The 21Ninety Beauty Awards feature more than 80 incredible winners in 21 categories. All of which have been hand-picked by 21Ninety staff just for beauty lovers like you.
Camille Rose has always put Black hair and Black people first. Due to its amazing work, 21Ninety has hand selected the brand as one of the winners for the Best Hair Care Brand award. Our team had the chance to sit down with founder, Janell Stephens to discuss her work in growing the brand and transcending the hair care space.
The Start of Camille Rose
Stephens founded the company 2011 but knew that she needed to create products that focused on more than just hair. She wanted to create items that were good for the whole body.
“Camille Rose is more than a hairstyle brand, we’re a lifestyle brand for sure. I started with skin first because of different issues my family was having,” Stephens explained. “I think I became obsessed with formulating, learning about what herbs can do to the skin and the hair. Learning about what oils can deliver hydration and moisture in a natural type of way. It just became a hobby of mine.”
Her vision for the brand is much larger than what people see it to be.
“I went on this whole quest for all things natural. That included products, food that we ate, products that I used the whole 9. Camille Rose is definitely a 360-degree approach to being natural inside as well as out.”
The Growth of the Brand
Camille Rose has seen massive growth in over ten years with no plans on stopping. Originally, the brand started online and made its way to about 100 Target stores to start. When it came to making the step to enter the retail space, Stephens said she was admittedly a bit unprepared.
“When I had my first meeting with Target they wanted to give me way more doors than I could handle. Because Camille Rose is handcrafted, I was still handcrafting all of my products,” she explained. “I was in Target for a full year handmaking everything. I didn’t know anything about how to get a laboratory.”
She says that eventually, she was able to outsource and get the resources needed. The brand eventually grew to be featured in over 300,000 total locations in national retail chains including Ulta, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sally’s Beauty, Whole Foods, Walgreens, and CVS locations.
Stephens says the sky’s the limit for Camille Rose.
“I’m going to introduce Camille Rose home to you guys, Camille Rose face is coming out soon. You’ll see that on a retail shelf,” Stephens said. “The whole nine.”