Building a Bold, Sustainable Hair Care Brand One Dip At a Time with Kate Assaraf, founder of DIP Hair Care
On the latest episode of The Wild Party Podcast, I had the absolute joy of welcoming Kate Assaraf, the bold, unapologetic, and brilliantly grounded founder of Dip Sustainable Hair Care. And let me tell you—this was more than just a conversation about shampoo and conditioner bars. It was a crash course in real sustainability, conscious consumerism, and what it looks like to build a business that puts purpose over profit.
From Beauty Industry Insider to Eco Trailblazer
Kate spent nearly two decades in the beauty industry before making a bold pivot. After discovering the real impact of plastic pollution—particularly how much harm it causes to aquatic life and human health—Kate couldn’t unsee what she had learned. But even after trying to reduce her plastic use, she found herself secretly clinging to her expensive salon bottles. Why? Because the sustainable alternatives just weren’t working.
That’s when Dip was born: not just to tackle the plastic problem, but to fix the emotional disconnect consumers feel when they try to make eco-friendly swaps that let them down. Kate wanted to make sustainability easy, effective, and irresistible.
Building a Bar That Actually Works
Instead of reverse-engineering existing bar shampoos, Kate partnered with a chemist known for top-tier salon products and gave him a challenge: create a solid shampoo and conditioner that perform as well as (or better than) liquid luxury brands. The process was meticulous. Kate tested prototypes on one half of her head and compared them to high-end brands like Oribe and Pureology on the other.
Once satisfied, she handed samples to 400 people with different hair types—from curly to pin-straight—and collected extensive feedback. The result? A universally effective formula that doesn’t just replace traditional hair care—it outperforms it. And with just one bar lasting months (up to a year for the large conditioner!), users save money and reduce their environmental footprint at the same time.
Simplicity Over Choice Paralysis
One of Dip’s core philosophies is to eliminate choice overload. Unlike drugstore shelves packed with dozens of "specialized" formulas, Dip offers one shampoo and one conditioner—just pick your favorite scent. This simplicity helps customers make more mindful purchases and avoids unnecessary product waste.
Storage That Makes Sense
Kate didn’t stop at formulation. She tackled the biggest turnoff about bar products: the mess. Dip’s patented shower rack keeps bars dry and tidy, turning what could be a soggy experience into a clean, seamless ritual. It’s all about making sustainability fit your real life—not the other way around.
Ditching Amazon, Embracing Local
Dip doesn’t sell on Amazon. Why? Because Kate believes in reinvesting in local communities. Every time you shop local, your dollars stay in your town—supporting real people, real businesses, and real impact. Instead of mass distribution, Dip champions small retailers and encourages customers to find nearby stockists. It’s a radical act in a world of Prime shipping.
Marketing with Integrity
In a beauty industry obsessed with influencers and curated user-generated content, Kate made another bold move: Dip doesn’t pay for reviews or influencer promotions. Every testimonial, every video, and every glowing review is real. No scripts, no sponsorships—just genuine customers who love the product enough to share it.
Sustainability Without Shame
Kate's approach to sustainability is refreshingly human. She doesn’t preach. She doesn’t guilt-trip. Instead, she uses humor, honesty, and smart design to bring people into the conversation. “Sustainability should be inclusive,” she says. “Everyone lives on Earth. We all have a stake in this.”
Dip’s mission isn’t about environmental perfectionism. It’s about practical, joyful, incremental change—whether that’s switching your shampoo, refilling your soap, or buying one less bottle of plastic.
The Secret Sauce (Literally)
Toward the end of our chat, we unboxed Dip’s "secret sauce": an enzyme cleansing spray housed in repurposed dead stock plastic bottles. It’s a multitasking miracle—perfect for post-run freshening, stain removal, or those can’t-make-it-to-the-shower days. It’s the only plastic product in Dip’s lineup, and Kate made sure it earned its place by saving thousands of bottles from landfills.
A Business That’s Big on Balance
Perhaps most inspiring of all is how Kate defines success. She’s not chasing billions. She’s building a business that supports her team, pays fair wages, and allows her to spend time with her family. She’s living proof that you don’t have to grind yourself into the ground to create something meaningful—and profitable.
As Kate says, “I spring out of bed with a sense of purpose. The moment I stop feeling that way, that’s when I know it’s time to step back.”
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever been disappointed by a sustainable product that didn’t live up to the hype—or you’re just tired of all the plastic in your bathroom—Dip might be your new favorite brand. It certainly became mine. I’ve tried the products myself (hello, tobacco and driftwood scent!), and the results were real: softer, shinier, frizz-free hair with fewer bottles on my shelf.
Dip isn’t just a brand—it’s a movement. One that proves small steps, small businesses, and small changes really can make a big difference.
🧼 Try Dip for yourself: Use this link to shop Dip and get 15% off your order using my exclusive code.
(Full disclosure - I may receive a small commission through this affiliate link, but I only recommend products I actually love—and this one’s a game-changer.)
