By Megan Moyer, corporate marketing manager, as appeared in Inside Beauty for Drug Store News

“Better for the planet” products often come with a higher price tag, but part of Maesa’s mission with their first foray into a personal care brand, Hey Humans, is to overcome that price barrier to make naturally-derived formulas accessible to all with products that are $6 or under.

Consumers who are unable to afford the premium prices of many products that are clean and vegan, now have an option that is not only budget-friendly, but a kinder, gentler choice for the environment as the brand’s sustainably-focused packaging is easily recyclable. The first thing you see when visiting the Hey Humans website is that the products use 99% plastic-free packaging.*

“We are passionate about bringing change to the personal care segment — one of the biggest offenders of single-use plastic. When we looked at this brand, we decided we were not going to compromise, and we were going to bring change in a big way,” said Nadia Khan, vice president, marketing and product development, at Maesa Group.

Environmental responsibility does not end with the packaging, it’s a passion that also drives the product development of Hey Humans personal care products. With four product types currently: body wash, body lotion, deodorant, and toothpaste, all are clean, vegan, cruelty-free and free from parabens, phthalates, and silicones. Product formulas are enriched with fragrances containing essential oils and upcycled ingredients and are dermatologist tested.

Scents for the deodorant, body wash, and body lotion are gender-neutral and offer atypical, fresh pairings, such as apple matcha and rosewater ginger. Hey Humans is looking to grow the product offering to include more skin freshening, cleansing, and moisturizing options, and has a “huge innovation pipeline,” according to Khan. 

Along with Hey Humans products being naturally derived, Khan stresses that they are also efficacious. “Performance first!,” Khan stated. “There’s a belief out there that naturally derived formulas are not highly efficacious, and that’s why I’m so proud of this line. In the end, the performance, the efficacy, is what really matters.”

Jada Pinkett Smith is a co-founder and creative director of Hey Humans. Smith’s mission is to reduce plastic and make a positive impact on the planet.

Khan would like to see Hey Humans’ example of plastic-free packaging be the beginning of a trend among personal care product manufacturers. “Hey Humans proves plastic-free packaging can be done at a cost that is friendly to consumers. This is a small brand, and if we can do it, others can too.”

“We want to preserve the planet because it is our home, and we need to for future generations. We are truly passionate about this brand. We believe in it, we believe it’s necessary, and we’re proud of its achievements, because it does give consumers an option to make a better choice, not only for themselves, but for the planet. We are in all the key categories containing products that people use on a daily basis, which was really important to us to make an impact.”

*excluding the toothpaste cap (made from plastic waste), and tube thread