Kate Assaraf on Building Dip: The Honest Truth Behind Plastic-Free Haircare

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: Kate Assaraf on Building Dip: How She Created a 7-Figure Clean Beauty Brand Without Amazon

When Kate Assaraf launched Dip in 2021, she wasn’t interested in chasing trends, influencers, or fast to market gimmicks. She wanted to rewrite the rules of beauty. After years in the industry, she had seen firsthand the smoke and mirrors tactics—from drawing wrinkles onto models only to erase them with products on live TV, to staged before and afters that preyed on consumer trust. The experience left her determined to build something different: a brand anchored in authenticity, performance, and purpose.

Breaking Away from Dishonest Marketing

Early in her career, Kate was shocked by the dishonesty in beauty marketing. What looked magical on screen was often carefully staged illusions. 

“It’s all smoke and mirrors in beauty,” she admitted, recalling how quickly she learned that the glossy exterior often hid manipulation.

Instead of following the influencer heavy route most brands chase, Kate vowed to grow Dip differently. She refused to pay for fake UGC or incentivized reviews. 

“If you see someone post about Dip, whether it’s good or bad, it’s real,” she emphasized.

 This commitment to authenticity has set Dip apart in an oversaturated industry.

From Plastic Awareness to Performance Haircare

The spark that lit Dip’s creation came long before launch. Over a decade ago, Kate began uncovering the harsh realities of plastic... not just its environmental toll, but its role in endocrine disruption and threats to human health. After trying countless “plastic-free” products that didn’t perform, she made a decision: If no one else was going to do it right, I will.

By 2021, Dip was born: serious haircare that just happens to be plastic-free. With bars crafted to rival high end salon formulas, Dip promised what others couldn’t, products that delivered performance without compromise.

Shampoo and Conditioner That Redefine Expectations

Dip’s lineup is rooted in simplicity: shampoo and conditioner bars designed for all hair types. Instead of pushing dozens of SKUs, Kate focused on perfecting formulas.

The conditioner bar, her “Magnum Opus”, instantly detangles in water and can replace even the priciest salon favorites. Customers often find it outperforms $70 luxury products, saving them hundreds per year. Meanwhile, the shampoo bar is gentle enough for daily use yet strong enough to meet the needs of runners, surfers, and parents who wash frequently.

“I obsessed over making it work across hair types,” Kate shared. “From type one to type four curls.. you just shop your scent, not your hair type.”

Why Retailers Choose Dip

Dip isn’t just thriving online—it’s embraced by salons, surf shops, and refill stores nationwide. Retailers test every bar before putting it on shelves, often choosing Dip over bigger brands because of its unmatched performance.

Kate credits much of the brand’s growth to this community first model. 

“My gratitude is to these retailers that have created a network for me, so we can all thrive together,” she explained.

A Lesson in Staying True

Not every step in Dip’s journey has been smooth. Kate recalls investing $50,000 in a certification she believed would guarantee transparency for her customers, only to discover the company had sunsetted the program months earlier. The fallout was expensive and exhausting, forcing her to hire attorneys and reprint packaging.

Instead of letting the setback break her, she reframed it as a lesson.

“I learned that greed can override purpose. And I learned what kind of CEO I wanted to be, one who doesn’t compromise my values.”

Seven Figures Without Selling Out

In less than 18 months, Dip scaled to seven figures—a feat even more impressive given that it was done without Amazon, Ulta, or paid influencer campaigns. The success, Kate insists, came from staying small, intentional, and community-driven.

“If I have to mention my revenue to get respect from another business owner, that person is not cool,” she said, laughing. Instead, she lets Dip’s performance, and its thriving network of retailers speak for itself.

Kate’s Advice: Keep the Magic

As the conversation closed, Kate offered advice that transcends business. Her mantra? Stay curious.

“Your default mode as a human is curiosity. Keep that magic. Whether it’s tasting new things, picking up a paintbrush, or visiting a place that makes you feel like a fish out of water, just keep doing the things that light you up. A job and a company are wonderful, but they don’t replace the magic that comes from curiosity.”

Final Thoughts

Dip isn’t just another beauty brand—it’s proof that businesses built on honesty, performance, and community can thrive without compromise. Kate Assaraf has shown that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of integrity, and her story is a powerful reminder that the future of beauty can be both ethical and effective.