A minimalist, modern haircare collection isn’t what you’d expect from the artist responsible for the ‘80’s-inspired mullets, corkscrew perms, and bowl cuts that helped define Stranger Things. The series wrapped its fifth and final season in late 2025, with a new animated spinoff — Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 — set to debut next month. But that’s exactly what Emmy-nominated hair designer Sarah Hindsgaul envisioned with her eponymous new line, Hindsgaul Hair.
“Life is so busy, especially my actors when they’re shooting,” says Hindsgaul, who is married to series creator Matt Duffer. “These are simple, everyday, easy products designed to give hair a reset and establish a foundation — a clean canvas to work with from the beginning.”
She returned to her Denmark roots for the key ingredients. “It was really important for me to bring something from home.” She also focused on skincare-level efficacy. “Cloudberry is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids and helps boost hair’s vibrancy and strength, and Nordic cotton helps reduce signs of stress from the environment.”
Her philosophy is embracing what you’re born with, and she instilled that ethos into her unfussy four-piece collection including The Scalp Scrub Shampoo, The Mask Conditioner, The Mousse Soft Hold, and The Puff Dry Shampoo, which is just dabbed into the hair for mess-free application. “My work has a lot of soul and individualism to it, so I encourage people to love the texture they’re born with and learn how to work with it,” she adds. “These products help deliver movement and shine.”
While many brand founders must rely heavily on friends and family to test products and gather feedback during the formulation process, Hindsgaul was fortunate to have a deeply engaged audience of her own: the Stranger Things cast.
“I was able to use the products on the actors in real time, and they were like a focus group for me,” she says. “I’m thankful that they were part of the process and also lucky to have many hair stylists on my team who gave me hard, honest feedback.”
Cast members were also vocal about the importance of thoughtful formulations. “Sadie (who plays “Max”) was very clear about what touches her skin and hair; it has to be clean and she scans everything.”
The male actors’ locks took quite a beating during filming. “We put them in salt water, dust, and cement so they really appreciated the scalp scrub shampoo, which was a reset for them, and then they loved the hair mask conditioner.”
The cast agreed on many aspects of the products, and they had specific suggestions, with one product in particular. “They all said the mousse can’t make their hair sticky, because I made their hair stiff and tacky with mousse for years in order to be period correct in the show.”
And the actors, she says, overwhelmingly approved of the subtle alluring scent. “They’re obsessed,” she adds. A blend of citrus, violet and radiant musk, it was crafted by renowned French perfumer Jérôme Epinette, who is also the nose for cult-favorite fragrance brand, Liis. “The Liis founders, Alissa and Leslie, inspired me and gave me the courage to create my line.”
After nine years shaping the look of Stranger Things, she is putting all her energy into the new business. “It’s my entire life right now — it’s like a newborn baby,” says Hindsgaul, who shares two children with Duffer. “I’m a big believer in grounding yourself so you can be ready to get into your next big thing.”
