Isn’t it confusing… how can you tell the difference between what’s really natural, and what someone wants you to think is natural? Especially when the ingredients are often hard to recognise and even harder to pronounce!
For Essano, being a natural brand is part of our DNA. To help us explain why it’s so important to us, we sat down with our business owner and hairdresser Shane Young to ask some questions about his personal ethos and the passion behind Essano.
Why natural? And what does that mean to you?
For me, I’m really interested in the powerful effect of plant and mineral-based ingredients. I’ve discovered it was often the synthetic chemicals in various products that made my skin sensitivities flare up; plant-based products didn’t irritate my skin. That really started this personal journey for me.
But great products only become great if they actually work!
I’m a hairdresser and have always had an interest in products and ingredients.
I feel that scientific advancements and increased sophistication in natural ingredients have meant that it’s now possible to develop amazing, effective, natural skincare products without having to pay moonbeams for them… we’re proving that.
How is Essano different from other skincare products found in most major supermarkets and pharmacies?
I personally wanted to create as natural a product as possible, with compromises on quality and effectiveness, but one that every woman could buy. I feel there are a couple of key differences: we started with a list of what we would never put in any of our products and we set out to make our products affordable and easy to obtain.
That list of exclusions formed Our Promise and can be found on all of our products. We promise that our products contain no irritants or contaminants, and that no unsustainable or animal cruelty practices have been used during their manufacture. We believe this is one of the strongest product promises in the world, something I’m really proud of.
How can people know Essano is natural?
We work with Ecocert, one of the largest certification organisations in the world. We have a certified organic lab and currently eight products for sale that are certified organic – this gives people reassurance. We are also part of the New Zealand Sustainable Business Network, which audits our business practices each year.
Where to from here for Essano?
I’m delighted to see the successful launch of our Essano haircare range. This took over two years to perfect and it’s great seeing all the amazing feedback coming in on a regular basis. We are continuously looking at new and exciting ingredients and product ideas. Natural products are increasingly in demand, so it’s a really interesting space to be developing new ideas within – I’m loving it.