🎧 Listen to the full episode here: How This Clean Beauty Founder Rebuilt a 7-Figure Brand After Losing Everything | Kate Assaraf of DIP
When Kate Assaraf, founder of Dip, set out to create her own haircare line, she wasn’t chasing trends.. she was solving real problems that women (including herself) face every day. As a runner and entrepreneur, Kate wanted products that could keep up with her lifestyle: gentle enough for daily use, strong enough to perform, and sustainable enough to make a difference.
Creating Shampoo for Real Life
Kate explains that after her workouts she often had to choose between her shower and her hair’s health. Traditional shampoos left her hair feeling stripped, while skipping washes wasn’t realistic. That’s when she set out to create a gentle shampoo bar she could use every day without compromise.
“It’s not about removing every bit of product, it’s about solving problems,” she said. For people who use heavy gels, the bar might not be the right fit, but for daily users, it’s exactly what they’ve been waiting for: a shampoo that respects both hair and lifestyle.
Now you no longer have to choose between a workout and a good hair day!
The Conditioner That Does It All
If the shampoo bar was built for everyday balance, the conditioner bar was built for longevity. Kate designed it to be what she calls
“the everlasting gobstopper of conditioner.”
It’s dense, powerful, and money saving, one bar that truly lasts.
And it doesn’t just condition, it detangles effortlessly. From swimmers battling pool hair to surfers with salty knots, the bar delivers slip like no other. Parents especially rave about its painless detangling power for kids. No sprays. No tugging. Just smooth, happy hair.
Beyond the Bottle
Kate’s vision wasn’t just about making good products, it was about reshaping the way people shop. That’s why Dip is sold in refill shops, salons, and surf stores across the U.S. These spaces introduce customers to sustainability in action.
“I don’t want to bark at people about plastic being bad,” Kate explained. “I want them to discover it on their own.”
By placing Dip in refill and zero-waste stores, customers who may have never considered refilling before suddenly see a whole new world of possibility.
Building a Community Through Haircare
Dip’s growth isn’t just measured in sales, it’s about community. From surf shops to salons, Kate has watched different groups embrace Dip in their own way, proving that sustainability and performance resonate far beyond the eco-conscious niche.
And through it all, she’s remained connected to customers, personally running Dip’s Instagram and TikTok pages. For Kate, it’s not just about marketing.. it’s about listening, sharing, and building trust.
A Founder’s Philosophy
Kate’s journey shows that innovation doesn’t always start with big, lofty goals. Sometimes it starts with something simple: wanting to take a run, a shower, and still feel good about your hair. From that very real need, Dip has grown into a movement.. one that challenges the norms of the beauty industry while giving people products that truly work.
