St. Louis Says: The Australian Haircare Brand Redefining Everyday Hair Rituals
- Joanne
- Dec 8
- 6 min read
We were honoured to interview the inspiring founders of St. Louis Says, a haircare brand built on kindness, connection, and products that actually do what they promise. From salon chairs on the Sunshine Coast to the launch of their own science-backed, Australian-made line, their journey is all about creating accessible, effective formulas that make everyday haircare feel effortless — and a little bit special.
In our chat, they opened up about the story behind the name, their philosophy on scalp health, what makes Australian haircare so unique, and why simplicity will always win over a 10-step routine. Thoughtful, honest, and refreshingly down-to-earth, the founders shared exactly what drives the brand and where they’re heading next.
Here’s what Tim Persley and Adrian Mezzina had to say.
Let’s start with the name — St. Louis Says sounds like it’s got a story. What’s it actually saying, and how does it reflect who you are as a brand?
St. Louis Says is our tongue-in-cheek nod to the patron saint of personal care and creativity, inviting every person to believe their best hair is possible. It reflects our mission: salon-quality formulas, everyday accessibility, and a bit of ritual in your routine. We’re here to say that your scalp and strands matter, and you deserve products that honour them.
You’ve been in the hair game for a while now — what moment made you think, “Alright, it’s time to do our own thing”?
When we started Twin Palms eight years ago, we wanted to offer clients consistent quality, service and an overall experience that they would look forward to.
We’ve tried many products over the years and through our experience felt some underperformed, some were overpriced and that there was a gap there for an accessible brand whose products did what they said they would do. So we decided to create our own formulas and launch St. Louis Says.
Our philosophy for St. Louis Says is similar to our philosophy when we started Twin Palms - accessible quality and a wash day experience our customers will look forward to and gain confidence from.
Australian-made is a big deal to us — what does it mean for you to keep your products made right here at home?
Keeping production on the Sunshine Coast means everything to us. It’s how we ensure quality, providing jobs and contributing to the local economy, and it also allows us to be agile in continuously improving our formulas that are created for Australian hair, salt, sun and humidity.
When we say “made in Australia,” it’s not a badge, it’s a standard. It means we’re accountable and sustainable from lab to finished formulas, right here at home.
If you had to describe St. Louis Says as a person, what would their vibe be? (We’re picturing a little bit coastal, a little bit cool.)
As a product that has been designed to be accessible and inclusive for everyone, we want it to suit anyone’s vibe. Australian’s are made up of a diverse mix of people and races living in different cities and towns, all with varying priorities and inspirations.
To date, we have been selling products to customers in all corners of Australia, across all different age groups.
Your ingredients list reads like a science-meets-simplicity manifesto — how do you find that sweet spot between clinical results and easy, everyday use?
We don’t see clinical results and simple, everyday use as being mutually exclusive. We understand that the scalp is skin and it's the foundation of healthy hair. With this in mind we created a simple ingredient system that we use across all our ranges featuring Piroctone Olamine (an antifungal and antimicrobial compound) and Salicylic Acid (exfoliant) to target scalp health, backed up by actives, natural oils and extracts that focus on specific results for different hair types.
No jargon, no 10-step rituals - just shampoos, conditioners, and a mask that actually works. Science made simple, your routine made effortless.
We love that you talk about scalp care without overcomplicating it. What’s one thing people usually get wrong about scalp health?
One of the biggest misconceptions about scalp health is thinking it’s only about how often you wash your hair. In reality a healthy scalp is all about balance, not just cleanliness.
When you over wash your hair, you can strip away the scalp’s natural oils and upset its delicate microbiome (the ecosystem of good bacteria that keeps things balanced). This can lead to dryness, irritation, and even overproduction of oil as your scalp tries to compensate.
On the other hand, skipping washes or layering on too many products can cause buildup, blocking hair follicles and slowing growth.
