Queer Eye superstar Jonathan Van Ness - the founder of JVN Hair - has been in the UK this week to celebrate the UK launch of JVN at Space NK.
Jonathan's mission is to bring inclusivity, self-care, and positivity to the haircare industry, and JVN Hair is backed by science.
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Hi JVN, what's the most affordable hair tool you think everyone should own
A blow dryer with a nozzle and diffuser! A paddle brush! A flat iron? I want my whole kit. But really, a good wide tooth comb, which is the most affordable. Everyone needs one of them to consistently distribute conditioner throughout hair in the shower. You can’t just apply conditioner with your fingers, you’ve got to use a wide tooth comb or wet brush to really pull it throughout your hair evenly in the shower.
Caliwaves wide tooth comb, £7,99, Amazon
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Do you have a top tip for keeping your hair looking great in the morning? Do we need to sleep with a silk pillow?
Don’t sleep with your hair down. Put it into a loose top knot, because otherwise it gets stuck between your body and the pillow and rubs for eight hours a night – that’s not good. Gather your hair on top of your head and loosely twist it into a top bun and secure with a silk scrunchie. I emphasise the term “loosely” because you don’t want to put too much tension on the hair – that can cause breakage. Silk pillowcases are also really helpful and will set you up for success.
Sofia hair wrap, £45, Feel Unique
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What inspired you to create JVN Hair?
Beauty is something that I have connected to my whole life. I grew up being very naturally interested in how hairstyles work and how to do my own hair. I wanted to understand ingredients and where they come from at a young age. My mom was really into natural hair care, so that gave me a really strong foundation in understanding where ingredients came from.
After becoming a hairdresser and doing hair for 15 years behind the camera, in salon and in LA and New York, as well as so many different places, I’ve learned so much about what works, what doesn’t, and what clients need. When I started working in entertainment, I felt uniquely equipped with this message that I want everyone to celebrate their beauty for who they are and how they want to be.
Through haircare I think we can celebrate that beauty more readily. It took me years to figure out how I wanted it to come together and to find the right partner, because sustainability, inclusivity and ingredient quality was really important to me, so it’s taken a long time to build it. I’m so proud of how it’s come out.
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What was the journey to create JVN Hair like?
I was really lucky because Biossance is our sister company and I got to meet all the team of formulators and chemists who create their formulas. It was actually through them that I found hemisqualane, an ingredient that is also in a lot of Biossance products; it is basically a smaller version of squalane, their star molecule. Hemisqualane is in every single one of our products.
I was really clear from the get-go that I wanted to formulate for hair concern versus hair type, because we have to normalise all hair types. Ultimately, hair is hair is hair – it’s just that all different types of hair need, in my experience, one of three things: more moisture, more strength, or more volume and body. So that’s why I formulated our Nurture, Damage and Embody ranges, as well as Complete, our styling and treatment line. It really is a universal line that works for all hair types and textures.
Jonathan Van Ness on Queer Eye season 6
The JVN Hair tagline is “Come As You Are” – why was it important that your brand served all forms of beauty?
For so long the beauty industry has been the gatekeeper of how hair is “supposed” to look. You know, if you’re a male, your hair should look like this; if you’re a female, your hair should look like that. For a long time, it didn’t even acknowledge the existence of non-binary and trans people.
There are also rigid beauty standards that have always been a hallmark of the beauty and fashion industries.
I wanted to encourage people to come as they are and celebrate themselves. If you love the way your hair texture is, let’s celebrate that; if you want to blow dry your hair a different texture, curl it or straighten it, let’s protect it and celebrate the amazing art of hair transformation. Let’s be really clear that no one’s worth or value is based on how they look – and for so long, the beauty industry, as a whole, has made people feel less than. I don’t ever want to make people feel less than.
JVN Nurture Deep Moisture Mask, £21, Spack NK
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You have a track record of transforming how people look and feel for the better – do you think our hair is intrinsically linked with confidence?
The relationship between person and hairdresser is a really deep and vulnerable one because you’re sitting down and forced to look at yourself in the presence of another person, for a long time in some cases. That’s an intimate experience – and it’s one that you don’t experience with a lot of people in your life, so it’s important.
But do I think our hair is intrinsically linked to confidence? I think that it is, but I wish it wasn’t. I wish that we could celebrate, love and find beauty in each other, no matter what our hair looks like. I do, however, know that there’s a physical feeling when you know your hair looks good – and it’s not even about the look, it’s about the time you took to show up for yourself.
It’s about the fact you gave yourself a gorgeous whole-scalp massage in the shower; that you distributed the conditioner throughout your ends when you put the conditioner on. When you take that time to nurture your hair and give it the products that make it feel nourished and hydrated, it makes you feel good that you took the time for yourself to do that. That’s what it’s really all about.
Hair should be fun – that’s something we can all celebrate, but I don’t think it has to be linked to our self worth and value. We’ve got to be nicer to each other.
Are there any rituals you recommend trying when using the JVN Hair?
I love using our hair mask in the bath and am also obsessed with our Pre-Wash Scalp Oil. If you have hair, a scalp, or you’re living and breathing [laughs], this scalp oil is going to be so good for you! The more you ask of your hair, the more you should be doing on your scalp, so if you have braids, extensions, up-dos, use a ton of product (like dry shampoo or hairspray) tight headbands or ponytails that put pressure on the scalp and hair follicles, you need this.
JVN Pre-Wash Scalp Oil, £24, Space NK
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It has turmeric and rosemary leaf extract in it – the turmeric helps decongest the hair follicles, plus it also contains hemisqualane which is really reparative to heat-styled hair, as well as bisabolol, which is a powerful anti-breakage ingredient. In clinical trials, it was shown to reduce breakage by up to 93% after three months when used twice a week, which is major! You just apply it all over your scalp, massage it in for 15 minutes and then wash it out. It’s fabulous.
What is your happiest hair moment?
Oh my gosh, not to sound like a nightmare brat, but when your hair is this pretty every day, my whole life is a happy hair moment – I’m having one as we speak, I did stunning curls today. My hair was also really pretty when I married my husband. I did natural waves – it was classic and pretty.
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