Plastic-Free Brand Parrotfish Wants People To Feel Pampered While Making Better Choices For The Planet

Parrotfish founder and CEO Katie Pearson Fucci got an uncomfortably closeup view of plastic pollution when she was a graphic designer on National Geographic’s “Planet or Plastic” campaign, a multiyear effort that’s documented everything from microplastics atop Mt. Everest to plastic food packaging on beaches.

“While I was already passionate about outdoor activities like rock climbing and backpacking, after working on that campaign I wanted to try eliminating plastic from my home starting with the bathroom,” says Pearson Fucci, who was at the magazine from 2016 to 2022. “When I struggled to find a shampoo and conditioner bar that worked for my hair, the idea for Parrotfish came about.”

Now, others are jumping on her idea. Last year, Pearson Fucci’s plastic-free brand, winner of Beauty Independent’s 2023 Beacon Award for Sustainability Champion, entered hip Southern California grocer Erewhon, and it’s building its natural grocery presence this year with forthcoming launches at Akin’s Natural Foods, Chamberlin’s Market and Earth Origins Market. Pearson Fucci says, “The thrill of seeing our bars alongside other prominent beauty brands on store shelves, particularly in Erewhon, is undeniable.”

Parrotfish’s assortment spans soap, shampoo and conditioner bars priced at $15 each as well as shower steamers priced at $30 for sets of 10. There’s peppermint, argan oil and purple shampoo and conditioner bars, and lavender coffee clementine, lemon lychee, rosemary apple cider vinegar and grapefruit ginger soaps. The merchandise is housed in boxes constructed from 95% post-consumer and 5% post-industrial content that’s recyclable and biodegradable.

Parrotfish’s vegan, cruelty-free products avoid palm oil and contain cocoa butter, essential oils and coconut-derived sodium coco sulfate. Pearson Fucci says the synthetic ingredient makes for “milder and safer cleansing compared to petroleum-based alternatives like ammonium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate.” Parrotfish ships via the United States Postal Service to minimize carbon emissions associated with the delivery of its orders.

Like the fish species it’s named after, Parrotfish features plenty of colors in its packaging, including orange, purple, green and blue. Pearson Fucci’s brother-in-law Andrew Johnson-Lally, an illustrator, tattoo artist and co-owner of tattoo parlor Houndstooth, illustrated ingredients for the insides of the packaging.

“People are pleasantly surprised to find the illustrations when they open their soaps or shampoos,” says Pearson Fucci. “When I embraced sustainability, I was disappointed to see it represented as burlap and beige. I aimed for a brand that blends art and joy with sustainability. I have found my packaging and branding attract people and wholesale accounts, and if I can lead people to sustainable choices through art, that’s a win.”

Design was the first fully realized aspect of the Parrotfish brand. “Balancing a full-time role at Nat Geo with night classes in grad school left me with little time to build the company I envisioned, so I did things a little backward,” says Pearson Fucci, who received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Georgetown University in 2020. “I did what came easiest for me first and leveraged my graphic design skills to create a website and brand identity before even having a product.”

As for Parrotfish’s formulas, she says, “I wanted products that make daily life feel indulgent. While sustainable items like bamboo toilet paper are necessary, Parrotfish is about pampering yourself even in your everyday routine.”

“Parrotfish is about pampering yourself even in your everyday routine.”

In 2022, the global shampoo bar market was valued at about $10 billion, according to the firm Fortune Business Insights. The global haircare market was valued at over $84 billion in the same year, per the firm Straits Research. In the early days of Parrotfish, which incorporated in December 2021, Pearson Fucci recalls that familiarity with haircare bars wasn’t widespread. Today, she says people are aware of and increasingly using them.

Fortune Business Insights predicts the shampoo bar market will grow at a compounded rate of 5.3% through 2030 to hit about $15 billion. Straits Research forecasts the haircare market will grow at a compounded of 3.2% to hit north of $112 billion by 2031.

Pearson Fucci says, “The evolving expectation for businesses to embrace sustainability is a positive shift, and I’m eager to witness its ongoing enhancement. While top-down change is crucial, consumer purchasing power plays a pivotal role. The days of companies merely slapping a recycling logo on a plastic bottle are no longer sufficient. Consumers [are becoming more perceptive] when companies engage in greenwashing.”

Pearson Fucci aims to keep in close contact with her customers, noting that “transparency is essential for building trust.” Parrotfish solicits customer feedback on the products and scents its audience most wants to see. The brand conducts email surveys that let them vote on seasonal fragrances and is upfront about obstacles that impede sustainability.

For example, Pearson Fucci points out some distributors mandate plastic-wrapped pallets. “To date, I have been able to ship in large boxes instead of a pallet, but, as I grow, I expect it will be a hurdle I will have to overcome,” she says, adding, “I recognize the inherent sustainability challenges within the industry. Although I strive to collaborate with like-minded partners, I’m mindful that impactful change doesn’t demand perfection.”

Pearson Fucci intends to refine Parrotfish’s shower steamers for wholesale distribution. The move should broaden the scope of retailers the brand can partner with. Currently, its sales largely come from its direct-to-consumer channel.

“I envision retailers that focus on gifting, from larger stores such as Anthropologie, Credo or Uncommon Goods to small business boutiques,” says Pearson Fucci. “While Parrotfish’s hair and body bars are great for grocery, shower steamers are popular products people buy as gifts.” She continues, “Parrotfish was created to broaden consumer options in sustainable beauty and personal care…I hope our future products continue this theme of everyday indulgence.”

Customer interest in plastic-free bar products like Parrotfish’s has risen, but Pearson Fucci acknowledges that price and consumer reluctance to make habit changes are barriers to broader adoption. She’s committed to education to convince customers to try Parrotfish’s products.

“I highlight to customers that condensing shampoo into bar form can replace up to three liquid shampoo bottles as the bottle is typically around 80 percent water,” she says. “If the concern is fear of change, I emphasize the incredible benefits of ingredients like argan oil or cocoa butter, not just for the environment, but also for healthier, nourished hair.”