Photo Courtesy of @hairecosmetics
Imagine a beauty company that is not only 100% cruelty-free but prioritizes ethics, a beauty company devoted to reversing the damage of the beauty industry. Haire Cosmetics is such a company. Founded in 2019 by Hofstra University alumnus Sean Davenport, Haire Cosmetics is dedicated to combatting the negative aspects of the beauty industry.
Davenport graduated from Hofstra University in 2020 with a degree in Public Relations. He started making beauty products for himself in 2019 to avoid spending large amounts of money at beauty stores. But when his friends first gave him the idea to start his own beauty company, Davenport had his reservations.
“I just [didn’t] want to make another business when there’s literally a million beauty companies out there,” Davenport said. “What’s going to make me special?”
Davenport eventually realized that his commitment to ethics and sustainability could set him apart from established beauty companies, giving him the idea to start Haire Cosmetics.
“There’s a lot of toxic energy in the beauty community,” Davenport said. “There’s terrible beauty standards, animal testing [and] poor sustainability.”
“What if I am able to take something that I’m [passionate] about, which is saving the planet [and] helping animals, and then combine that with the products that I was already making?” Davenport said. “That’s where I settled down with the idea of making this business to reverse all that damage.”
Davenport has worked hard to make Haire Cosmetics one-of-a-kind, a company that truly turns his values into actions. Since the company’s launch, Davenport has created a variety of cruelty-free hair and skin products, all while promoting a message of progress.
“Companies are cruelty-free, but nobody is anti-cruelty,” he said. “Nobody is going against other companies to stop it. Nobody is really donating to the shelters or the organizations that are doing this stuff or if they do, it’s a partial afterthought, not a structural part of their company.”
Haire Cosmetics is actively anti-cruelty. The company refuses to participate in animal testing and uses their blog and social media platforms to promote their commitment to change. Haire Cosmetics also donates their proceeds to protect animal welfare.
“We personally donate to animal shelters that are housing animals that were abused,” Davenport said. “We donate to the rescue missions themselves. They [rescue missions] are organizations that are going into labs and rescuing animals that are being unnecessarily tested.”
Animal testing and cruelty is something that is still prevalent in the beauty industry. According to peta.org, Estée Lauder, Clinique, Maybelline, Mary Kay and Victoria’s Secret are just a few of the many beauty companies that still participate in animal testing – something that is avoidable, according to Davenport.
“There are ways we can go around [animal] testing,” he said. “We can do testing on ourselves … [Animal testing] is not a necessary component, it’s just a cheaper component.” Davenport also explained that there are new technologies being developed that eliminate the need for testing in general.
Not only does Haire Cosmetics donate to shelters and rescue missions, but they also support lobbyists and legislations that are working to force companies within the U.S. to stop animal testing. They also offer clean, natural and vegan products with plastic-free shipping and pre-recycled product packaging.
Haire Cosmetics is actively working to reverse the damage of the beauty industry and believes that “nobody should have to choose between feeling good and doing good.”
