Have you ever thought you found a cool new independent brand for beauty or hair care only to realize later that it’s actually owned by a mega-corporation?
It’s a frustrating landscape, with what feels like little true choice. However, I’ve put together a list of actually independent haircare brands for you to check out!
I wanted to make sure these were products that work well too, so I connected with my friend Jessica Knight to get her input. She is an expert curly hair stylist and educator, having taught classes in over 35 states! If you’re in NYC and have curly hair, I highly recommend booking an appointment with her 😁 I’ve been going to her for years and have loved every cut!
Based on your feedback, I’ve created a new $5/month tier on BuyMeACoffee!
At the $5/month level, you will receive a 20% off one merch item if you sign up before 3/31/26.
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Unless otherwise noted, none of these brands have a public diversity policy, which is common for smaller companies, or a profile on OpenSecrets. I’ve also included Jessica Knight’s affiliate links for some companies. I don’t get anything from it, just wanted to share in case you wanted to send her some love while purchasing!
You can also check out my Beauty stores article, though you can purchase directly from all of these brands online or find a salon/store near you.
Pantry Products: Pantry Products makes a wide variety of non-toxic personal care products in-house out of Reno, NV and Salt Lake City, UT. I LOVE their sea salt spray – it makes my curls bounce right up! Their conditioning hair rinse (a light conditioner) is amazing too!
The Details: Woman & LGBTQ+ founded and owned by Michelle Czarka.
What type of products they have: Haircare, including dry shampoo, styling/grooming (including for men), personal care, skin care, bath & shower, baby & mama, candles & home, pets, eco-friendly tools & home items, wellness products. They have so many amazing products it’s nuts!
Do they offer samples? No, but you can get a wellness box subscription to try new things.
Shipping & countries: US & internationally
EcoSlay: I use their Lemon Drop Styling Foam and I’ve loved the structure it’s given to my loose curls. I also really like that they sell their products in refillable pouches so there’s less waste, and they offer a recycling program where you can send back your pouches.
The Details: Founded and owned by Adria Marshall. EcoSlay makes all their products in-house.
What type of products they have: Shampoos, conditioners, treatments, sealers and accessories like bottles for their products, satin wraps, pillowcases, and bonnets, edge brushes, etc. You can shop by hair type (wavy, curly, kinky, coily, locs, & silver).
Do they offer samples? They aren’t listed separately, but most products offer a 2oz mini size.
Shipping & countries: US & worldwide, though international orders may have to pay tariffs/customs.
Malibu C Wellness: Vegan & plant-based hair and skin care products with recycled plastic packaging.
The Details: Cut Off the Spigot 🌟GOLD STAR🌟 alert – they’re employee-owned! Malibu C also publicly supports DEI.
What type of products they have: Haircare, notably their Hard Water, Swimmers, and Blondes Wellness, and Color Care collections, though they also have shampoo, conditioner, and treatments. They also have skincare products. You can shop by solution.
Do they offer samples? Yes, samples for a variety of products.
Shipping & countries: US, and they ship to Canada but you may have to pay customs/tariffs. Use their salon locator to find a place to purchase in the US.
From Stylist Jessica Knight: If you’re dealing with buildup, Malibu C Wellness is the reset button. It removes minerals without stripping and instantly improves how the hair responds to styling. (Use her affiliate link if interested!)
Innersense: Silicone and animal-testing free products for all hair types.
The Details: Privately held and as far as I can tell, still owned by the married founders Greg & Joanna Starkman. They are not funded by venture capital, only private loans. Innersense supports inclusion and diversity and is a certified B Corp.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, styling, treatments, bundles, refillable pouches. You can shop by hair type (straight, wavy, curly, coily). They also have body care products.
Do they offer samples? They offer travel-size versions of their products.
Shipping & countries: It seems like their website may only ship to the US, but you can check out their worldwide store locator tool to find a place to purchase near you.
From Stylist Jessica Knight: Innersense delivers across the board — straight, wavy, curly, coily — it just works. Lightweight, clean, high-performing formulas that make customization effortless behind the chair. (Use her affiliate link if interested!)
AG Hair: Vegan haircare products that are cruelty-free and sulfate, paraben, diethanolamine (DEA), para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), DMDMH free. AG Hair also uses aluminum & recycled plastic packaging to reduce waste.
