Kate Assaraf (Founder & CEO of Dip) is disrupting the beauty industry with a sustainable, mostly plastic-free hair care line. After 20yrs working in beauty marketing, she launched Dip 5yrs ago (in 2021) out of frustration with online impulse shopping, deceptive marketing & sustainable products that failed to deliver on their “big promises.“
The Motivation: Health, Planet & Frustration
Kate’s commitment to sustainability began around 2014 after learning not only about plastic accumulation in the environment but also the disruptive effects of plastic on human health & endocrine systems. She found it “very frustrating” to keep investing in expensive plastic-free products that were often worse than their plastic counterparts. This led to a decision to build a company that rejects traditional methods of deceiving customers, aiming for Dip to be the last shampoo & conditioner bar someone would ever need to buy.
Dip’s main products are shampoo & conditioner bars, alongside face wash, body wash & hair/body dry oils plus travel cases, draining soap dishes, brushes & combs which you can find at https://dipalready.com
The Dip Difference: Buy Less, Buy Better
Dip’s business philosophy centres on championing small businesses & encouraging customers to ‘buy less but buy better’ which is shown in everything they do:
- Longevity & Value The products are designed to last a long time; for example, a conditioner bar can last some people up to 2yrs, potentially eliminating 12 to 24 plastic bottles from their personal consumption. Kate calculates the conditioner bar personally saves her $500 a year & saves others $200 or more when switching from pricey, high-end liquid products.
- Universal Product Design A key challenge was developing a single bar suitable for all hair types – from fine hair to coarse, curly, Type 4 hair – to simplify the shower for a whole family.
- Quality Validation The company deliberately worked with a chemist experienced in formulating luxury conditioner to ensure Dip’s performance matches or exceeds high-end products. The brand boasts a remarkably low return rate of only six returns per 10,000 bars sold.
Renegade Honesty & the Human-Centric Brand
Dip has grown into a seven-figure brand almost entirely through word-of-mouth, utilising customer scepticism about the quality of sustainable products to its advantage; customers try it, find out it works on their own & tell everyone they know!
- Against Influencers The company avoids paying influencers, noting that many brands in the sustainability space previously incentivised fake reviews. Dip relies solely on user-generated content, where everyone talking about the product genuinely loves it & has parted with their own money.
- Human Customer Service Kate emphasises a commitment to human customer service, hiring a dedicated person (Janet) to avoid the frustrating “AI hell loop” common in other companies.
- Transparency (Renegade Honesty) Dip practices ‘renegade honesty’, particularly around using high-end synthetic fragrance instead of essential oils. Kate explains they choose synthetics because they are homogenised, allow for allergen removal & avoid the risk of “questionable farming practices or slave labour” often associated with exotic essential oils.
- Fragrances With shampoo bars available in 7 different fragrances plus 1 fragrance-free, the most popular scent is Coconut + Almond which outsells others two to one. Other fragrances include Tobacco + Driftwood (popular with men & “cool girls in Brooklyn”), Mimosa + Sandalwood, Wild Sage + Vetiver, Rosewater + Jasmine, Rose + Matcha Tea & Tangerine + Honeydew.
Commitment to Community & the Future
Dip chooses not to sell on Amazon, preferring the “friction point” of in-store shopping to support its network of 400 to 500 independent retailers (refill stores). This protects their small business partners & provides customers with a community-based shopping experience where they can smell & vet products.
- Strategic Partnerships Dip sponsors the USA Diving team & has recently partnered with Vacation Races which holds half marathons & marathons in & around US National Parks. The shampoo is gentle enough for daily use, allowing swimmers, runners & other athletes to wash their hair every day without disrupting scalp health. The conditioner bar also instantly detangles hair after swimming in chlorine or ocean water, minimising breakage.
- Social Impact The company has already redirected $5 million back into local economies. They have also donated $50,000 to Surf Rider, which fights plastic laws in Congress & is committed to supporting the Great Lakes. Kate believes that putting profits toward inspiring change is the only way that companies should be moving forward.
- Supporting the Movement In the coming months, Kate is launching ads for the first time, not just to promote Dip but to encourage people to visit & spend money at independent retailers who lack large marketing budgets. This is a great way to give back & support the community that Dip belongs to.
To learn more about Dip & to buy their products, visit dipalready.com
You can also Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dipalready, Instagram at www.instagram.com/dipalready & TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@dipalready
ps You can also listen to this interview (& more) on Paul’s ‘SuperConnector Show’ podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible or Spreaker via our ‘Podcasts‘ page.
