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- Shhhowercap, a brand known for creating shower accessories that are equally fashionable and functional, has reinvented the shower cap for a new generation. Their design keeps hair dry while preserving style with a patented hydrophobic, breathable, nanotech fabric.
- Besides functionality, Shhhowercap is bringing aesthetically pleasing shower caps to market. Their range includes bright colors and seasonal prints, all executed in the brand's signature pleat-front style.
- The Shhhowercap is a game changer for women with thick, long, or curly hair who have been let down by traditional shower cap designs. This one has a no-slip grip band at the front, and expandable elastic at the back to account for thick or heavy hair.
- It is the only shower cap that's ever actually kept all of my hair dry in the shower.
- We talked with Jackie De Jesu, the founder and CEO of Shhhowercap, to learn more about what went into reinventing the shower cap.
What do you think of when you hear the words "shower cap?" Chances are, your mind conjures up an image of a frumpy spinster, or maybe you picture the stereotypical lunch lady in her puffy, elastic-banded headgear. Certainly, you don't think chic (shower caps are usually anything but) and probably, you don't think useful (those thin plastic versions are no match for a thick head of hair and high water pressure).
But a Shhhowercap? That's a whole different story.
I first stumbled upon Shhhowercap, a brand known for shower accessories that are equally fashionable and functional, while browsing Sephora. Amid the pages and pages of moisturizers and makeup, one product was eye-catching enough to stop my thumb mid-scroll: Was this colorful cap a fashion-forward turban headband? Would it work with jeans and a blazer? I could practically picture myself donning it for an Instagram selfie and racking up the likes… when I realized it was a shower cap.
"Originally, I set out to make [a shower cap] that looked chic," Jackie De Jesu, the founder and CEO of Shhhowercap, tells Business Insider. (Mission: accomplished.) "However, after multiple conversations with women, I learned that aesthetics were just the tip of the iceberg." It's true; as with everything else in life, looks will only get you so far. The real reason most millennial women don't use shower caps anymore isn't because they're not aesthetically pleasing - it's because they don't actually do what we need them to do: keep our hair healthy and dry, and preserve our hairstyle while we shower.
Shhhowercap
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"From the elastic band leaving an indent on their forehead, to the crazy snapping noise that the plastic made, to the built-up mildew smell, to how they fit - they didn't - and everything in between, I realized we were all settling for a less than experience," De Jesu says. And in 2019, less than doesn't belong in any woman's vocabulary. "I realized I could do it better," the founder shares. "So, I did."
"Better" is putting it mildly. Pre-Shhhowercap, I was never able to find a similar product that was able to hold all of my thick, long hair. The weight of my curls tended to pull down the back of my shower cap, leaving the front of my scalp exposed. Eventually, I took to twirling a full-size towel around my head while I washed, careful to keep it away from the spray of the shower; but this usually didn't work out the way I wanted it to (think: falling off, getting soaked, ruining hair).
Shhhowercap offers a decidedly more user-friendly experience: It features a no-slip grip band at the front, and expandable elastic at the back to account for thick or heavy hair. It's wide enough to cover my whole head, tight enough to keep water out, but not so tight that it smooshes the hairstyle underneath. In short, it's straight-up magic.
"I spent years in development," De Jesu reveals. "From the patented, hydrophobic, breathable nanotech fabric, to the pleats at the front of the design, every single aspect of this waterproof hair covering has been optimized to solve for what we were missing in the category."
Another thing that sets Shhhowercap apart is its focus on education. De Jesu and her team are dedicated to helping busy women thrive - whether that means saving them styling time in the morning or advocating for the long-term health of their hair. "The most immediate, and arguably the biggest, benefit for a lot of people is efficiency," the founder explains. "It's not just skipping the hair wash, it's the ability to skip the re-styling of your hair after every single shower." The cap prevents frizz and curl fall-out, and keeps blowouts from curling up.
"We also spend most of our time talking about owning the behavior of not washing our hair every day versus blowout protection," De Jesu says. In the last decade or so, research has proven that shampooing your hair too often is almost as damaging as heat-styling it every day. "Over-washing strips away natural oils, exposes cuticle shafts, increases split ends, dulls hair shine, and it traps you in a cycle of over washing," she tells us. Which is probably why 90% of women are opting not to wash their hair every day.
Shhhowercap
If you're within that 90%, Shhhowercap just might make getting ready in the morning that much easier.
It's suitable for all hair types, too; from fine and straight, to natural and coily, to weaves and extensions.
"While the product is most often used as a traditional shower cap, we've noticed a number of customers use us a swim cap during summer months or as an extra layer of protection in the rain," De Jesu shares. "It's also perfect for deep conditioning treatments and overnight masks."
While Shhhowercap might not be fit to wear with jeans and blazer like I originally hoped, it does make for a damn good selfie.
Buy the Shhhowercap for $43 on Sephora in 12 designs
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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.