After doing the big chop and experimenting with tons of products that didn’t work, Alena Smith, founder of Hair Body N’ Soul decided to research creating products on her own that she, her mom and her boyfriend could all use. The result was a new brand, completely free of harmful chemicals and priced affordably for consumers. Keep reading to learn more about this natural brand for hair and skin care in Alena’s own words.
What inspired you to start the Hair Body N' Soul brand?
On September 2nd 2013 I made the decision to big chop and go natural. This was after about 4 years of contemplating and being told not to make that change. So after about 1 year of watching videos and tutorials about transitioning and natural hair I went for it.
As a new natural I was a product junkie, I tried over 15 different brands of products, none of which kept my hair moisturized, or soft for longer than a day. Also the cost was unbearable. This is when I started doing my own research to find what was good for my hair and what was not. In my research I found that every one of the products that I was using had at least one ingredient that was not good for my hair, many of which were chemicals. So now I’ve stopped putting chemicals in my hair for processing, just to put different chemicals in for styling and moisturizing? It just didn’t make sense to me, so I went to YouTube and back to my research to start making my own products.
One day I had a very vivid dream. I saw myself standing at a booth with a banner that read Hair Body N’ Soul. I was pitching an organic hair care product to everyone who stopped by. That’s when I realized that this was my brand I was dreaming about. So I immediately got to work my boyfriend and current business partner, Andre Carter, helping me map things out. Then the creation of our mission came along: just as I do not desire to put chemicals in my hair or on my skin, I’m sure those who don’t know that is what they are doing with many products would feel the same. We believe that beauty doesn’t have to come at the cost of good health nor does it have to break the bank.
What is the number one benefit you aim for your products to provide for customers?
The number one benefit of our products is that all of our ingredients are natural. None of the ingredients go through any sort of chemical processing. This goes for any of our products for hair and skin! With this we are able to provide quality products that promote healthy hair and skin and keep it at an affordable rate.
What role do social media and community building play in your marketing strategy?
Social media and community building are at the core of our marketing strategy. As a small business we have found these to be the most affordable ways to market our brand and it is also very effective. Before actually introducing our brand on social media, we strategically built a following and then launched our brand to them all. Our largest following is on Instagram while Facebook and Twitter continue to grow.
Tell us more about your Trinity Butta, which all April COCOTIQUE subscribers are receiving in their boxes.
Trinity Butta is a lightweight daily hair moisturizer that can replace the oil and cream in your LOC method (process of using Liquid/Leave in, Oil, and Cream to lock in moisture) because it contains ingredients that not only add moisture to your hair, but that also seal it in. The peppermint stimulates the scalp, providing an inviting environment for hair health. This butter is an all around win for anyone who uses it!
What other Hair Body N' Soul products do our customers need in their every day beauty routines?
For hair:
Our White Chocolate Leche is an amazing hair milk, great for adding moisture to twist-outs along with other styles.
The Stimulating Elixir can be used as a hot oil treatment or daily moisturizer and is great to pair with the Trinity Butta for more scalp stimulation.
For skin:
Our Honey N’ Aloe Facial is our number one seller. Its 2-in-1 (cleansing and moisturizing) properties are a customer favorite. It smells great and leaves your skin silky smooth!
Our Body Trilogy is currently available in 3 scents (Apple Sinamon, Berry Sweet and Vanilla Candee) and contains a body butter, sugar scrub and salt scrub. A fab way to exfoliate, moisturize and leave your skin smelling scrumptious!!
Use our exclusive discount code COCO4 for 20% off site wide at HairBodyNSoul.com, now through July 21st, 2015. And connect with the brand on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
*Interview edited for length.
What inspired you to start the Hair Body N' Soul brand?
On September 2nd 2013 I made the decision to big chop and go natural. This was after about 4 years of contemplating and being told not to make that change. So after about 1 year of watching videos and tutorials about transitioning and natural hair I went for it.
As a new natural I was a product junkie, I tried over 15 different brands of products, none of which kept my hair moisturized, or soft for longer than a day. Also the cost was unbearable. This is when I started doing my own research to find what was good for my hair and what was not. In my research I found that every one of the products that I was using had at least one ingredient that was not good for my hair, many of which were chemicals. So now I’ve stopped putting chemicals in my hair for processing, just to put different chemicals in for styling and moisturizing? It just didn’t make sense to me, so I went to YouTube and back to my research to start making my own products.
One day I had a very vivid dream. I saw myself standing at a booth with a banner that read Hair Body N’ Soul. I was pitching an organic hair care product to everyone who stopped by. That’s when I realized that this was my brand I was dreaming about. So I immediately got to work my boyfriend and current business partner, Andre Carter, helping me map things out. Then the creation of our mission came along: just as I do not desire to put chemicals in my hair or on my skin, I’m sure those who don’t know that is what they are doing with many products would feel the same. We believe that beauty doesn’t have to come at the cost of good health nor does it have to break the bank.
What is the number one benefit you aim for your products to provide for customers?
The number one benefit of our products is that all of our ingredients are natural. None of the ingredients go through any sort of chemical processing. This goes for any of our products for hair and skin! With this we are able to provide quality products that promote healthy hair and skin and keep it at an affordable rate.
What role do social media and community building play in your marketing strategy?
Social media and community building are at the core of our marketing strategy. As a small business we have found these to be the most affordable ways to market our brand and it is also very effective. Before actually introducing our brand on social media, we strategically built a following and then launched our brand to them all. Our largest following is on Instagram while Facebook and Twitter continue to grow.
Tell us more about your Trinity Butta, which all April COCOTIQUE subscribers are receiving in their boxes.
Trinity Butta is a lightweight daily hair moisturizer that can replace the oil and cream in your LOC method (process of using Liquid/Leave in, Oil, and Cream to lock in moisture) because it contains ingredients that not only add moisture to your hair, but that also seal it in. The peppermint stimulates the scalp, providing an inviting environment for hair health. This butter is an all around win for anyone who uses it!
What other Hair Body N' Soul products do our customers need in their every day beauty routines?
For hair:
Our White Chocolate Leche is an amazing hair milk, great for adding moisture to twist-outs along with other styles.
The Stimulating Elixir can be used as a hot oil treatment or daily moisturizer and is great to pair with the Trinity Butta for more scalp stimulation.
For skin:
Our Honey N’ Aloe Facial is our number one seller. Its 2-in-1 (cleansing and moisturizing) properties are a customer favorite. It smells great and leaves your skin silky smooth!
Our Body Trilogy is currently available in 3 scents (Apple Sinamon, Berry Sweet and Vanilla Candee) and contains a body butter, sugar scrub and salt scrub. A fab way to exfoliate, moisturize and leave your skin smelling scrumptious!!
Use our exclusive discount code COCO4 for 20% off site wide at HairBodyNSoul.com, now through July 21st, 2015. And connect with the brand on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
*Interview edited for length.