Sans Savon hand and body wash and body bar
Courtesy of Sans Savon
The modern hair care industry is built on chemical detergents and for decades, its marketing glamorized it: television commercials featuring abundant lather, selling the idea that suds produce squeaky clean hair. After working as general manager for Estée Lauder’s prestige Bumble and Bumble brand, Eli Halliwell understood the industry’s dirty secret: the business model that worked so well for hair care brands was bad for the customer’s hair and wallets.
In 2015, Halliwell co-founded Hairstory on a different formula: hair cleansing without harmful detergents and no post-cleansing conditioners required. Its flagship New Wash uses oil-based ingredients to dissolve dirt, wash away grime and leave the natural protective barrier behind. The DTC company was profitable after only six months and today boasts over one million customers.
Now Halliwell and wife Erica are applying the same science to the rest of the body: hand and body wash without detergent. Sans Savon, meaning “without soap,” is the first brand to introduce oil-based cleansers powered by micellar technology—an advanced molecular technology where micelles act to trap dirt, bacteria and sebum without stripping the skin. In the skin-care market, micelle technology is more commonly used in water-based solutions to remove makeup.
“Our bodies have evolved to maintain statis without constant disruption by over-cleaning,” Eli explained. “We use emollient molecules that effectively and thoroughly remove bacteria, dirt, sweat and smells without disrupting the body’s natural protective microbiome—all of which traditional shampoo and soap do.”
Science aside, consumers immediately understood New Wash’s benefits. “Shampoos are like steel wool on your scalp—they irritate it—then there is a need for conditioners to fix it. The industry is based on a business model that self-perpetuates a need and a vicious purchase cycle,” he said. The Halliwell’s hope that lightning strikes twice with Sans Savon.
Hairstory’s Story
Hairstory got off to a flying start, despite being priced in the prestige range. Initially it was sold only online and through a network of 5,000 influential—and conscientious—hair salons.
Earlier this year, it took a big step forward. Now New Wash and other Hairstory products are available in nearly 400 Ulta Beauty stores, where its in-store salons can provide the product knowledge that has carried the brand forward.
Once a customer tries Hairstory, they are unlikely to go back. A sizeable percentage of customers join its subscription refill program to get regularly scheduled deliveries, plus discounts on other hair care and styling products.
“Our ‘New Wash’ hair cleanser is not a shampoo, not a conditioner and not a mask but does the triple duty of all three combined in a single step,” said Hairstory CEO Dina Rosenbloom.
That simple one-step approach appealed to Ulta. “We’re intentional about partnering with brands that reflect our commitment to innovation, accessibility and efficacious solutions,” said Shianna Davey, Ulta vice president of merchandising, in a statement. “Hairstory is a natural fit. It’s low-maintenance, high-impact philosophy resonates with anyone seeking healthier hair without compromise.”
Moving On
Hairstory caught the eye of investment firm Summit Partners, which made an estimated $30 million minority investment in late 2021, with managing director Melanie Whelan joining Hairstory’s board, according to WWD.
A year later, Eli turned over the CEO mantle and moved on to co-chair of the board, where he remains today. Taking his place running the day-to-day is Rosenbloom, who after more than a decade with luxury beauty brand Creed, joined the company in 2023 as chief marketing officer and was promoted to CEO in April 2024.
Sans Savon founders Eli and Erica Halliwell
Courtesy of Sans Savon
The move away from operational management of Hairstory gave six-time serial entrepreneur Eli more time with Erica to dream up new ventures, like Sans Savon.
The Halliwell’s New Venture
“We already knew soap was the enemy of good hair. Maybe it was also the enemy of healthy skin,” Erica said. And Dr. Sandy Skotnicki, dermatologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, confirms it:
“Traditional soap-based cleansers can disrupt the skin barrier by altering pH, removing protective lipids and increasing transepidermal water loss, which is particularly problematic for sensitive or itchy skin.”
Sans Savon was inspired by time the couple spent together in their Charlevoix vacation home in Quebec. The company is independent from Hairstory but shares its philosophical roots: detergent- free cleansing.
“Anything that lathers—if there’s bubbles or foam—is what we call soap or detergent, and it’s over-cleaning. It strips everything away, leaving skin exposed and irritated,” Erica shared.
Advanced product formulations were required, since Sans Savon was for skin, not hair and scalp. Working with a Toronto-based chemist who helped develop the original New Wash formula, they found natural solutions that could kill dangerous bacteria, such as e coli and Salmonella, microorganisms that cause body odor and fungus on feet, without stripping the skin’s protective microbiome.
The scent was important too and that was inspired by the boreal forest surrounding their Charlevoix home. Essential oils supply the fragrant essence of balsam fir and spruce in each product. “It smells just like our home when you get out of the car after a ten-hour drive,” Erica said.
Currently, hand and body wash are available in 500-ml refillable bottles for $41 and $49, respectively, and a body bar for $25 that lasts through months of daily showers—“It doesn’t lather, and that’s what makes a regular bar of soap break down very quickly,” she said. Gift sets and one-liter refills are also available: $64 for hand wash and $88 for body wash with reduced price for subscribers.
On the drawing board are new fragrance profiles and potential product line extensions, such as candles. “Unlike Hairstory, which was very product-forward and about disrupting an existing hair-care routine, Sans Savon is more of a lifestyle business,” Eli said. “Our challenge is awareness—helping people understand that there is another option for both hands and body.”
They also recognize that the Sans Savon prices are a step up from more popularly-priced Dr. Bronner’s and Mrs. Meyer’s skincare products. While these brands contain oils to hydrate, they remain detergent-based, unlike Sans Savon. “Our products are expensive because these products are not cheap to make. But they are super effective for people with sensitive skin, dry hands and cracked elbows—all conditions aggravated by soap,” Erica added.
Sans Savon is available on the company website and with Credo Beauty, whose safety, sustainability and ethical mission aligns perfectly with the Halliwell’s own.
Rebels With A Cause
More than disrupters, the Halliwells view themselves as rebels against the standards and practices that have long defined the hair and skincare industries. And consumers are catching on. Premium hair care was the fastest-growing segment in the $36 billion U.S. prestige beauty industry last year, up 8%, according to Circana.
In the broader $40 billion U.S. personal care shower and bath market, led by industry giants like Unilever and Procter & Gamble, the shift is even more apparent. Natural and organic products are fueling an expected 5.6% CAGR growth through 2032, as consumers increasingly turn toward microbiome-supporting products and skincare regimes that nourish and protect the skin, rather than irritate it.
“Our approach is to find innovations to existing businesses that are meaningful and significant—innovations that change the customer experience and give us a moat,” Eli concluded. “We’ve found that with both Hairstory and Sans Savon: clean hair and clean body without disrupting the body’s natural microbiome.”
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