop their natural products. With 12 different products available on their website, Hello Hair has several more in the works. “Because we do develop all of the products in our range from scratch, it is quite a long journey from conception to release,” said Gerring. “All of the ingredients within our products are straightforward and easy to understand, no unpronounceable names or crazy chemical compounds are inside.”
Currently stocked in Loxy’s in Auckland and Wellington and Spring Day Spa in Auckland, the team is excited to expand their business. “We are always looking for new stockists, and anyone looking to stock our products in their shop, salon or online store is welcome to contact us!”
For more information visit www.hellohair.com.au.
