Beauty is a family affair for this brand founder.
By: Amber Kallor
The Grooming Guru: Kyle Bardouche
Kyle Bardouche’s wellness brand, Jack Henry, was born at home shortly after his first baby arrived on the scene. To be specific, this plant-powered line of grooming essentials was conceived in the kitchen. “My wife Erin wanted to style our son Jack’s hair but the product I was using at the time had over 30 ingredients and we thought that was unnecessary,” he said. The ingenious new mom whipped up the perfect pomade (now called Hair Clay) using coconut oil, bentonite clay, lavender oil, and beeswax—and subsequently spawned a second child that quickly became a best-seller.
My wife Erin wanted to style our son Jack’s hair but the product I was using at the time had over 30 ingredients and we thought that was unnecessary
Jack Henry Hair Clay
Jack Henry Hair Clay
The Bardouche brood has continued to expand along with the Jack Henry product line that now encompasses haircare, skincare, body care, and fragrance. The after-hours “passion project,” which started with a Presto Pot and a few friends willing to fulfill orders, is now a full-fledged company complete with a wellness club in Costa Mesa, California. But similar to the recipe for Jack Henry’s iconic Hair Clay, the brand’s “simple, clean, and effective” approach to self-care remains largely unchanged. Every formula is still produced in-house (which has since moved from the Bardouche clan’s actual abode) using organic and minimally processed ingredients that are sustainably harvested.
or Bardouche, being a father of four and building a thriving business, requires a lot of one thing: patience. “This is a marathon, not a sprint,” he explained. “Growth is not linear and there is no finish line.” Luckily, his business partner, life partner, and best friend are one and the same. “We truly do our best work when we’re together,” said Bardouche of his wife Erin. “She’s incredibly intelligent and instinctual and really pushes us to new levels. She also brings me back down to earth when I need it!” He also credits his work fam for raising Jack Henry right. “The biggest reward is surrounding yourself with like-minded people who share the same beliefs and motivations,” added Bardouche. “You cannot do everything alone and your team is crucial to success.” As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child—and an award-winning brand.
Growth is not linear and there is no finish line..
Jack Henry
Here, Bardouche shares his wake-up rituals, his favorite retreats, and more.
His beauty roots: “One of my earliest memories, when I was two or three years old, was using my mom’s Tresemmé hairspray. I can still remember the super strong scent, stickiness, and how it left my hair feeling. I’ve loved doing my hair since the very beginning!”
His daily routine: “On an ideal morning, if everything works out, it looks something like this: I’ll sit in front of a red light for five minutes while doing breathwork to really wake up, activate my circulation, and ground my nervous system. Then, I’ll hop in a cold shower and use Cleanse+ on my face and body, followed by our shampoo (once a week). After the shower, I’ll towel dry my hair, spritz on some Face Toner to absorb any excess oil, and prepare my face for Super Face Cream. Next, I’ll apply Hair Clay while my hair is still pretty damp and use the Dyson dryer on high heat with the diffuser attached while scrunching my hair into place to add some waves and movement. I finish by brushing my teeth and applying two sprays of Balance on my wrists and two on my neck.”
His proudest product moment: “Our Hair Clay. It was our very first product and made of only four ingredients. The typical men’s hair product has over 30-plus ingredients. Hair Clay is what inspired the entire brand and has remained our number-one seller since. It’s gone on to win a hair product of the year award and is used daily by over 100,000 people.”
His biggest beauty indulgence: “My self-care indulgence as of late is taking a super-hot bath with Natureofthings Restorative Floral Bath while doing a 15-minute meditation led by Manoj [Dias] on the Open app.
His beauty icon: “David Beckham. If you scroll all the way to our very first post on Instagram, it’s a photo of him. He is always setting trends and isn’t afraid to highlight his identity and persona.”
His go-to beauty pros: “I’m honestly very inspired by the team at Jack Henry Studios and all the creativity they bring to the hair industry. We specialize in texture and movement-enhancing haircuts. The team is incredibly talented and [ascribes] to the Jack Henry philosophy but they all bring a very unique and personalized skillset to their services.”
His favorite escape: “Palm Springs is my happy place. The energy and aura in the desert is slower and more grounding. I only bring the essentials: Cleanse+, Deodorant, Super Face Cream, Balance, and Boka toothpaste.”
His dream bathroom raid: “Tom Ford or Jim Morrison.”
Written by Amber Kallor
More Subject:Matter
“We dream of a generation of grandmas in blue eyeliner and we really feel like that this is where things are headed,” says Stephanie Spence, co-founder of 19/99 Beauty, a Toronto-based company that designs cosmetics for people ages 19 to 99 and beyond. The brand was initially born as co-founder Camille Katona’s post-graduate thesis project and has since evolved into a tightly edited range of multipurpose makeup products.
Read more