Sometimes, a meaningful change begins with a simple question: how can we care for our bodies without harming them? For Sharona Romano-Lazar, that question became a lifelong journey. It led her to create ecoLove, an Israeli hair and body-care company that has grown from a local initiative into an international presence, now available in nearly 900 stores across the United States.
Romano-Lazar approaches entrepreneurship with clarity and realism. She describes it as a discipline – a series of deliberate choices, and at times, a true test of patience. At its core, her work is guided by what she calls three pillars: “Belief, courage, and commitment. Not belief where I sit in a hotel bed and imagine I’ll conquer America,” she adds with a smile, “rather a belief that has to come with action.” Courage, she says, makes the leap possible; commitment sustains it.
The origin of ecoLove was simple: a need. My daughter used to itch after showering,” she recalls. “And so, I started looking for something natural, organic, without all the irritating ingredients.” Romano-Lazar searched for a product that was both natural and balanced to the senses. When she realized the market lacked that combination, she decided to build it herself: a line that would be 100% vegan, with organic ingredients, dead sea minerals, free from harmful substances, and considerate of both the body and the environment.
Even in 2011, Romano-Lazar sensed that the beauty industry was beginning to shift. The Israeli market offered few vegan or organic alternatives, and she anticipated that consumers would increasingly seek products that were gentle, transparent, and conscientious. “We believe haircare can, and should, be part of a balanced, conscious lifestyle,” Romano-Lazar explains. “One that respects the body, the mind and the world around us.” Her early efforts focused on natural, organic ingredients, avoiding SLS, parabens, and silicones, while paying attention to environmental impact, including the use of recycled packaging. Initially, it was simply about doing things in a way that felt right. Over time, her instincts proved discerning.
The global conversation around sustainability, clean ingredients, and transparency intensified, and ecoLove’s approach fit naturally into this movement. What set ecoLove apart in a crowded clean-beauty market was its ability to combine certified organic ingredients with professional-level performance. While many natural brands compromised on texture or results, ecoLove invested in formulations that delivered a refined sensory experience alongside clean credentials, positioning the brand as a premium yet accessible option within the natural retail channel. Romano-Lazar’s original goal – to find a balance between effectiveness and enjoyment – continues to guide the brand. “If the products were natural, they didn’t feel good. And if they felt good, they weren’t actually clean,” she recalls of the gap she saw in the market. “The challenge was to find our brand, our identity.”
Yet ecoLove is about more than formulas. Established and produced in Israel’s southern periphery, Romano-Lazar ensured that ecoLove would not be outsourced. “We manufacture in Ofakim,” she states. “Supporting the Israeli economy and especially the peripheral regions was important. There are many values tied to that choice, beyond sustainability and health, which are already part of the product.”
From its earliest days, the company has been led by women and has had a predominantly female team. For Romano-Lazar, this was a pragmatic decision. “I wanted to give women the same opportunities men enjoy” she says. “It was crucial for me to create this space for them.” The culture she nurtures allows her team to take ownership, grow professionally, and lead.
The female-led culture extends beyond internal management. In Hebrew marketing materials, the brand addresses its audience in the feminine form, a small but meaningful shift in a language where masculine is the default. “Most Hebrew communication is in masculine, and no one complains,” Romano-Lazar notes. ” For her, this is simply consistent with reality: women leading, women creating, women choosing consciously. Romano-Lazar traces her drive for independence to her upbringing. “My father worked. My mother stayed home and was financially dependent on him,” she says. “That wasn’t the model I wanted for myself and my daughters.”
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: “You have to jump into the water,” she says. “Of course, not without knowing how to swim – you need to understand the basics – but at some point, you have to put things into practice.” Credentials alone aren’t enough. “If you never take the initiative yourself, they don’t mean much. I’ve made mistakes, some more costly than others. You try to minimize them, but that’s part of the process. The path only becomes clear once you start walking. If you stay at the starting line, you’ll never see where the road leads.”
That philosophy is evident in ecoLove’s international growth. Entering the United States was a leap into unknown territory, but one Romano-Lazar approached with preparation and patience.
Today, ecoLove is available in approximately 900 stores nationwide, including major retailers such as Sprouts, Whole Foods, Hannaford, and Wegmans, as well as online on Amazon.
For a company founded in Israel, this represents a notable achievement and a testament to sustained vision, disciplined leadership, and careful product development. Walking through stores in the U.S., Romano-Lazar experiences both pride and perspective. “Right now, we are in the commitment stage in the U.S.” she says. “And this means staying. Not running away when it’s difficult. Even with the tariffs, the current state of the dollar, and powerful competitors breathing down our neck – we’re here to stay and share our products, our very best, with the American customer.” That persistence reflects her broader approach: values and business must align, quality cannot be compromised, and leadership involves creating space for the team to grow. ecoLove has evolved into a brand that combines professional management, thoughtful formulation, and long-term vision.
Romano-Lazar describes it as a natural extension of her values: thoughtful, intentional, and attentive. Belief, courage, commitment – for Romano-Lazar, these are not slogans. They are guides for action and steps to move forward, and skyrocket into the world’s largest economy.
Written in collaboration with ecoLove