Sustainable Spotlight: Innersense Organic Beauty
Innersense Organic Beauty founders Greg and Joanne Starkman.
If you’re in search of a clean and sustainable beauty brand with heart and soul, Innersense Organic Beauty is a brand you should know about. Innersense offers cleaner, healthier, and toxin-free haircare products made from sustainably-sourced certified organic and wild-crafted ingredients. The brand’s story is inspired by family, mindfulness, empowerment, and purpose.
Meet the Founders
Innersense Organic Beauty was founded by seasoned beauty professionals Joanne and Greg Starkman who are both passionate about clean beauty and hair care. Joanne’s mantra is “Love your hair, love yourself.” As a stylist with two decades of experience behind-the-chair, Joanne’s background in the industry combined with her enthusiasm for self-care encourages the community of stylists and consumers to tap into their “innersense” to fulfill mind, body, and spirit.
Greg Starkman is a beauty product ingredient expert and safe cosmetics advocate. A beauty entrepreneur and pioneer in the clean beauty space, Greg is known for his expertise in beauty industry sustainability, packaging, and organic haircare formulations.
A Family Story
“This love story is also a story of family. Our brand was born and inspired by ours. Morgan, our first born daughter, was 22-months-old when she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, Williams Syndrome.” Joanne and Greg share on the Innersense Organic Beauty website. The founders explain that they wanted to raise their daughter in a healthy, mindful, and loving environment, but struggled at times to find this within themselves. A spiritual advisor’s simple yet powerful advice guided them out of the darkness: “Trust your inner sense.”
Cleaner, Healthier Beauty
Innersense Organic Beauty is dedicated to helping consumers and beauty pros make cleaner and healthier beauty choices by providing products without the hidden toxins found in many conventional haircare brands. After noticing that many professional beauty colleagues were being diagnosed with chronic diseases at an alarming rate, the founders immersed themselves in their journey to provide clean beauty products.
The brand’s products are formulated with certified organic and wildly crafted ingredients known for their soothing and cleansing benefits to the skin, scalp, and hair.
What You Won’t Find in Innersense Organic Beauty Products
Innersense formulas are free of phthalates, ethoxylates, sulfates, silicones, 1,4-Dioxane, parabens, petrochemical compounds, propylene and butylene glycol, PEG, MEA, TEA, MIA, artificial dyes, and synthetic fragrances. The products are also cruelty, gluten, and GMO-free.
Sustainable Steps
Innersense is in the process of transitioning their entire portfolio to 100% PCR. (PCR is a term for recycled plastic that is used in sustainable packaging.) “Our refreshed packaging also begins our transition into 100% PCR. Haircare poses unique packaging challenges—as opposed to skincare or makeup,” shares Greg. “Haircare packaging is larger in size, heavier in weight, and typically sits in our showers, so the bottles have to be functional and safe in a wet environment. PCR plastic is the most natural next step for our packaging.”
The brand’s updated packaging contributes to their overall Mission in Action, a plan introduced three years ago with the goal to become “plastic proactive.” This year, Innersense Organic Beauty made the commitment to cleaning up the equivalent of the last five years of their plastic output with the help of the Plastic Bank.
Sustainability in Action
The brand also works with the California CoastKeeper Alliance and the Blue Business Council to protect waterways, a place where cosmetic ingredients are one of the top five contaminants.
“Any material, whether it be glass, aluminum or plastic, comes with an environmental impact. We’re determined to utilize materials that lead us into a sustainable future and encourage a circular economy. As more innovation in materials and recycling infrastructure presents itself, we’ll continue to be early adopters,” shares Greg Starkman. “We have always cared for our customers and our environment. Now is the time to put our mission into action and be a part of the solution, not the problem.”
Shop Innersense Organic Beauty
Besides being known for non-toxic, sustainable beauty, Innersense is also famous for its award-winning “hair ceremonies,” kits like Awaken Color, Enliven Curls, and Boost Body that contain everything you need to achieve your hair goals.
Deeply Nourish Hair Ceremony ($140)
This collection of products provides intense conditioning and repair for extra thirsty, coarse hair. Includes: Hydrating Cream Hairbath, Hydrating Cream Conditioner, Hydrating Hair Masque, Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner, Harmonic Healing Oil (1 oz)
Hydrating Hair Mask ($34)
This luxurious mask repairs and revitalizes dry, coarse, and damaged hair with flax seed, shea butter, coconut and tamanu oils, and quinoa.
Quiet Calm Curl Control ($29)
This styling lotion helps to shape and define curls, eliminates frizz, and smooths textured hair with a perfect blend of certified organic shea butter, rooibos tea, and honey extract. A bouquet of certified organic orange flower oil and frangipani creates a sense of peace and balance.
I Create Volume ($33)
This volumizing lotion is formulated with certified organic honey and aloe vera to bring fullness and manageability to even the finest hair. Rice amino acids and eucalyptus add moisture, improving expansion and shine.
[Images and video courtesy of Innersense Organic Beauty]
Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer/editor. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram: @zillizy