If you are looking for a sustainable option for your hair and skin care, but don’t want to give up the luxury, Everist is the company to look into. Founded and located in Toronto we caught up with co-founders Jayme Jenkins and Jessica Stevenson to learn more.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Everist is a hair, skin and scalp wellness company and we make the first-ever shampoo, conditioner and body wash concentrates – they’re rich, creamy pastes that you activate with the water in your shower (instead of paying for a bottle of shampoo that’s 70% water!).
What made you want to do this work?
We worked for some of the world’s biggest beauty companies where we saw from the inside the need to make more dramatic changes towards cleaner, more sustainable products. The beauty industry creates 120 billion pieces of packaging every year, almost all of it plastic, going straight to landfill. Everist, which is packaged in recycled and recyclable aluminum tubes and tins, is our effort to provide an elevated eco alternative to conventional water-filled and plastic-packaged beauty products.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
The fact that most ‘sustainable’ options felt like a compromise to us, not an upgrade. We created Everist to be the best shampoo, conditioner and body wash you’ve ever used in your life – it’s packed with hydrating, natural ingredients that are amazing for skin and healthy hair growth – it just happens to have a 77% smaller carbon footprint and a 62% smaller waste impact.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
We have an amazing community of ‘Everists’ who love the products, first and foremost for the effect they have on their hair and skin. Many people have a dry or sensitive scalp, which impacts the quality of their hair, especially over time. Everist concentrates are 50% aloe vera and glycerin – we use this instead of water to make the formulas ‘wet’ – so they are essentially a hybrid of haircare and skincare. People are shocked when they see how different their hair can feel after using them. They’re also amazing for travel because your full bottle of shampoo (50 washes) is 100ml and can go in your carry-on!
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We sell our concentrates online at helloeverist.com and also in a selection of clean beauty and wellness retailers like The Detox Market, Health Hut, Whole Foods and Well.ca
Where in the city can we find your profession?
Our company was founded and still is based in Toronto and customers can find our products both online and at physical stores.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
What is different about your hair care vs what I’m using now? Our answer: what isn’t? Our concentrates are the first-of-their-kind, cleansers suspended in skincare. We have a patent pending and have won 15 different awards including Time’s Best Inventions.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part – reading customer reviews. Hands down.
The worst part? Depends on how you look at it, but we see everything as an opportunity to learn.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
We’re moms and also founders so we love to joke about the completely unhealthy level of coffee consumption we require to keep all the plates spinning.
Where can we follow you?
@helloeverist on Instagram and TikTok
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
Do we have to name just one? There are so many incredible woman-founded brands in Toronto that we love – @mypaume, @emberwellness, @guestsonearth, @sidiathebrand, @tuckbedding, @lohnofficial – we could go on!