The Details: Canadian company founded by married couple John & Lotte Davis and held privately.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, styling products, and treatments. You can shop by benefit or collection, and they offer refill pouches. They also have hand lotion and moisturizing soap.
Do they offer samples? They have 4 free samples.
Shipping & countries: US, Canada. They’re also sold at Ulta across the US.
From Stylist Jessica Knight: AG Hair gives you performance and style memory that lasts. Plus, their education keeps you growing as a stylist. (Use her affiliate link if interested!)
Max Green Alchemy: Max Green Alchemy makes all of their vegan, natural ingredient products in-house without parabens, sulfates, or other harmful ingredients. Their haircare products are focused on scalp health.
The Details: Based out of Sonoma County in California and privately owned by the founders based on this UK filing.
What type of products they have: Hair care, body care, facial care, & men’s grooming.
Do they offer samples? Yes!
Shipping & countries: US (including Alaska & Hawaii), no international shipping. You can also use their store locator to find a store near you, but based on the dates listed it may not have been updated since 2023.
If you’re someone who is on the wavier-end of the curly hair spectrum and feel like your hair never curls or looks good without straightening, I highly recommend you check out NaturallyCurly.com or the subreddit WavyHair to learn more about the Curly Gurl method and how to get your hair to look ~amazing~ (trust me, it can!). I also like WavyHairRoutines on Instagram for advice on Irish curls like mine.
Jessicurl: Products made without silicone, drying alcohols, or sulfates.
The Details: Founded by Jessica McGuinty, who passed away in 2023, and is now owned by her husband, Chris Spohn.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, and styling products for curly hair. You can shop by curl concern or curl pattern, or check out their 3-step starter bundles.
Do they offer samples? Yes, they have a starter sample pack with 10 samples for $7.50.
Shipping & countries: Worldwide, though they ship from the US so you may have to pay customs or tariffs. For the UK, they have a separate site and ship from England. You can also use their store locator tool with international locations to find a store near you.
From Stylist Jessica Knight: Jessicurl delivers balanced moisture and hold across textures — even tighter curls, not just waves. And those sample sizes? Perfect for testing and customizing with confidence.
Trepadora: 100% vegan haircare products with zero animal testing, packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic and 100% recyclable cardboard. Their products are made without silicones, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil, parabens, & artificial colors.
The Details: Founded by Keisha Jo Lawler in the UK and as far as I can tell still owned by her.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, styling & treatment products for curly hair.
Do they offer samples? Yes, you can get their Discovery kit with 6 samples for $17, or individual samples.
Shipping & countries: Shop their US site (shipped from US warehouse), UK site (shipped from UK warehouse), or their European site (shipped from EU warehouse). They also have an international salon/store locator.
From Stylist Jessica Knight: I especially love Trepadora on tighter textures — it gives softness and control without heaviness. It’s reliable and beautiful in the finish.
Miche: Cruelty-free haircare products without silicones, sulfates, parabens, or drying alcohols.
The Details: Founded by married couple Michelle & Jonathan Ballard and as far as I can tell still owned by them.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, styling, oil, & leave-in detangling spray products for curly hair. You can shop by hair type (coily, curly, wavy) or hair need.
Do they offer samples? Not on their site.
Shipping & countries: US and internationally. You can also use their worldwide store locator tool to find a retail spot near you.
From Stylist Jessica Knight: Miche brings serious hydration and structure without weighing curls down. It’s a go-to for strengthening and defining dry textures.
Rizos Curls: Protein, silicone, paraben, and sulfate free curly hair products made without animal testing. Their packaging is 100% recyclable and they offer refillable bottles & reusable pumps to reduce waste.
The Details: Founded by Julissa Prado and family-owned.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, styling products, bundles & kits. They also have a ton of styling tools, scrunchies & a microfiber towel+wrap.
Do they offer samples? They don’t have samples, but they do offer travel size versions of their products.
Shipping & countries: US and internationally. You can also use their store locator tool to find a retail location near you.
From Stylist Jessica Knight: Rizos Curls gives you hydration, slip, and definition in one go. It makes styling smoother and results more predictable.
Bounce Curl: Silicone, paraben, sulfate, mineral oil, and polyethylene glycol free vegan haircare products that are also cruelty-free.
The Details: Founded and owned by Merian Odesho.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, styling products, treatments, combo kits, and brushes and combs. You can also shop by hair type (wavy, curly, coily).
