The Insider BEHIND THE INSIDERS
We spoke to Andy about the origins of The Insiders, his inspiration and what the future holds
An interview by Mickey Hoogendijk
The Insider behind The Insiders
Founder Andy is an award-winning hairstylist with a passion for healthy, radiant hair. His mother has been a great source of inspiration for this. For years he worked behind the scenes with top models and celebrities, where he discovered how important protective styling is for lasting beautiful hair.
Together with a team of experts, he decided to make that valuable insider know-how accessible to everyone. This is how The Insiders was born.
Why do you love healthy hair so much?
“As a hairstylist, I’ve seen first-hand the impact healthy, beautifully styled hair can have. It boosts your confidence and makes you shine from within. Healthy hair isn’t a trend; it’s a lifestyle that revolves around self-care and feeling good. With our focus on results-driven styling with maximum protection, we keep your hair healthy for the long term. It’s an all-in-one approach that has become a passion. Everyone deserves those benefits!”
What inspired you to start your own business?
“I grew up in Amsterdam and surrounding villages, in the middle of a family of entrepreneurs and hairdressers. My mother’s passion for hair and my father’s entrepreneurship inspired me at an early age. I knew: one day I’m going to start my own business. In the salon and backstage at fashion shows in Paris, I discovered how difficult it is to keep hair healthy and beautiful. Many traditional styling products often contain dry alcohol and other ingredients that don’t do your hair much good in the long run.”
The Turning Point
“When I really started to delve into the styling process, it became our shared mission: to develop styling products that are good for your hair. Think of formulas with different powerful vitamins, plant-based blends, UV and heat protection. That way, we protect your hair while you look fantastic.”
The Birth of a New Vision
"For us, it's all about well-styled hair, while at the same time protecting your hair as well as possible for the long term. Styling that helps you achieve your dream look, without shortchanging your hair. Just like you're used to with skincare. Our products are therefore developed for women who want to style, but don't want to compromise on hair quality.
With this vision we create a new category within hair care.
How did The Insiders start?
“On a sunny beach in Spain my dream came to life: starting a boutique hair brand, built on healthy styling and making the expertise of the real experts important, the hairdressers, the insiders. After years of experience at Unilever, Philips and Procter & Gamble and working in the salon and backstage at the fashion shows, this felt like the perfect next step”.
Why the name 'The Insiders'?
“Simple: every product is developed together with our expert hair stylists. We combine our insider know-how with a big dose of hair love, and put everything we know in our packaging. We know hair. We understand styling like no other. We are the insiders.”
What is the focus within The Insiders?
"From day one, we want to create something that is truly different. A new perspective on styling. The collaboration in our team of experts simply creates the very best products.
Through our products, community and education, we build confidence every day — so women feel empowered and ready to conquer the world.”
What makes your products unique, what makes them different and why should I buy them?
“The Insiders is not about trends, but about a future-oriented vision of healthy hair styling and maintaining healthy hair after styling. Especially for the long term.
Our products are tested, refined and perfected to the extreme by all our experts, our fans and myself. Does our lab sometimes wonder if we are crazy? Yep. But we don't care”.
How did you approach this challenge?
“We immediately joined forces with an exceptional group of experts from different disciplines — from salon and backstage stylists, to biochemistry, botany, sustainability expertise, product formulation and product development. And of course, we involved many inspiring women who care about styling, in all development processes.
For almost two years we worked together to develop innovative styling products that make our target group happy.
That is exactly what makes The Insiders so special: our products are developed by real experts, specially tailored to what your hair really needs. In end result and as protection”.
What makes your formulas so special?
“Our products are 100% vegan and packed with powerful ingredients that nourish and protect your hair from root to tip.
The core of our formulas? A powerful Pro-vitamin blend with Pro Vitamin B 5, Niacinamide and Vitamin E, which strengthens and nourishes the hair, combined with a patented plant-based blend that hydrates and helps repair damaged hair. We added UV protection, heat protection, an anti-pollution filter and color retention so that your hair is protected against everything from outside. Furthermore, a number of technical ingredients and through the right combination in the right ratio of all ingredients, that ensures a fantastic end result”
Can you tell us more about the brand personality and values?
“At heart we are no-nonsense, open minded and have a free spirit. We are about people, and therefore way cooler than a spreadsheet.
We are all about honesty, positive energy, expertise, trust and sharing.
