As people who cared a little bit too much about what their hair looked like, it was safe to say we used a lot of different hair products. But as people who also cared about our health and the health of our home planet, we began to notice some common issues with the "best" hair styling products in the world. Put simply, they're horrible for you and horrible for the planet -- regardless of how nice they make your hair look in the short term.
Uncovering the commonly held belief among hair professionals that "natural" hair products just don't perform as well as toxic ones, friends Boone and Ben (who didn't have a lick of hair industry expertise) started to question: could we be the ones to make "good for you, good for the planet" hair products that actually perform at a professional level?
Started by two CU Boulder grads on their apartment stovetop, Highland aims to make high-performance haircare possible through the use of botanical, earth-derived ingredients that support hair and scalp health -- all without sacrificing an ounce of performance.
Founding Story
We cared about what our hair looked like. In fact, we probably cared a little too much. Needless to say, we used a lot of different hair products... but over time, we began to notice the common issues all of these products shared:
Harmful, synthetic toxins that cause countless health issues. Outdated performance with unwanted grease, crunch, and goop. This ain't the 90's anymore. Over-use of of single-use plastic packaging destined for our landfills, oceans, and eco-systems.
Suddenly, we felt like there wasn't a product designed for us, for our lifestyle, for our values -- for our generation.
With nothing on the market that met our wants and needs, we decided to try our hand at creating our own. TWO YEARS of messing around on our Denver apartment stovetop with natural clays, waxes, oils, and botanicals was a messy, failure ridden process.
But slowly, our trial and error process led us toward something different. One 9-ingredient concoction took shape into something special. Something we liked, something our friends were ditching their products for, and even something that our local barbershop decided to begin carrying.
Having created something familiar and high performance, yet unique with added benefits never seen from traditional products, we knew we were onto something special.
Highland was born form a passion to create the highest-performance products that improve hair and scalp health through botanical extracts... all while consciously caring for our planet at the same damn time.
Fast-forward a couple years, and we've expanded the product line (with some revolutionary sh*t on the way 👀 ), have won major, international awards, have thousands of 5-star reviews, and are carried in some of the most prestigious salons and barbershops across the country.
We've also helped offset over 60,000 LBS of Carbon via our eco shipping partnership with Eco-Cart & will be donating over $40,000 to 1% For The Planet in 2024 alone...
Please consider yourself formally invited to join us in our mission to go up against big haircare and bring our sleepy industry into the 21st century. We're just getting started, but we can't do it without ya.
Born and raised in Boulder, CO, Boone came from values that included health, wellness, and environmental sustainability.
During his days at CU Boulder, and while using a few too many hair styling products, he was faced with the harsh reality that the best hair products in the industry are the worst for us -- and for the planet. In search of a natural and sustainable solution that actually performed like a salon quality product, he came up empty... So he decided to take to his stovetop and create his own. Highland was born, named after the street Boone grew up in Boulder.
Since the stovetop success in 2021, he's been growing the company alongside his best-friend and co-founder, Ben, working tirelessly to make their mark on the historically toxic industry.
Ben grew up in Shaker Heights, OH. An active and energetic kid, Ben has always been a bit of the Black Sheep in the family. He paved his way out to Boulder, CO for undergrad, preferring to find a social scene and spend time recreating in the mountains.
During his Junior year, he met Boone and the two became fast friends. Always entreprenuerially minded, he dreamed of avoiding the dreaded 9-5 and doing his own thing... as did Boone. The two stuck together, moved to Denver after graduating, and fell into the tech startup trap.
During COVID, he encouraged Boone's stovetop antics in search of a strange and all natural hair product. Seeing the potential, he brought energy to the project that allowed it to turn into something that could've resembled a business, and eventually allowed both Ben and Boone to leave the corporate world altogether. 1/2 of the Highland duo ever since, Ben runs marketing (and oh so much more) for the "little" hair care company out of Boulder, CO.
Kurt entered the world of hair as a licensed cosmotologist and barber, and went on to become a world class educator for presteige salons across the country. An early execuctive with both Aveda and American Crew, Kurt worked to grow these brands into the household names they are today. With his many decades of experience in best-in-class hair products and world-class brands, Kurt understands what separates the high-performance products apart from the rest.
So when Highland's Glacial Clay Pomade came into his salon in Minneapolis in early 2023, he immediately noticed something different about it... Something he calls "Highland's magic disposition".
When he and Boone connected in spring of '23, they quickly formed a strong relationship. Kurt became the wise and experienced mentor to Boone and Ben, who both had no experience in the hair industry whatsoever.
In addition to his wealth of industry chops, Kurt brings validation from a pro's perspective that these entirely natural prdocuts work beautifully in the presteige salon scene... allowing the brand to bring true disruption to a space that historically leans on toxic, harmful, and plastic packaged products.
Beginning her career in a salon in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Courtney packed up and moved to LA to pursue a career in the entertainment industry in 2012. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has participated in a number of projects ranging from music videos, magazine publications, commercials, feature films, creating custom wigs/styling, red carpet events, and has become a personal makeup artist to some of Hollywood's most talented stars.Â
Courtney volunteers at the LGBT youth center in Los Angeles with a group of other incredibly talented hair stylists/makeup artists for an event called "Beauty Day". The services provided are free haircuts, styles, makeup applications, wig applications, braiding, etc.., as a source of empowerment for our incredible LA youth.Â
If it worked like everything else in the past 25 years, I wouldn't have sent it to you. Highland simply has a magic disposition. Smells great. Emulsifies great. Applies great. Has got a texture enhancing quality that is unlike anything you've ever seen. It has become our number 1 selling product line.
Kurt K.
Early Executive at Aveda + American Crew + Grooming Collective Owner
Highland, the upstart Colorado brand behind one of our absolute favorite hair clays, is expanding its offerings with its stellar Glacial Cream. It’s the ideal lightweight styler for fellas with medium-to-long locks to achieve that loose, wavy, natural look.
Avida G.
GQ Senior Editor
I took the product of the shelf and had this moment of like, "Oh Sh*t." This stuff works. 9 ingredients and none of them being harmful and performing at a high-performance level in a salon/barbershop setting... It just blew me away.
Anthony L.
Rollins Barbershop Owner
Our artists love Highland's natural ingredients and performance! And, as far as our guests go, well, send more.
Lisa W.
Bespoke Hair Artisans Salon Owner
Highland has become our number one seller over the last year. It easily has the most repeat buyers and its versatility makes it a favorite among the barbers and stylists in the shop!