Do they offer samples? Yes, they have trial/travel size kits though they start at $44.
Shipping & countries: US and they offer international shipping, though you may have to pay customs/tariffs. Check out their worldwide store locator tool to find a shop near you.
MopTop: Silicone, sulfate, phthalate, dye, & polyethylene glycol free hair care products.
The Details: Owned and founded by Kelly Foreman.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, styling products, treatments, bundles, and kids products. You can also shop by hair type (wavy, curly, coily).
Do they offer samples? Not on their website.
Shipping & countries: US (including Hawaii & Alaska), Canada, & Australia. More information on ordering internationally here with their store locator tool.
UPDATE 4/8/26: Added in Original Moxie!
Original Moxie: Clean ingredient hair care (free from sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, & petroleum) in sustainable packaging that’s made in the USA and cruelty-free.
The Details: Founded by Rachel Blistein & held privately.
What type of products they have: Shampoo, conditioner, styling products, treatments. You can shop by hair type, concern, or collection.
Do they offer samples? They have trial size versions of their popular products.
Shipping & Countries: Across the US, including US Territories, Alaska, & Hawaii. For Canada & the UK, they can’t ship directly from the website but you can use their store locator tool to find a stockist near you.
Estee Lauder: Owns Aveda, Bumble & Bumble, Clinque, Deciem, Origins, The Ordinary, among other brands.
The Details: Estee Lauder is publicly traded, though the Lauder family still controls it with 82% of voting shares. has spent $1.1 million on lobbying from 2023-2025. They support DEI through employee resource groups. Ronald Lauder, the founder’s son, is a Trump supporter and has been pushing the take over of Greenland, among the companies’ other various issues.
L’Oreal: Owns Aesop, Biotherm, Kiehls, Garnier, Dark & Lovely, Niely, Kerastase, Redken, Biolage, Matrix, Pureology, PuplRiot, Shu Uemura, Mizani, and others.
The Details: L’Oreal is publicly traded with the Bettencourt Meyers Family as the largest shareholder at ~35%, while Nestle (yes, that Nestle) has the second highest shares at ~20%. L’Oreal has also spent $260K on lobbying from 2023-2025, most recently tax issues related to the Big Bullsh*t Bill. L’Oreal also has a number of controversies, including that their founder Eugene Schueller was a Nazi sympathizer and fascist.
Henkel: Owns DevaCurl, Mydentity, Alterna, Authentic Beauty Concept, Bain de Tereem Bonacure, Better Natured, BlondMe, and others.
The Details: Publicly traded by majority-owned by the Henkel Family (~62%). Henkel spent $1.2 million on lobbying from 2023-2025. Henkel supports DEI.
Unilever: Owns K18, Living Proof, Bed Head, Dermalogica, Nexxus, Dove, Nutrafol, Sunsilk, TRESemme, and more.
The Details: Publicly traded with institutional investors as their largest shareholders. Unilever spent $2.28 million on lobbying from 2023-2025 on issues related to the food industry, taxes, tariffs, SNAP dietary guidelines, and other issues. They do still have a public DEI policy however.
Procter & Gamble (P&G): Owns Mielle, Ouai, FORM (under Walker & Company) Pantene, Aussie, My Black is Beautiful, Herbal Essences, Head & Shoulders, and more.
The Details: Covered in my Diapers article. P&G spent nearly $9 million on lobbying ($8.9M) from 2023-2025 on issues related to taxes, tariffs & trade, environmental standards, consumer safety, and much more. They still support “Equality & Inclusion” but don’t have any clear programs like employee resource groups mentioned on their website.
COTY: Owns Rimmel, Sally Hansen
The Details: Publicly traded but majority-owned by Agnaten SE (~52%), which in turn is owned by JAB Holding Company, a Luxemborg-based private equity firm that also owns or has major investments in tons of companies in other categories, like Keurig Dr. Pepper, Panera Bread, Krispy Kreme, and National Veterinary Associates. Coty has not spent money on lobbying in the last three years.
Beauty By Imagination: owns Ouidad, Curls, Wet Brush, Goody, Bio Ionic, ACE (combs)
The Details: Ultimately owned by private equity firm ACON Investments. ACON Investments has not spent money on lobbying in the last 3 years, and Beauty by Imagination supports diversity and inclusion.
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