Our mission is to make every woman feel unstoppable.
No boxes, no stereotypes — just products that embrace true diversity and suit all hair types and offer lots of variation options.
We listen to our community, continuously improve, and consciously choose our carefully composed ingredients.
We celebrate life in different ways — together with our team and our fans.
What inspires the lifestyle behind The Insiders?
The lifestyle behind The Insiders is inspired by women who are in their power — in their own way. It’s the moments when you feel good about yourself, not because everything is perfect, but because you stay true to yourself.
We are inspired by real connections, open conversations, the trust that arises between stylist and client, the energy of creative and inspiring women who lift each other up. Where there is room for imperfection, for courage, for softness and strength.
And yes, we love beautiful things. Traveling. Sun on your skin. Sand between your toes. A flower that catches your eye. French fries with a glass of champagne. Dancing in the bathroom (don't look at me haha). Small rituals that change your day.
That vibe — that feeling of freedom, confidence and connection — that is The Insiders.
Why is The Insiders 'here to stay'?
At The Insiders we don't build on trends, but on the vision of healthy styling of your hair with a fantastic end result.
As hair stylists ourselves, we work directly with our team of top stylists, staying flexible and continuing to innovate—always with top quality at our core.
Every product is born from passion and goes through a strict testing phase. We make conscious choices, from formula to packaging, with respect for you and the planet.
No bulk, no bullshit — just smart, powerful products that really make a difference and grow with your lifestyle and for professionals; your salon.
You are a strong advocate for women empowerment. What is your promise to women?
"At home I see my partner and daughters how beautiful and powerful they are in life. But also how they stand up for more equality and the development of a strong personality. They are a great inspiration to me personally, in many forms.
At The Insiders, we promise you this: we stand by you — not to say what is beautiful, but to amplify what is already there. We give you tools, knowledge and support to look in the mirror with confidence every day.
Who you are, how you feel, how you show up — we embrace femininity in all its forms.
That is our promise. To you. And to all the women who grow with us.”
How do you build a community?
For us, our community is about real connection and like-mindedness. We are building this now, and it is so much fun and so rewarding.
We love openness — we encourage our fans to share their honest feedback, good or bad. Because that's how we grow.
Everyone is welcome in our Insiders Club — a place to inspire each other, learn, and grow together. We listen, adapt, and keep improving.
And our team? It feels like family. They put their heart and soul into everything we do.
Why are you only available through the official website and selected salons?
At The Insiders, we believe that beautiful hair starts in the hands of a true expert: the hairdresser. The salon is not just a place to get your hair done — it is a place of trust, expertise and real connection. That is why we work exclusively with selected salons that share these values. Salons where expertise, quality and personal attention are paramount. That way, we can guarantee that you not only get great products, but also the right advice, tailored to your hair and your wishes.
Our official website is an extension of that experience — safe, transparent and always in collaboration with our salon partners.
This way we stay true to what we believe in: unstoppable hair, no mass distribution, conscious choices for strong salons and building a community in which everyone grows.
How do you see the future of The Insiders and the hair industry?
"I think more and more hair brands will shift their focus to styling in a healthier way. Well-styled hair is the confidence boost that makes you shine. We continue to develop products that really make our customers happy."
Have you gained any insights from The Insiders?
“Absolutely. I have learned that growth does not always have to be big or visible. Sometimes real progress is in small choices, honest conversations and daring to let go of what no longer fits. One of the most beautiful insights is that when you close one door, a new one always opens. Not everything works, but it is beautiful to continue with love and energy.”
Why do you love what you do?
“My life revolves around her — always has. I honestly couldn't imagine life without her.
Building The Insiders with our fantastic team is an amazing adventure. Of course, it is not always easy, but above all filled with moments that I will never forget.
The best part? Knowing that our products really make a difference. That they not only make our fans happy, but also make them feel stronger and more confident. That's why we do this.
“Every day this work gives me so much energy and joy — I wouldn't want to miss it for anything.”
Are you proud of what you have achieved?
"We are mostly grateful and down-to-earth. Every day brings new challenges, and life is nice and busy. At the same time, we love the little things and try to enjoy every moment. We know how fragile life can be sometimes. So we try to stay close to ourselves. That's where the magic is!
Interview by Mickey Hoogendijk
A true creative mind meets the spirit of our brand.
