Conscious Beauty And Beautiful Minds: Interview w/ Nicole Rose
Nicole Rose is a Beautypreneur, Marketer, and Founder of Ella Dean. She was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and attended Portland State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. Since Nicole was a young girl, she has always wanted to work in the beauty and hair industry; her goal is to make a positive impact in the Black haircare market.
Nicole’s family owns a hair salon in NE Portland called Dean’s Beauty Salon & Barbershop; it was created by her great-grandparents Benjamin and Mary Rose Dean in 1954 and then her grandmother, Gloria ‘Ella’ Dean began working alongside her parents in 1960. Her grandmother is the muse behind Ella Dean; Nicole wanted to pay homage by creating a brand that represents her legacy.
Since the launch of Ella Dean, Nicole has been featured on local news stations, newspapers, and digital beauty publication, BeautyMatter. Nicole is looking forward to developing more haircare products for her audience and hopes Ella Dean becomes a bigger brand in the beauty and hair industry.
What was the first beauty routine you adopted as a child or teenager? Which emotions do you connect with this memory?
When it comes to beauty, I am more of a haircare guru. I went natural during my sophomore year in high school in 2010 and the first routine for haircare I adopted was the “LCO Method”. LCO stands for Liquid, Cream, and Oil. I struggled for years trying to find alternatives to make my hair grow longer but nothing seemed to work; I also did not realize at the time how much manipulation I was causing my strands. After I tested out the “LCO Method” for a few months, my hair became manageable, softer, defined, and most importantly, moisturized. I was filled with so much joy because I began my natural hair journey during a time where natural hair wasn’t quite popular or appreciated yet.
It’s been a little over 10 years and I still use the same haircare routine. I look back at old pictures of myself from when I used to have a relaxer and I feel relieved I no longer have to put chemicals in my hair. I feel more beautiful when I wear my hair curly; it’s vibrant, healthy, strong, and long.
CONSCIOUS BEAUTY — What meaning do you give this term?
In my opinion, I believe consumers, specifically women, want products that are going to make them feel and look good on the inside and outside by using certified organic ingredients. Women have a hard time accepting their hair, skin, and body. It is an emotional rollercoaster, and it affects our self-esteem. Instead of appreciating our flaws, we negatively target a particular body part or feature we dislike about ourselves.
Some brands highlight natural ingredients, sustainability, cruelty-free products, and biodegradable products. Consumers are becoming more aware of products that place a focus on health and the environment. When you use a beauty product that labels itself as “clean”, meaning no chemicals or synthetic ingredients, your confidence increases, and you feel empowered.
Conscious beauty is all about embracing and recognizing your natural beauty, practicing self-care, loving yourself, focusing on your overall health, and using products that contain clean ingredients.
Which aspects of sustainability in beauty are especially important to you?
Sustainable packaging and organic ingredients are the two things I look for before purchasing any beauty product. Recyclable packaging saves raw materials, manufacturing energy, protects the products, and allows for safe transportation. Sustainable packaging is becoming more favored in the beauty industry especially since plastic has been the preferred packaging material for several years.
I respect a brand that focuses on being “clean” and uses organic ingredients. Many ingredients are harmful to our health since we do not know the long-term effects. Any product we put on our skin will eventually absorb into our bloodstream. Bad ingredients can lead to hormone disruption, skin irritation, and cancer. We must avoid chemicals like PEGs, parabens, and phthalates; they can cause discomfort and are drying and harmful to our hair, skin, and body.
A beauty brand that represents clean beauty and sustainability cares about its consumers and their concerns about environmental conservation, their brands’ reputation, and high-quality ingredients.
When do you consciously feel beautiful?
Almost everyday. I enjoy not wearing makeup, wearing my hair naturally curly, and of course using products that are made with organic ingredients. I still have my beauty struggles and flaws I don’t always appreciate at times but as I am getting older, I am learning to accept them and embrace my facial and body features. There are times when I can be hard on myself but I would never change the way I look. To consciously feel beautiful, you have to have confidence; find out what you love and excel at it, use products that complement your features, surround yourself with positive people, pamper yourself, and recognize your uniqueness.
Did your approach to beauty change within the last 1–2 years?
We live in a world where social media has greatly impacted our definition of what beauty means to us and how it is perceived. We see images of women who appear to look “perfect” but in reality, no one looks like that; everyone’s ideal of beauty is different. Over the years, I have learned what beauty means to me and how to love myself unconditionally.
Before clean beauty was a “thing”, I was using products that were harmful and damaging to my hair and skin. It never crossed my mind to read the ingredients or understand what chemicals I was introducing to my body. Now I am well informed about beauty products and how they can affect my overall health.
How would you like to see the image of beauty change within the next 5 years?
I would like to see more women embracing their natural looks and bodies. Social media has changed women’s perspective of what natural beauty is and how we should look. Beauty should be more inclusive; it should be the main priority in the industry. Women are consistently pitted against each other when we all should be acknowledged. We come in different shapes, sizes, and skin colors however, it always seems like certain women are accepted in the industry which often causes conflict. I want the beauty industry to have a balanced representation along with inclusivity and diversity on all levels.
What or who inspires your beauty routine?
My favorite Youtubers are Shaneice Crystal and Nia Imani! I have been watching their haircare and beauty routine videos since I was in high school and college. I learned how to take care of my natural curls by imitating their routine and purchasing some of the same haircare products along with figuring out which products worked best for my hair texture.
Although I am not a skincare guru, I did give their routines a try since I suffer from mild acne and blemishes on my face and back. A couple of the body care products they recommended, I currently use and it has made a huge difference in the overall look of my skin.
What is your best beauty advice to others?
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize! This applies to skincare, body care, and haircare. Having moisturized curls is a plus in the natural haircare world. Your curls will not prosper if it is not properly hydrated. Keep those curls nice and moist!
THANK YOU!
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Demee Koch about the MEDIUM interview series on CONSCIOUS BEAUTY:
Hello! I am a serial entrepreneur with more than 2 decades of experience in the health & beauty industry. This interview series is intended to create awareness about the movement of Conscious Beauty.
We are in a beautiful time of Conscious Beauty — you may have heard of this term, but what does Conscious Beauty mean, and why does it matter?
For us, beauty is a way to love — it is about self-care, art, nutrition, exercise, life, self-love. I invite you to become part of a movement that re-defines beauty. Let’s empower beautiful minds.
Thank you for being the change. I’m looking forward to learn from you. Reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Demee ❤︎
