Ethical Hair Company | Encelia

Ethical Hair Company | Encelia

It has taken me over 10+ months, and dozens of prototypes to relaunch my company, Encelia. I had to completely rethink the sourcing of hair, other raw materials, & countless other manufacturing practices. 

Encelia's unprecedented, mission-driven manufacturing initiative goes beyond the sourcing of human hair.  But, first, let's talk about hair. There is something uncanny about wearing the hair of another person. We have all heard awful stories about the hair trade and how hair is sourced. As a wig wearer, I quickly grew tired of being told that European hair is better than Asian hair. I actually found it incredibly insulting because all hair is beautiful! What determines the hair quality is the processing techniques used on the hair.

As a manufacturer, I have decided to take a stand on this topic. Instead of talking about European vs Asian hair, I have decided to focus on the most important topic, how the hair is sourced.  As a wig-wearer, I want to know that the hair I wear has been willingly given, which is why all Encelia human hair wigs are made from ethical Remy human hair purchased from Hindu temples where the hair is willingly donated through a ritual called tonsuring. From there, our hair is peacefully preserved, which means the cuticle is left intact using the slow processing method. Our hair is clean, which means no silicone, no textile dyes, & no Henna has been applied to our hair, making it easy for the hair loss community to easily color their hair. 

Now, back to our mission-driven manufacturing initiative, which means looking for ways to help others while making the best possible product. It isn't an easy way to manufacture, but in the end, we believe it is necessary. When searching for manufacturers, I learned about the tobacco industry in India.  The largest cancer hospital in India helps 1,000 patients a day and discovered that 40% of their patients (mostly women) worked in the tobacco industry. These women are getting cancer along with other illnesses. The government wants to shut down this industry, but these women have no other source of income & little education. Encelia is proud to say that every wig purchased is handcrafted by these women at our factory in India. The combination of a stable income and a safe work environment provides these women with economic advancement that they would not otherwise have. Our factory donates over 200 wigs a month to the hospital that made the discovery. 

A bit about me: My life changed unexpectedly when I developed alopecia universalis (total/complete hair loss) during my 2nd pregnancy. I quickly learned that wearing a wig all day, every day isn't easy. Wigs are hot, itchy, & often poorly sized. At the end of the day, many of us just need a break from the wig. But, if we want hair, we are given one option—a wig. While there are hundreds of wig caps for us to choose from, there are zero options for women who want hair but don't want to wear a full wig. Why? Because wigs are made in factories and by manufacturers who don't wear wigs they aren't super-inspired to design comfortable wigs because they aren't spending all day in them. 

Frustrated, with traditional, poorly-made, mass-produced wigs, I was inspired to design the best wig for beginners! An easy-to-wear wig for the modern baldie! The Ponytail Wig by Encelia is so comfortable you can sleep in it!  It takes all of the hard parts of the wig away-no itchy material, fake-looking lace fronts, or oddly placed ear tabs. It is comfortable, secure & realistic! The Ponytail wig features a 4" wide, head-hugging headband that is attached to a partial hairpiece, which is hand-tied for total styling freedom.