Meet MISSIO Hair: A Brand Rooted In Hope and Change
The back of a garage door in North Carolina is covered in chalk paint, index cards, product reviews, and tallies. Why? Because two and a half years ago, a couple decided to integrate a story of hair products and hope within that very garage.
MISSIO Hair was founded in 2017 by husband and wife duo, Lorin and Kyle Van Zandt. Together, they have built an organization that fights against the injustices of human trafficking through the sale of hair care products.
“MISSIO is all about reminding people of their true, unshakable worth: that they are beautifully and wonderfully made. Our products and brand are simply a vehicle for this message and our initiatives to use beauty to restore hope and fight human trafficking.”
My question was then, how does buying a shampoo or conditioner help dismantle these injustices?
According to the Van Zandt’s, MISSIO revolves around three central initiatives: education, service and giving.
When it comes to education, Lorin described the commonality of salons being seen as safe spaces –– and she’s not wrong. When we go in for a haircut, we are suddenly telling our stylist about all of our deepest life’s struggles. Because of this, hairstylists can be taught “to learn what to look for when it comes to certain types of abuse and human trafficking,” said Lorin.
This concept was manifested through one of Lorin’s personal experiences, as she noticed bruises along one of her client’s arms. Lorin took initiative and passed her client the hotline phone number. This is now what MISSIO teaches through 30-minute training sessions, social media, trade shows and cosmetology school lectures.
MISSIO also focuses on service because of personal experiences Lorin and Kyle have been a part of.
“When I was in ninth grade… I vividly remember a young girl standing on the side of the road waving at us with a man sitting a few feet away smoking a cigarette,” said Kyle. “Later, I realized that the young girl was likely being sold for sex. To this day, that scene is burned in my mind and continues to break my heart.”
Kyle directly experienced the individual, which is what MISSIO is able to do when they step out into the field to serve others.
Before MISSIO existed, Lorin also had experiences that allowed her to connect directly with survivors. She reached out to the Los Angeles Dream Center to offer her beauty services to victims of homelessness, drug addiction, and human trafficking.
“I had opportunities [to work] with women who had sometimes just come off of the street and would be able to give her a haircut, pedicure or manicure,” Lorin said. “They would go from feeling less than human… [to] believing they were worth holding their head up again.”
This same grassroots initiative of meeting the individual through service still takes place at MISSIO. But now, MISSIO also trains other stylists on how to take this practice beyond the salon and into their own communities.
30 percent of MISSIO’s profits are also split between educating, serving and giving to their three non-profit partners: A Safe Place, 514Revolution and Love Justice International. According to Lorin, purchasing these products is the best way to support MISSIO.
“Every time you use these products, you are able to know it’s contributing to something greater –– that you are a part of some beautiful things happening all over the country.”
MISSIO is giving everyone a tangible way to help dismantle human trafficking.
And through simple customer and salon purchases, MISSIO is now in over 17 states and is being carried from east to west.
And to add to the excitement of a hair care line that fights for justice, MISSIO intentionally designs each package, fragrance and experience to “evoke that feeling of hope and encouragement,” said Lorin.
MISSIO began with a garage door and a need for everyone to experience freedom. Two and a half years later, their mission still stands, and we have the chance to join in on the movement. To learn more about MISSIO Hair, visit them at www.missiohair.com.
About the Author
Ruby McAuliffe is a senior journalism major and public relations minor at Azusa Pacific University. She's currently the managing editor of ZU Magazine and previously served as the copy editor of ZU News. Her written work has appeared in Teen Vogue, ZU Magazine, and ZU News. Ruby also has a passion for advocacy, traveling, concert-going, and Taylor Swift. Feel free to reach Ruby at rmcauliffe017@gmail.com and check out her portfolio at www.rubymcauliffe.com.