Jonathan Van Ness on Hair Philosophies and the Magic of Hemisqualane

Whether you’ve seen Jonathan Van Ness on Netflix’s Queer Eye or have tuned into their podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness – there is one thing that everyone knows about the exuberant star: they have fabulous hair.

Getting their start in salons as a hairstylist, Jonathan Van Ness has remained dedicated to their passion for haircare throughout their career. Launching in 2021, JVN Hair is a company driven by inclusivity and innovation in the beauty industry, intending to cater to all hair types and textures – their line of products encourages users to embrace their natural style and emphasize hair health above all.

We sat down with Jonathan Van Ness to talk about hair philosophies, favourite JVN Hair products, and their go-to lazy hairstyle.

Watch the video below.

Ahead, Jonathan Van Ness dives deeper into the magic of hemisqualane, regrettable hair eras and the importance of inclusivity in the hair-care industry.

S: What are some of the benefits of hemisqualane?

JVN: “Hemisqualane is a cool molecule because it’s so little, no matter what your texture or condition – the molecule can penetrate the hair shaft and work from the inside out. So it improves integrity, softness, shine, manageability, and maintainability. The hemisqualane that we use comes from fermented sugar, so instead of coming from shark liver, it comes from fermented sugar – which I think is really cool and more humane.”

What product formula are you the most proud of out of your line?

“I’m very proud of the whole line, but my favourite products are Pre-Wash Scalp Oil, Air Dry Cream, and our Embody Shampoo and Conditioner. Our Embody Shampoo and Conditioner was made for people who have wavy, curly, kinky, and coiled hair and weren’t able to use a volumizer because it just dried the hair out and made it feel frizzy and look dry. I wanted to make a volumizing shampoo and conditioner that left the hair soft and strong but bigger and fuller. We were able to do that by combining aloe leaf juice, which is a lightweight moisturizer, with bamboo, which is rich in silica, so it absorbs excess oil – so it just makes the hair kind of stand up fuller. The formula also has caffeine, which kind of stimulates the hair follicles, so it creates more literal volume by getting that hair to stand up. I’m just really proud of how it doesn’t dry the hair out, and it gives the hair more plumpness and more fullness.”

What inspired you to create JVN Hair?

“I’ve been doing hair since I was 18, and I have always loved being in the salon. I’ve always loved being in people’s hair. All my best memories of growing up were from the salon with my mom, and I think I found myself in salons and salon culture. Without the haircare industry, I wouldn’t be here, and that happened before JVN Hair, that happened with me falling in love with hair. I think with that being said, I’ve also seen how the beauty industry can make people feel very included or can make people feel really excluded, and so I wanted to create a community where everyone felt included to come and play and be celebrated. Whether you’re totally embracing your natural hair or you’re completely changing your natural hair, I want you to have the tools and the education that you need to get the hair goals that you want.”

What is your most regrettable hair era?

“Definitely when I had ketchup and mustard-coloured highlights.”

What is the importance of sustainability to your brand?

“I think when it comes to sustainability, it’s a huge portion of who we are. I always thought that synthetic was a bad, dirty word, but synthetic is incredible because it can be sustainable. We make our hemisqualane from fermented sugar, history it is found in shark liver – using hemisqualane made from fermented sugar cane, makes it infinitely more abundant and sustainable than harvesting it from sharks. We also prioritize aluminum since it’s more recyclable, and the plastic that we do have to use in our pumps and our lids are PCR post-consumer recycled plastic. We’re always looking for ways to be innovative and be less reliant on virgin plastic. We are coming out with a new product this year which we’re excited about, but I don’t want to make products just for the sake of making products. I want there to be a reason.”

Why is inclusivity so important when creating a hair care brand?

“Inclusivity is so important to us at JVN Hair. I think that that is something that we work on through our formulations – making sure that it works on all hair types, whether you have 1A to 4C. Pre-Wash Scalp Oil has a place in everyone’s routine, and our Air Dry Cream works on all textured hair, as does Instant Recovery Serum and the Complete Conditioning Mist. I feel like sometimes when I say a product is universally effective, people don’t believe me, but formulating products to work with all hair types is our priority. We also prioritize making sure that in casting for campaigns, we’re being as inclusive as possible. I think that’s something that anybody, any brand, could probably always find ways to do better in doing. I’m proud of how far we have come, and I’m excited that we get the opportunity to continue to grow.”

Shop products from JVN Hair below.