Ciao Bella is a women-owned sustainable beauty brand based in San Diego that makes everyday hair accessories without the plastic problem common to most drugstore options. Founder Sage Dobby started the company after looking into how much waste piles up from cheap hair ties that snap, stretch out, or end up in the trash within weeks. The company sells directly through ciaobellacollective.com and runs the site in both English and Spanish. CBS San Diego covered the brand in its early stages.
The brand makes the Hair Halo™, a hair tie that swaps out synthetic elastic and recycled polyester for an upcycled pineapple fiber blend fabric over a core of natural rubber and cotton. Most plastic hair ties on the market shed microplastics every time you twist them around a ponytail, and they leave a dent or kink that you can see for hours after you take them out. The Hair Halo holds without creasing, grips harder when wet from sweat or rinse water, and works across thick, fine, curly, or straight hair. The regular six-pack sells at $12.99. Free shipping kicks in past $35. A 90-day replacement covers any tie that snaps under normal use.
"For years, women heard that their only choice was between a hair tie that wrecks their hair and one that wrecks the planet," said a spokesperson for Ciao Bella. "That's a false choice. We made the Hair Halo because there was no real reason a daily accessory had to be made of plastic. Pineapple fiber comes from the leaves left behind after fruit harvest, which means we get a strong, breathable material out of something that would otherwise go to waste. Our customers get hair ties that last close to a year, hold sweaty workout hair without slipping, and don't pull at the roots when you take them out. They also skip the small guilt that comes with throwing away another bag of cheap plastic ones every few months."
Ciao Bella donates 5% of proceeds to environmental and community causes. The current giving partner is the Surfrider Foundation, which is working on the Tijuana sewage crisis response along the Southern California coast. Each six-pack saves around 30 grams of plastic from production and prevents close to 100 grams of carbon emissions compared to standard synthetic ties. The brand keeps its design and quality control work in San Diego. The team is small enough that customer feedback often shows up in the next product update. Shoppers who want a hair tie that holds its shape, protects strands from breakage, and skips the plastic problem can find the Hair Halo at the brand's website, with free shipping on orders over $35.
About Ciao Bella
Ciao Bella is a women-owned sustainable beauty brand in San Diego that makes plastic-free hair ties for women who care about hair health and the planet. The brand sells directly through its site, donates 5% of proceeds to environmental causes, and has earned early coverage from CBS San Diego. To order or read more, visit https://ciaobellacollective.com/