When we caught Jonathan Van Ness, the sixth season of Queer Eye just dropped, their new beauty line JVN has become the fastest growing hair brand in Sephora and multi-hyphen is completing several projects from a relaxing beach location.
Sunbeams might be exactly what you expect when talking to Van Ness. After all, the hairstylist became famous thanks to Queer Eye has given their millions of social media followers radical acceptance (Van Ness identifies as non-binary and goes by them/him/her). JVN is a brand with focus and focus, with ingredients and packaging that are good for the health of the planet. In our conversation with Van Ness, whose memoirs, Love that storycoming out this month — we talked about what it takes to make a beauty brand their own, and how they’re setting themselves up these days.
How do you feel about all the big things you’re going on right now?
I don’t know if it’s because I’m about to turn 35, but I feel like my life is finally starting to sink in. It’s weird being a public figure, launching a hair brand, being on a show, my podcast…. It’s a lot of things that I wanted to happen and worked so hard for. I feel like I’m becoming more certain of myself every day.
Is launching your own brand fun or is it scary sometimes?
It is love’s funnest, most enjoyable labor. I have devoted a lot of effort to JVN, including my 15 years of doing my hair. And there’s a certain amount of anxiety, because you want people to like it! But what really motivates me about JVN is inclusion, because I’ve always felt particularly excluded from the beauty industry. Having been designated as male at birth, I am not encouraged to care about my natural beauty or fashion [laughs], that is, you know, evening wear! Whether it’s fashion or beauty or just to feel beautiful, it’s a sandbox that I feel rejected.
So I have multiple goals for JVN: to be a composition queen, to drive the sustainable conversation forward, and also to be inclusive.
Let us know what you think about being an ingredient queen.
Well, the only time I’ve ever been caught at a store was when I got lost in the supermarket or shopping mall by my mom because I was going to wander around and stay in the beauty aisle. You’ll find me in a corner with, like, eight bottles, reading the ingredients and smelling them. I’ve always been interested in components and wanted to make things work at their best.
How does that affect the sustainability aspects of JVN?
I don’t create things for the sake of making them. I want to move a conversation forward. Through my work with Biossance, I learned about a new ingredient called hemisqualane made by [the biotech company] Amyris. I started experimenting with it and my hair shines to this extent! Hemisqualane is a half-sized squalane molecule produced using sustainable biotechnology using fermented sugar cane. Sugarcane is developed sustainably; they even use gas from the fermentation to power the plant which is incredible. Hemisqualane acts as a sustainable silicone substitute across the entire chain. When I worked with the Environmental Working Group, I learned about all of the bioaccumulative effects of silicon. I knew silicon was bad for our hair because of the build-up, but I didn’t realize it was bad for the planet, too.
Packaging is also an important part of JVN’s environmental commitment.
Yes! I’ve been getting a lot of beauty products over the past four years, and what do I really notice? Plastic, plastic, plastic… so much plastic! We don’t yet have the technology to go completely plastic-free – you need it as a seal to prevent leaks and keep things clean, but we’re using PCR (post-consumer) resins where where needed. Almost everything else is glass, aluminum or recyclable paper.
With everything on your plate, we have to ask: What do the most narcissistic professionals do to take care of themselves?
What it looks like today is that I woke up early, I do 20 minutes of automatic needle threading in silence — I just love the needle cutting, it’s very meditative for me and I really take my breath away while I do it. that work. I do a three-minute sunrise guided meditation for my nervous system — I usually meditate for one to seven minutes a day. And after this call, I’ll do my cosmetic self-care routine: apply sunscreen and a serum. And I love bathing! It’s a sweat and a reset—I’ll put the crystals in the bath, too.
How about hairdo? Is that what still brings you joy?
I had to stop doing it full-time in 2018 because the show and everything else kept me so busy, but it’s still an important part of my life and I drive a lot of people each week. There are so many imperatives in my family and groups! I think I’ve been obsessed with it my whole life. In a way, it’s like a needle thread – it’s part creativity and science equally. It just feels really rewarding.
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