Salon Quality Hair Bars That Put The Planet First
Despite Covid Challenges This Cosmetic Startup Continues to Win.
What started out as an innovative idea to eliminate plastic between husband and wife, Jay and Nora Schaper, has turned into a thriving business with sales in over 11,000 stores nationwide and a team of over 35 employees. Today, HiBAR is being driven by four friends, Jay, Nora, Deon, and Ward all of whom are on a mission to offer salon-quality plastic-free shampoo and conditioner while spreading awareness around how small changes can go a long way to building a more sustainable future.
It was not an easy process to create such a unique product. In fact, when they first set out to create a salon-quality shampoo bar, they were told by a leading chemist in the beauty industry that it couldn’t be done. But after three years of formulation HiBar was launched, and today the company offers salon-quality performance and experience, natural ingredients, and beautiful plastic-free packaging. Since it’s launch, HiBAR has captured substantial market share of the sustainability sector and is now working to become a top option for all beauty consumers.
Pushing the Industry Forward
HiBar Adopts Retro Formulation Methods
To Drive Innovation.
The fashion industry has been highly celebrated over the past year for it’s capacity to revisit old techniques that reduce wast and improve product quality. HiBAR reminds us that these efforts apply to the cosmetic industry as well. The company offers a concentrated formula for their shampoo and conditioning bars, which eliminates the need for water in their products. Although this sounds like a new concept, before the 1950s, a concentrated beauty product was the commonplace consistency of shampoo and conditioners.
In a chat with our CEO, Nora, HiBAR’s company President and Sales Manager, stated that traditional shampoos and conditioners contain up to eighty percent water. And, tend to use a large amount of plastic to bottle products. HiBAR’s cleansing bars take on the conservation of both resources without the sacrifice of the consumer’s beauty routine.
Gen Z's Impact on Cosmetic Spending
When asked about how the conversation around sustainability has changed in recent years, Nora shared that engagement around plastic waste has increased around 3000%. What may be surprising is who is at the forefront of these conversations. Nora explained that today, teenagers between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years olds are driving conversations around sustainable practices and are really the changemakers for many of the shifts we see happening in the sustainability industry. According to Rolling Stone, “Gen Z represents an estimated $143 billion in annual spending power. This doesn’t even include the $127 billion spent on their behalf each year.”
A recent article from Entreprenuer chronicles just how clean beauty brands like HiBar’s commitment to sustainability-conscious consumers and their environmentally focused demands has positioned them to financially dominate the industry. Because of the recent boost in sustainability awareness and education, Nora shared that HiBAR was able to establish partnerships with big brands such as Wholefoods, Sprouts, Kroger, and REI, as well as many hair salons and natural eco stores across the nation. She noted that in a time when so many people have turned to digital shopping, HiBar’s main source of sales is hyperlocal, brick and mortar shopping destinations, a business model that is projected to continue propelling disruptions in the industry, according to a recent report from Deloitte.
Agility is the Key for Exponential Growth
When asked, “How has the spotlight on sustainability that has come recently impacted your company and brand?” Nora shared that in addition to building new partnerships and expanding their internal team, HiBAR’s business grew a whopping 200% in 2020, and was up 50% in 2021. She attributes this growth to a few factors. The first is that in the midst of a global pandemic, many people were more open to experimenting with their hair care products and routines, whereas traditionally they may have been more hesitant to explore new products. She also stated that HiBAR’s commitment to offering a sustainable product that is also sulfate free, color-safe, and salon quality has really helped the company expand. In addition, because all of their products are self-manufactured right here in the U.S., the team was able to adapt and change with the sudden changes that the pandemic brought. While other companies with larger footprints and overseas manufacturing struggled to respond to some of the supply chain challenges of the pandemic, HiBAR was able to pivot to an in-house approach to shipment.
Predictions for 2022
Check out some of Nora’s forecasts for the sustainability industry.
sustainability will continue to drive ROI
Nora shared that she believes that sustainability will continue to be a driver for the younger female age group.
Popular Culture Will Move to Support Green Initiatives
“Products in a single-use plastic container will soon be like “smoking in public” - disgraced by consumers and frowned upon.
bigger companies are beginning to become more conscious
Bigger companies are beginning to become more conscious about plastic pollution and starting to think through more sustainable changes in their production processes.
HiBar Up Next
HiBAR is already ahead of this curve with their innovative line of salon-quality shampoo and conditioning solids and they are working to be one of the top three sustainable brands driving these changes. To learn more about HiBAR and its products, visit them online at https://hellohibar.com. You can also follow the company on social @hellohibar to keep up with new their new product launches, including a sustainable deodorant and an amino-based face cleaner and body bar.
Meet The Founder
Nora Schaper
Nora Manning Schaper is a co-founder of HiBAR a company that is on a mission to inspire the removal of single use plastic by redesigning personal care products to be beautiful, functional and plastic-free.
