Ecocare

Ecocare is a natural haircare and skincare brand that began in the United States in 1994 and is today owned and operated from South Korea. It was founded in Pennsylvania by the hairstylist Paul Mazzotta as a line of plant-based, aromatherapy hair and spa products [5]. The brand later changed hands and is now run by Meeray Cosmetics, a company based in Yongin-si, in the Gyeonggi province of South Korea, where it sells online and supplies professional salons.

Because of that history, the brand's nationality is recorded two ways. Its own company page lists the corporate seat as South Korea [2], while the founding origin is the United States [5]; sources differ on which to treat as the brand's home, and both are accurate to a different period in its life.

The line was created in 1994 by Paul Mazzotta, who developed the first products in Pennsylvania [2]. Mazzotta was already a working hairstylist: he had opened his own salon, Paul Mazzotta Hair Design, in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, in 1976 [5]. Ecocare grew out of that salon background as a range of hair and spa products made with natural ingredients and aromatherapy. According to the founder profile in Berks County Living, the line was a tribute to Mazzotta's grandmother [5].

Ecocare is now operated by Meeray Cosmetics, whose chief executive is listed as Ilyoung Kim and whose headquarters are in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea [2]. Mazzotta, the original founder, sold the brand some years after launching it, and it has continued under new ownership selling online and through professional salons [5]. The company retains a United States return address in Fort Lee, New Jersey, alongside its Korean base [1].

The company frames its products around what it calls personal and planetary ecology. Living in balance with nature, it says, means "respecting nature's natural cycle" and helping customers "gain balance within body, mind, and the planet." Ecocare describes itself as standing for quality and uniqueness, and positions its range as professional, salon-grade products that can be used at home. It is presented as a clean-beauty brand built on natural, plant-based ingredients.

Ecocare's catalogue is organised around scalp, hair, skin and professional lines. Its featured products are largely haircare, including a dandruff shampoo, the Hydraplex moisture shampoo, thickening shampoos, hair masks and a leave-on treatment marketed as HNC Leave-On, along with cleansing gels and a multi-purpose oil. Products are sold in salon-scale sizes, up to roughly one litre.

The company states that its formulas avoid petrochemical raw materials and harsh chemicals such as parabens, SLS and SLES, phthalates and synthetic colourants. It also says the products contain no animal ingredients and are not tested on animals, and that packaging is recycled or recyclable and supported by a refill programme [2].

Ecocare is an acquired brand: founded in the United States and now owned and run by Meeray Cosmetics in South Korea. The company's website remains active, with a current product range and pricing, and at the time of review carried a notice that registered customers needed to rejoin following a site renovation [1]. Distribution is primarily through professional salons and direct online sales. No major beauty-press coverage of the brand was found beyond the founder profile in Berks County Living, and there is no Wikipedia entry for Ecocare or for Meeray Cosmetics.