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How does Dip Hair Care arrive on so many shelves?  Conditioner bars are one of those low-waste products that even seasoned sustainable shoppers will claim “just don’t work on my hair.” And then they try Dip conditioner bars and come to understand that there is as much variation in quality and efficacy in solid hair care as there is in liquid.

Most shampoo bottles are landfill-bound, not ocean-bound, so be wary of marketing campaigns that automatically tie recycled plastic or plastic-free alternatives as “ocean-friendly”.  You still need to consider all the plastic around the bottle too, including the plastic film used for palletized goods (cling film literally lasts a millennia before it degrades!) Our plastic problem goes way beyond what we throw out: it goes back to the amount of virgin plastic we create, the inefficiency of recycling the plastic we already have, and the “on-demand” consumeristic mindset that makes this type of throwaway plastic in such high demand.

We believe in an intelligent consumer.  We think that people can sniff out that kind of inauthenticity a mile away now.  As for us here at Dip? We just try to make really great products you want to tell your friends about. That real human connection–and all that gritty, “unsavory” parts that come with it–are what make it genuine. We don't pay for likes, reviews or any other inauthentic marketing.  If that means we grow slower, then so be it.  We are cool with that.  

 Women friendships (and the shared passions that go with them) are an untapped power source in our industry. These types of friendships can spark some amazing things, and going forward, Kassia and I are ready to put those to good use.  So this is the meet-cute story of how Dip was built with human connection, and not corporate emails, conference tables, & phone-tag. We invented a new kind of "board meeting". We met with surfboards in the wild: your friendly neighborhood Dipette, Kassia Meador, and the badass crew from Rise Up Retreats.

Dip deserves a slow clap moment, because it’s about time that there’s a quality, sustainable product that is good for your hair and the environment.  Let’s keep in mind that until recently, sustainable beauty was not very colorful (literally and figuratively) in how it was marketed. Aside from crunchy packaging that came in fifty shades of beige, there was a lack of diversity in the faces and hair textures we saw representing these beauty brands.

Record stores, on paper, were just another shop trying to stay afloat. In person, however, they were cultivation grounds for something entirely different and beautiful. They were a place to slow down, to reminisce with music you already loved, or discover new artists that sometimes pulled you in a whole new direction in life. And, of course, they were always staffed by people who loved the art (not just the job).

On the flip side, natural fragrances are not sustainable by default. Despite their eco-friendly reputation, natural fragrances are made by extracting the scent from plants and animals, and that biomass has to come from somewhere. Cultivating these scents can lead to overharvested farmlands, deforestation, and pesticide use, among other concerns.  The green beauty industry loves phrases like “chemical free”, “no toxins”, but those can get a little greenwashy at the surface level. Chemicals aren’t the problem; a 2D understanding of sustainability is. 

We want someone to rave about our product because we have the best shampoo bar and the best conditioner bar on the market, not because we paid them to tell people we’re the best. And if they feel that way and want to pitch to us a social media campaign, the photography with our product, art, etc. we would LOVE to hear them out on that level. 

We took an oath to never pay influencers to promote our products (there are other ways to spread the word that Dip has the best conditioner bar on the market).  We love hearing from people who love us, we love seeing people recommend us, and we love supporting creatives, but you can be sure that anything you see or hear about Dip will be un-coerced and entirely authentic. 

There’s become an emptiness to "women's empowerment": the tote bag, pins and hashtags aren’t enough. Women supporting women has to be action, has to be networking, referrals, and celebration of successes without feeling like you now “owe” who’s helped you.