Wuli Grooming: “Most brands in the space start with shampoos and conditioners and then add a styling cream, gel, wax or serum to the range to round it out. I’ve always found this a bit perplexing,” says Amadou Doumbia, founder of new curl-focused grooming brand Wuli Grooming. “You apply, wash and rinse out a shampoo and conditioner, but a styling product is meant to stay in hair long after.”

Wuli is starting with six products priced from 20 to 35 in Australian dollars or about $16 to $26 at the current exchange rate, including styling products, a comb and a brush, focused on caring properly for curly hair. The vegan range features active ingredients like burdock, nettle, and bentonite and kaolin clay carefully chosen by Doumbia after extensive conversations with hairdressers, barbers, chemists and other beauty experts. Wuli’s styling products are available in neroli and sweet orange, and bergamot and vanilla scents.

For Doumbia, haircare is bred in the bone. Though he now lives in Sydney, Australia, where Wuli is based, the former marketing and communications professional grew up in New York City, where his mother owned and operated hair salons. “She always took pride in the well-being of her hair and that of mine and my brother and sister,” he says.

Wuli is current sold direct-to-consumer, but retail distribution is Doumbia’s long-term goal, beginning with small to mid-scale retail partners and eventually reaching global beauty retailers. The brand’s concept has already been validated through local weekend markets in Sydney. Doumbia reports that Curl Cream and Sea Salt Spray have emerged as hits for the brand with both men and women.

“At each market, we sold virtually double the amount of Curl Cream and Sea Salt Spray compared to the Grooming Matte Balm and Shine Balm,” says Doumbia. “What [customers] love is how the Sea Salt Spray instantly gets to work in taming frizz, softening their hair and adding a touch of volume. When they try the Curl Cream, it not only defines their curls, coils and waves, but also nourishes it and keeps the hair soft and hydrated well into the next day.”

Ren Jord: Jessica Atkocaitis has been a hairstylist for over 20 years and used only the best products on herself and her clients—or so she thought. She realized that even high-end brands have ingredients that cause skin irritation and dry hair. “I was personally dealing with hair loss after my third child and started my journey of exploring clean, organic hair solutions,” says Atkocaitis. “I started researching numerous ingredients, how products are regulated by the FDA and what is causing these issues. What caused hair loss, and what could help? I was stunned to find that so much is not regulated, marketed to be ‘clean’ when in fact it is far from it.”

For over a year, Atkocaitis worked on formulating her own products and tested them on her hair. She reports the results were impressive. Her hair was growing stronger, healthier and shinier. While she had no intentions of selling her creations or turning them into a brand, she gave them to friends, family and clients, and the response was overwhelming.

Ren Jord, which means “pure earth” in Norwegian, has launched with four plant-based and organic products: Lift & Refresh Dry Shampoo, Balancing Tonic, Renewing Oil Treatment and Coastal Sea Salt Spray. The products are priced from $42 to $58 and available at various boutiques and apothecaries across the United States as well as online on the brand’s website. Atkocaitis has self-funded the runs the business, which she operates as a solopreneur.

While science-y hair care is all the rage at the moment, Atkocaitis is a firm believer in the power of actives found in nature. “The ingredients used in Ren Jord formulations have been used for over thousands of years by herbalists, holistic practices and natural doctors to remedy various hair and scalp issues,” she says. “There doesn’t need to be a huge long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce. Our products are minimal yet luxurious.”

Nava MD: Part of the pandemic tele-health boom, online dermatology clinic Nava MD launched last April to offer tele-dermatology services via online assessments and virtual consultations and custom prescription skincare treatment plans through its team of dermatologists and physicians led by Lilliana Ramírez García, a dermatologist who also is certified in internal medicine.

This month, the LifeMD-owned business launched a clinical skincare range under the same name formulated using a proprietary enzyme technology, aquabeautine XL, the active ingredient in premium skincare range Restorsea, which was founded by chemist Patti Pao. Nava MD partnered with Restorsea and Pao to create its products. The products also harness plant-based actives like anti-inflammatory songyi mushroom and soothing wild oat extract. Nava MD’s skincare collection priced from $29 to $62 consists of a cleanser, serum, moisturizer and eye cream. In addition, Nava MD will has prescription-only products that require a dermatology appointment on its website prior to purchasing.

“Our custom formulas include varying levels of prescription-strength ingredients such as tretinoin paired with other cosmeceuticals such as niacinamide to provide a skincare treatment unlike any other,” says Ramírez García. “In addition, our new over-the-counter skincare line contains proprietary and clinically backed skin rejuvenating science that leaves your complexion more youthful and radiant looking.” Both the prescription and non-prescription skincare products can be purchased on Nava MD’s site, and the non-prescription skincare products will soon be available on Amazon.

Wig Addict Rx: Most women have beauty horror stories, but not many have landed in the hospital as a result of their beautification efforts—and even fewer have turned a beauty-related medical situation into a business. Lashanna Romer has done just that with Wig Addict Rx.

The entrepreneur founded her company late last year after dealing with multiple issues from traditional lace wig glues, which are typically formulated for long-term wear. “These issues included hospitalization from a severe allergic reaction and sections of permanent hair loss along my hairline due to traction alopecia from the methods required to remove these glues,” says Romer.

While the acute issues she experienced are outliers, wig wearers she knows typically have suffered some form of hair damage or hair loss from wig glue. To stave off hair damage and loss, Romer set out to create a lace glue alternative meant for short-term wear and safe for daily application. It took over a year to find the perfect formula that worked to keep wigs in place, was gentle on the skin, skipped harsh chemicals, and could be easy and convenient to use on its own. Romer reports that wig regimens can encompass six or more products.

