Vegan Brand Combats Photoshopped Beauty Standards

Denver-based vegan hair company oVertone Haircare recently released a promotional clip made to dispel the unrealistic standards created by the practice of digitally altering images in the beauty industry. The 20-second clip features a model being prepared for a photoshoot who is fitted with a wig that begins to change color—an allusion to digital manipulation of images in advertising. Maegan Scarlett and Liora Dudar founded the company in 2014 with the mission of creating ethically manufactured hair products that promote more inclusive beauty standards. “One of the core values we practice as a company is honesty,” Dudar said. “When Maegan and I started oVertone, we decided early on that showcasing real users, real people, in unaltered imagery was the right path for us. It’s not fair for consumers to be presented with unrealistic, unattainable depictions of body image or product efficacy. We simply didn’t want to be a part of that.” The company creates highly pigmented vegan conditioners—in hues such as purple, blue, silver, and rose gold, available in three intensities (pastel, vibrant, and extreme)—that deposit color without damaging hair. “oVertone was created to make people feel good about their hair color, and to feel good in their own skin,” Scarlett said. “Airbrushing away the very things that make people unique would be in direct opposition of that message.”