Sabrina Szinay Redefines Hair Care with Sándor
Discover the transformative journey of Sabrina Szinay, as she shares pivotal moments, sustainable values, and beauty rituals shaping her eco-ethical hair care brand, Sándor, in an exclusive interview.
Name: Sabrina Szinay
Title: Founder
Company: Sándor
Your journey from the fashion industry to sustainable hair care is quite inspiring. Could you walk us through the pivotal moments that led you to establish Sándor?
After moving to NYC, my awareness increased of what’s in our food, beauty and household products, and from there the dream of creating an eco-ethical and socially responsible hair care brand emerged. Starting as a seed of an idea, to then setting roots and having 4 great products on the market has been an incredible revolutionary time for me personally as well. The core value is truly to be responsible in every link we have — from ingredient sourcing, packaging, to shipping materials. Because that is to show respect to our surroundings, our planet, and to the ones we share it with.
Sándor pays homage to your grandfather. Can you share a specific memory or lesson from him that profoundly influenced your approach to Sandor and sustainability?
Sándor is named after my grandfather as I continuously strive for my brand to resonate with values of authenticity, conscious creation, and holding accountability of what is being created. For me it’s a lifestyle, a way of living, and a way of choosing how to think. A specific memory would be him growing his vegetables and fruit in his garden, something he would tend to delicately. To have this relationship with the earth and see something flourish and nourish you is such a beautiful relationship to me and I carry this memory with me with great respect.
As a pioneer in sustainable hair care, what trends do you foresee shaping the industry in the coming years?
I am hoping to see most brands embrace fully recyclable or compostable packaging and shy away from single-use plastics. The rising prevalence of biotech ingredients presents greater opportunities for natural brands. However, I believe the power of raw materials remains equally important. At Sándor, our goal is to integrate biotech with our raw materials, as it boasts a significantly low environmental impact, qualifies for ECO Certification, and is fully biodegradable. Sustainability, to me, entails consideration of the sourcing of ingredients, an ongoing journey in search of the best possible approach.
We're curious about your beauty and wellness rituals. Can you share any practices that are essential to your daily routine?
I love efficient self-care practices, whether it be sauna, breath work, massages, facials and at home remedies to maintain a healthy glow and flow. Wellness to me is also movement and to exercise, the feeling of release it brings.
What are your top 5 favourites in the Ara’kai selection?
Le Prunier Plumscreen, Carbonnique Face Roller, Corpus Bodywash Santalum, Basium Calor Perfume Oil, Davids Charcoal and Peppermint Toothpaste.
Given your expertise in hair care, could you share your personal hair care routine with us? What are some must-have products or ingredients you rely on for maintaining healthy and vibrant hair?
As a hairstylist, with the at-times extensive preparation and styling involved in my career, I prefer to keep things simple when it comes to the daily maintenance of my hair. I cleanse and condition with The Grounding Shampoo and Conditioner. I started to grow my hair longer after having it shoulder length in 2020, so I've been using oil in my ends to maintain hydration — usually a few pumps in wet hair followed by a pump in dry hair to minimize flyaways and gather my ends. Every now and then, I lather my scalp in The Grounding Oil for 10-15 minutes before shampooing. This small change has made a huge difference, as I no longer have as many split ends from just using a few pumps of oil on a daily basis. Additionally, to support to my natural waves, I like to use a texturizing spray at the roots.
Beyond hair care, are there any other areas within the beauty and wellness industry that you're passionate about exploring or integrating into the Sándor brand in the future?
We're aiming to expand with a few wellness products that I find are lacking on the market, while maintaining hair care as our primary focus.
Fast Four
Currently reading: Young Pueblo, Lighter and The Myth of Normal, Gabor Maté
Workout: Pilates & boxing
Beauty Tool: Sándor’s Scalp Gua Sha
Surprising hobby or interest: Ceramics
