When Janell Stephens, the founder and CEO of Camille Rose, set out to create handmade products as a solution for her children’s chronic eczema. The mother of five was at the forefront of the radical shift in the beauty industry when she launched Camille Rose in 2011. Her focus on product quality, integrity, the avoidance of harsh chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients helped catapult Camille Rose to the top as a natural beauty company.
The brand, which started with a focus on skin care, quickly expanded to include natural hair care. Now, Camille Rose boasts 30 handcrafted items, which include bath and body and home products.
Today, Camille Rose is offered on the shelves of over 300,000 national retail locations, including Walmart, Sally Beauty, Whole Foods, Walgreens and more.
We spoke with Stephens about her leadership, innovation and success as a leader in the beauty market.
What were some of your early challenges and how were you able to overcome?
One major challenge that I had to adjust to was finding a laboratory partner to help me manufacture my products. Once the brand started to grow I could not keep up with the demand for orders, because at that time I was still producing the product myself. My products are handcrafted with a lot of food-grade ingredients, so I was surprised to find that labs did not want to take me on. They did not like the idea of using ingredients that were natural. They really tried to convince me to use synthetics. It took a long time for me to team up with a lab that aligned with my standards and belief in natural ingredients.
How have you used innovation to sustain your business?
I am a creative at heart. I get inspired by some of the simplest things. It can be anything from food, travel, scents, and most of all ingredients. Once I get inspired, ideas just pop into my head.
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