Founded by friends Rina and Flo after seeing their visually impaired mothers struggle with everyday beauty routines, SISTERWOULD makes Australian-made haircare designed to be experienced through touch, texture and scent as well as sight. Its scalp-first formulas pair science with Native Australian botanicals, while packaging developed with Vision Australia uses universal braille and tactile marks to distinguish shampoo from conditioner. The brand’s accessible approach earned it Beauty Independent’s 2023 Inclusivity Champion Beacon Award.
2023 Inclusivity Champion Beacon Award
certification
Sakura Hair CareInspired by Japanese Head Spa rituals, Sakura Hair Care develops professional hair and scalp care products and salon essentials in Australia. The Australian-owned business supplies salons, wholesalers and at-home users with vegan, cruelty-free formulas made with organic ingredients and high-quality botanicals, while its Molendinar factory supports local dispatch. Its range is designed to bring the calm, restorative feel of a Japanese Head Spa into everyday hair-care routines.AVON, OH
SEENFounded by Harvard-trained dermatologist Dr. Iris Rubin after hair products triggered her own breakouts, SEEN makes haircare and body-care formulas designed to treat hair as part of skincare. Its clinically proven, non-comedogenic products are made for sensitive skin, with fragrance-free options carrying the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance. SEEN has been vegan and cruelty-free since day one and uses Eco-Refill pouches that reduce plastic use by 75% compared with traditional liter bottles.BETHESDA, MD
Violets Are BlueAfter breast cancer treatment left Cynthia Besteman searching for safer beauty products, she founded Violets Are Blue in 2015 to make naturally derived skincare for the face and body. The company pairs its botanical formulations with a direct support mission: 10% of product purchases fund Beloved gift packages for women beginning chemotherapy at Mount Sinai’s Dubin Breast Center in New York City. Its work has earned Best In Show from the Indie Beauty Expo and recognition from the Beauty Shortlist.
EllātuBorn from a mother-and-daughter team’s struggle with bleach-damaged hair, Ellātu makes the Silky Touch line of restorative hair-care products for dry and damaged hair. The family-owned, woman-owned business develops its formulas with female entrepreneurs and chemists, pairing naturally derived ingredients with FiberHance™ bond-building technology. Ellātu also uses 100% recycled packaging and identifies its products as cruelty-free.FREEPORT, NY