Wig Addict Rx’s hero product, Not Glue, Boo 3-in-1 Lace Styling Spray, is $16. The spray, enriched with witch hazel, aloe and lemongrass, can be used to style wigs and perfect edges. “It replaces three of the most common products used for wig styling, lace glue for holding, wax stick for flattening and mousse or gel for creating baby hairs, and it is removed with just water,” says Romer. “This eliminates the tugging and tension that comes with using rubbing alcohol to remove lace glue.”

So far, Wig Addict Rx’s glue alternative has really resonated with customers, according to Romer. “One customer who suffers from thinning edges shared that she loved being able to grab Not Glue, Boo as a one-stop-shop for applying her wig without worrying about causing more damage,” says Romer. To complement the holding spray, she created Edge Shield, a hairline prep and protect spray that doubles as a daily mist to help restore hair from wig damage and strengthen the hairline with or without wig use.

Romer has built Wig Addict Rx from her savings. She’s still working at a full-time finance job during the day and focuses on growing her brand at night. Currently sold direct-to-consumer on the brand’s website, Romer sees Target as an ideal retail partner for Wig Addict Rx. She says, “They already carry so many brands that I love, my target customer shops there, no pun intended, and they have been making an admirable indie beauty push.”

Katini Skin: Katini Yamaoka is the definition of a polymath. The New York-based Japanese-African artist and musician has added skincare entrepreneur to her list of accomplishments. Her brand Katini Skin’s four luxury facial skincare products priced from $75 to $115 speak to Yamaoka’s African, Asian and Australian roots by being formulated with ingredients native to Japan, Australia and Africa.

“I grew up in a small rainforest town in Australia,” shares Yamaoka. “I was raised plant-based and both yoga and meditation were a big part of my daily life. So, naturally, I became curious about self-care rituals using native plants. My mother taught me about the importance of health and nutrition, whereas my grandmother, who would visit once a year from Japan, introduced me to the incredible Japanese beauty traditions. I was inspired to learn more about ancient beauty traditions and rituals from all different cultures that used natural, wild harvest, and nutrient-rich ingredients.”

Katini’s Clarity Oil has emerged as an early favorite. Its formula contains Japanese ingredients like tsubaki, sake kasu and sea algae. “These ingredients are phenomenal when it comes to blemishes, hyperpigmentation, and sensitive skin. It is also my go-to to help with overall brightening and fading sunspots and scars,” says Yamaoka.

Though Katini only launched last month, the brand has already reformulated one of its offerings. Initially, Celestial Night Serum contained CBD, which Yamaoka says she’s a big believer in. However, because of the difficulties exporting CBD to some countries, she decided to reformulate the product with the vitamin C- and antioxidant-rich kakadu plum. Further product launches are planned for later this year. Katini has been picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue, and the brand is in talks with a handful of other retailers.

Equitea: Married couple Quentin and Erin Vennie developed Equitea as a natural solution to manage their son’s ADHD symptoms. Quentin also drew inspiration for Equitea’s blends from his past personal struggles with anxiety, depression and prescription drug addiction, which he says he healed through yoga, meditation, juicing and tea. The brand offers six brain-boosting tea blends: Awaken, Breathe, Empower, Escape, Relief and Surrender. Awaken, a green tea with lemon verbena and lemongrass, was the brand’s first creation and is its bestseller. Each bag of loose tea retails for $12 and contains about 21 servings.

“Every ingredient in our teas is meticulously researched and taste tested for quality of flavor and maximum benefit,” says Quentin Vennie. “Botanicals like lavender, chamomile and rose, which we use in a number of our blends, are known for their calming effects on the brain. While green tea contains a natural combination of caffeine and l-theanine, both are great for improving brain function, helps reduce anxiety and strengthens focus and memory. All of our teas are high in antioxidants, which are known to slow the aging process, including in the brain.”

The bootstrapped brand has secured retail distribution at the Revival Hyatt Hotel gift shop in Baltimore and New York’s better-for-you grocery store The Goods Mart. Equitea has earned Goop’s seal of approval, too. It created three custom blends for the beauty and wellness e-tailer. Equitea plans to expand its assortment into the ready-to-drink category in later this year. The RTD products will be formulated with adaptogens for mental health support.

Ammu Beauty: Growing up, Zareefa Arije’s beauty icon was her mother. “She’s been formulating her own skin concoctions since I could remember,” says content creator turned brand founder. “Naturally, I was drawn to it and started experimenting myself. Soon, my friends started asking me to help with their own skin problems. For the last 10 years, I grew into the role of a formulator, helping close friends and family overcome skin issues.”

From watching her mom, Arije learned that anything could be cured with the right food and herbs. That learning is central to her brand Ammu Beauty, a skincare range rooted in the Ayurvedic beauty practices her mother performed. The brand has three face masks priced at $39 each that come in water-activated powder. Its $55 Glow To Sleep Oil is a blend of regenerative and hydrating organic oils, including tamanu, pomegranate seed, and sea buckthorn.

“We hand-make every single batch,” says Arije. “Our hands and hearts are in every step of the process from the moment raw materials are delivered.”

Arije has self-funded Ammu and is proud to sell it in direct-to-consumer distribution. “We choose to bypass a retail presence in order to focus our efforts on hand-crafting each product and shipping each order out individually,” she says. “From our kitchen lab to customer’s homes, we want you to feel each ounce of love that was put into your products as soon as you receive our package.”