With the many product brands out there and new ones being developed everyday, it’s hard to make sure you stand out from the rest. Enter Kavella Hair Care - a Woman owned and developed vegan hair care line that, we believe, is making a huge impact on our industry and environment.

We had the pleasure of being introduced to Ashely in 2018 and knew right away that this was someone who was headed places. She puts the NERD in Hair Nerd and started developing her own hair care products while still in beauty school. We highly recommend giving these products a try and know that you wont be disappointed.

What does a “typical” day look like for Ashley?

My alarm clock is three fur babies – our rescued pit bulls – who attack me with kisses to let me know they’re ready for breakfast. After the morning ritual of coffee and checking on the garden, I answer emails and check on orders. The rest of the day depends on what kinds of projects or quantities of orders we’re looking at. I either head to the lab to make products, hop over to the warehouse to work alongside my assistant, or work on any number of other creative or admin tasks.

Early in your #cosmobaby career you knew there was a need for Kavella Hair care in the industry. Tell us more about how you brought this line to fruition…

I went to a cosmetology school with the end goal of opening a salon someday. Products and ingredients had never crossed my mind. One day at school, a teacher suggested we read the ingredients of our products to see if we recognized anything. None of it made sense. Being a total nerd, I became fascinated with learning what all these things meant.

The more I researched, the more I realized that the products we were using had very toxic ingredients, animal-derived ingredients and were tested on animals. I decided I would try to copy a protein mask we used at school, but by replacing the ingredients I no longer wanted to use. I created a mask that had plant proteins, oils naturally high in ceramides, and olive wax instead of beeswax. And somehow, this homemade hair mask transformed my poofy, damaged hair into something manageable and strong! After that first clean, animal-friendly product really worked, I couldn’t wait to make more and more.

After a while of making products for myself, my friend Brandon Balderrama opened Liberated Salon in Los Angeles, and his was the first salon to carry Kavella products.

Tell us everything we need to know about Kavella Hair Care?

Kavella makes shampoos, conditioners and styling products that are nontoxic, vegan-friendly and gluten-free. The ingredients are the highest quality and organic wherever possible, and the products are for ALL hair types and textures. On top of using clean and sustainable ingredients, one of our new sustainability efforts is our Refill Program. Salons can purchase gallon sizes of some of our most popular shampoos and conditioner, and they can refill their clients’ bottles from it, saving money and plastic!

What is the biggest challenge you face in your career?

Raising awareness and educating on our extensive ingredient standards. There is much more to creating clean formulas than simply following what’s popular (sulfate-free, paraben-free for example.) And some of the ingredient classes are hard to pronounce (isothiazolinones, anyone?) The longer I formulate products, the stricter I become with the ingredients I will use. Formulating great products within these strict ingredient standards is challenging, but succeeding with a new, non-compromised product is the best feeling!

When you’re feeling uninspired, what brings you motivation?

Salon owners and hair stylists. I love reading what they are interested in. One way I like to explain Kavella is this: Most brands are creating products and then telling the stylist that they need them. Instead, Kavella is listening to what the stylists actually need, and then creating it. One of the most recent ones was a stylist expressing that they wished products came without pumps since pumps are so difficult to recycle. As a small company with small batches, Kavella can make a packaging change a lot faster than a big brand with massive amounts of inventory. This was only a few months ago, and with some research and some testing, we’ve already removed pumps from 3 products and have plans for a few more!

Why vegan packaging ingredients?

Mindfulness. Every ingredient is picked out with mindfulness, and choosing vegan ingredients is one part of that. Was something harmed to source this ingredient? If so, I look for an alternative.

What’s so great about this industry and why?

Individuality! Before I went to cosmetology school, I worked in a very corporate environment, which was a long cry from my mohawk days. In this industry, no matter who you are or what you look like, there is a place for you.

There is also room to change your focus and keep things fun and fresh.

Your job has allowed you to meet a lot of stylists. What one key trait do you think all awesomely, successful stylists share?

Curiosity. Never thinking they have mastered it all already. The most interesting and talented stylists I’ve met are really into education. They want to learn new skills that keep them, and their clients, excited about their hair.

If someone wants to follow your path what’s the most important thing to know?

Good things take time. Kavella is coming up on our 5-year anniversary, and we’ve grown steadily. There was no overnight success. Another founder that I look up to is Daniel Lubetzky of KIND bars. He started KIND in 2004, and he did all the jobs to make the business run: salesperson, warehouse worker, delivery man, etc. Now KIND bars are a household name, and their team has hundreds of people. Success takes time, dedication and hard work. Stick to it. Don’t give up. And never compromise your brand ethics and morals to try and grow faster.

Where can people find out more information about you and Kavella?

IG: @Kavellahaircare

kavella.com

Salons can request a pro account here

Ashley Feinberg