Your scalp is skin. It needs gentle care, hydration, and a balanced environment to stay healthy and support strong, shiny hair growth.
Effective scalp care is like effective skincare: cleanse, nourish, and protect.
You’ve mentioned new tools like the Infrared Brush — how do you decide when a trend is actually worth turning into a product?
If a tool or innovation genuinely improves hair health, simplifies your routine or brings salon-level results home, we lean in.
Our bar: does it perform, feel good and align with our hair-health philosophy? If yes, then it earns a spot in the range. Just like our haircare range, we also want to ensure we keep tools affordable for everyone to enjoy them.
Australia has such unique climate challenges — salt, sun, humidity — how do your formulas stand up to that?
Our formulas were built for it. Every product is designed to hydrate, protect and purify while standing up to Australia’s salt, sun and humidity. When you’re here doing life in Aussie conditions, your hair needs more than just pretty packaging - it needs real performance.
You talk a lot about making haircare approachable — what’s one myth you’d love to bust once and for all?
That great hair requires ten, expensive products and endless time. It doesn’t. You just need the right formulas, a little consistency and an understanding of your scalp and strands.
Simplify your routine, treat your scalp, and let effective ingredients do the heavy lifting.
People often forget hair is just as seasonal as skincare — what’s your advice for those still stuck in their “summer shampoo” era?
Switch it up! Just like your wardrobe, your routine should evolve with the weather. The shampoo and conditioner that carried you through summer might weigh you down in winter so be open to adjust your products when your hair and scalp’s behaviour shifts. And we have product ranges suitable for all solutions and climates including moisture repair, volumising, advanced stimulation (boost) and anti-danfruff, along with our leave-in conditioning treatment mask.
Your brand feels like that friend who always has a good hair tip. How do you decide what to share on socials versus what stays a secret weapon?
We share it all - no gate-keeping here. There are no secret weapons, just routine, scalp care and formulas that genuinely work. Our social content is about empowerment and education, and a bit of fun, not mystery rituals.
What’s one product in your range that deserves a little more hype? Give it its main character moment.
The St. Louis Says Resurrection Repair Mask deserves the spotlight. It breathes life back into dull, damaged hair - indulgent, restorative and built for a makeover moment. Think of it as the reset your strands didn’t know they were craving.
There’s so much noise in the haircare world right now — what do you think Aussie brands like yours are doing differently?
We keep it real, simple and clean. Australian brands get effortless beauty - fewer steps, better formulas and an emphasis on natural, healthy hair rather than over-styling.
We’re performance-first, not trend-driven and spent years researching the ranges and ingredients that Australian’s are searching for.
We’re seeing haircare lean into wellness lately — any plans to blur that line even more?
Absolutely. Haircare is self-care. We’re always exploring ways to make your wash routine feel less like a chore and more like a ritual - sensory, restorative, meaningful. Because your hair and scalp deserve more than just cleansing and we are big believers in a healthy mind, body and hair.
If St. Louis Says could collab with one dream Aussie icon (brand, creator, or celeb), who would it be?
So far, we have had the pleasure of working with Lana Kington, one of our favourite Aussie creators and friends of the brand who we believe embodies our values at St. Louis Says. We have also enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Koda Cutters salon in Sydney (Bondi & CBD) who have a fantastic team who really believe in what we are doing. As for more collabs, you’ll have to keep an eye out in the very near future...
What’s next for you guys — any teasers for what’s coming down the line for summer? (We love a good spoiler.)
We have been busy in our production facility planning our new product releases for 2026 to compliment our initial range. Nothing we can mention just yet, but our goal has always been to innovate in order to deliver complete haircare systems and products, for all hair types.
St. Louis Says is not just a haircare brand, it's a lifestyle! If there’s one thing we learned from chatting with the founders, it’s that great hair doesn’t have to be complicated — you just need the right formulas and a little consistency. St. Louis Says isn’t just making haircare easier, they’re making it feel good. And honestly? We’re here for it.
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