Ingredient transparency
Ingredient transparency
There is a lot of talk about what goes into haircare. At EverCircle we think just as much about what stays out, and where it all ends up after it leaves your shower.
We were made for life in and out of the water, so every formula is designed with its full lifecycle in mind, from the first wash to the moment it rinses down the drain and into our waterways. Four things you will never find on our ingredient lists are sulphates, parabens, silicones and ammonia. Here is what each one is, in plain language, and why we choose to leave it out.
On sulphates
Sulphates are the detergents that make shampoo foam up into that big, satisfying lather. We have been trained to read that foam as clean, but it comes at a cost. Sulphates are such effective cleansers that they strip away the natural oils your scalp produces to protect itself, not just the dirt and product buildup. For a lot of people that shows up as dryness, frizz, an itchy scalp, faster colour fade, and hair that swings between greasy and parched.
We clean with gentler, plant-based alternatives that lift away the day without stripping everything else with it. You get less dramatic foam and a much happier scalp.
On parabens
Parabens are synthetic preservatives. Their job is to stop bacteria and mould growing in water-based products, which is genuinely important, because a product that spoils is a product that can irritate your skin. The reason we avoid them is that some parabens can weakly mimic oestrogen in the body. The science is not settled on what that means for everyday use, and we are not here to scare anyone. We simply prefer to sidestep the question entirely and preserve our formulas a gentler way.
On silicones
Silicones are synthetic polymers that coat the hair in a thin film to create an instant smooth, slippery feel. It looks like results, but it is mostly a costume. Over time silicones build up on the hair and eventually need stripping back, and because they sit on the surface rather than nourishing from within, the moment you stop using them the underlying condition is often unchanged.
There is an environmental side too, and it is the one that matters most to us. When silicones rinse off and head down the drain, they do not break down quickly in our waterways. Some are now officially flagged by regulators as very persistent and very bioaccumulative, which is a careful way of saying they hang around in the environment far longer than we would like.
You may have heard silicones called a forever chemical. That is not quite right, and we would rather give you the honest version. Forever chemicals is the nickname for a different family called PFAS, built on bonds that almost never break down at all. Silicones are not PFAS, and they do eventually degrade. But persistent is persistent, and for a brand built around ocean care, eventually is not good enough. We create real slip and shine with natural oils instead, the kind your hair and the ocean can both handle.
On ammonia
Ammonia is the odd one out here, because it is not about washing. It is the harsh agent used in many permanent colours and lighteners to force the hair cuticle open so dye or bleach can get in. It works, but it comes with sharp fumes, scalp and eye irritation, and cuticle damage. Gentler alternatives exist, and we choose them.
The things that are harshest on your hair are often the same things that are harshest on the water they wash into.
What we use instead
Leaving things out is only half the story. In place of sulphates we use mild plant-based cleansers. In place of silicones we use nourishing oils like argan, jojoba and broccoli seed that smooth and protect without coating. Our formulas are preserved safely, made in Australia, vegan and never tested on animals, and every ingredient is listed in full, every time.
A note from Jessie
Choosing gentler is not a compromise. For your hair, and for the ocean, it is the whole point. When I started EverCircle, I wanted haircare you could reach for without having to wonder what it was quietly doing to your hair or to the water it washed into. Leaving these four things out is part of how we keep that promise.
If you ever want to know exactly what is in a particular product and why, the full ingredient list is on every page. We have nothing to hide, and we never will.
Explore the range at evercircle.au, or read the full ingredient list on any product page.
Comments