We recently connected with Cassandra Roos and have shared our conversation below.
Cassandra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Roost Naturals really started out of a personal shift in how I was living my life and how I was caring for my family as a mom of five.
After having my kids, I became a lot more aware of what we were putting on our bodies and bringing into our home. I started reading ingredient labels, going down the rabbit hole of what was actually in everyday products, and honestly… it was overwhelming. The more I learned about things like endocrine disruptors, synthetic fragrance, and how little regulation there is, the more I realized I didn’t feel comfortable using most of what I already owned; especially on my children.
At first, I was just trying to make better choices for my family. But what I found was that a lot of the “clean” products on the market either weren’t truly clean when you looked closer, or they just didn’t work very well. And if they did work, they didn’t feel elevated—they felt very DIY or medicinal, not something you actually enjoyed using.
That was kind of the turning point for me.
I started experimenting—making things for myself, then for my kids—and I became really passionate about creating products that were genuinely non-toxic but also beautiful, effective, and something you’d be excited to use every day. I spent months and months researching ingredients, learning to how to formulate, creating, failing, and then trying again. I found a true joy in what I was doing; especially when I had the end result of a beautiful product.
What made it feel like a worthwhile endeavor wasn’t just that I loved making the products—it was how quickly other people resonated with it. Friends, family, and eventually customers were having the same frustrations I had. They wanted safer options, but they didn’t want to sacrifice quality, experience, or aesthetics to get there.
That’s really where Roost Naturals was born.
The idea wasn’t just to make “natural products”—it was to create a brand that people could trust completely. Every ingredient is intentional, every formulation is something I’ve personally tested and used, and the goal is always the same: to create products that are as safe as they are effective.
I think what excited me most—and still does—is that this isn’t about following a trend. It’s about changing the standard. Creating products that feel high-end and beautiful, but are rooted in simplicity, transparency, and truly clean ingredients.
And knowing that what I’m making is something I feel completely confident using on myself and my kids—that’s what makes all of this worth it.
Cassandra, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m the founder and formulator behind Roost Naturals, a small-batch skincare and home fragrance brand focused on truly non-toxic, plant-based products.
My path into this industry wasn’t traditional—it started at home. After having my children, I became much more intentional about what we were using in and on our bodies. What began as simple curiosity quickly turned into deep research into ingredients, formulation, and the reality of what’s actually allowed in everyday products. The more I learned, the more I realized there was a gap between what people think they’re buying and what they’re actually getting.
I didn’t originally set out to start a business—I was just trying to create safer options for my own family. But as I started making products and sharing them, it became clear that so many other people were looking for the same thing: products they could trust, without having to question every ingredient.
Today, Roost Naturals offers a range of skincare and home products—from tallow-based moisturizers and magnesium body care to candles, perfumes, and everyday home essentials. Everything is made with carefully selected ingredients, and our fragrance line in particular is something I’m deeply passionate about—we use 100% plant-based fragrance composed of essential oils, absolutes, and botanical isolates, without any synthetic fragrance. It brings that same cozy ambiance that you get at Bath & Body stores but with completely clean ingredients that you can trust.
The problem I’m really trying to solve is trust.
There’s a lot of confusion in the “clean” space, and unfortunately, a lot of marketing that doesn’t always align with what’s actually in the product. I want our customers to feel completely confident that what they’re using is safe, thoughtfully formulated, and truly aligned with a non-toxic lifestyle.
What sets Roost Naturals apart is that we don’t cut corners. Our formulations are intentionally simple, but highly effective. I prioritize ingredient integrity, sourcing, and process just as much as the final product. And at the same time, I care deeply about the experience—these aren’t products that feel overly “natural” in a basic or homemade way. They’re designed to feel elevated, beautiful, and something you genuinely enjoy using every day.
I’m also very hands-on in every part of the business—from formulation to production to packaging—which means everything that goes out has been created and tested with a lot of care and intention.
What I’m most proud of is that every single product we offer is created completely from scratch by me. These aren’t pre-made bases that I’ve simply added scent to—each formula has been developed, tested, and refined over time through my own process.
From the initial idea, to researching ingredients, to formulating and testing, to designing the packaging—every step is intentional and hands-on. There’s a lot of time, care, and trial behind each product, and nothing is rushed or outsourced.
Seeing how much people genuinely love and trust these products—products that started as ideas in my own home—is incredibly meaningful to me. It’s something I don’t take lightly, and it’s what continues to drive everything I create.
If there’s one thing I want people to know, it’s that Roost Naturals was built on the idea that you shouldn’t have to choose between safety and quality. You can have products that are clean, effective, and beautiful—and you should feel good about every single thing you bring into your home.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Hands down—the quality of our products.
When I started Roost Naturals, I honestly didn’t realize how saturated the bath and body industry was. There are a lot of people entering this space, but what I quickly found is that not everyone is willing to put in the level of work it takes to create something truly exceptional from the ground up.
I started Roost while homeschooling four kids and running another business, so time was never something I had extra of. But my mindset has always been that if I’m going to do something, I’m going to give it everything I have. I didn’t want to just create “another clean brand”—I wanted to create products that were genuinely effective, thoughtfully made, and worth investing in.
That meant spending weeks—sometimes months—deep in research. Learning everything I could about ingredients, formulation, and what truly makes a product both safe and effective. Then came the process of creating, testing, adjusting, and testing again. Over and over.
It was frustrating at times. There were definitely moments where I questioned if it was worth it. The front end of building something like this isn’t glamorous—it’s slow, detailed, and requires a lot of patience.
But that commitment to doing things the right way is what built our reputation.
Customers can feel the difference. They can see the care that goes into each product, and they trust that what they’re using has been intentionally created—not rushed or mass-produced. That trust, paired with products that truly perform, is what has allowed Roost Naturals to grow the way it has.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
I’m still in the process of building Roost Naturals into my full-time business—but it has grown into something much bigger than I ever expected in a relatively short amount of time.
I started Roost Naturals about a year and a half ago while homeschooling my children, caring for our toddler, and running another business. It’s been a constant balance, and I’ve had to be very intentional with how I spend my time. As much as I would love to pour every hour into Roost, that’s just not the season I’m in right now—so I’m always adjusting and refining how to grow the business while still prioritizing my family.
Roost really began in a very simple way—I placed a few products in a friend’s farmstand. The response was immediate. The products sold well, and the feedback was incredibly encouraging. That gave me the confidence to take the next step and launch online.
Shipping was a huge hurdle for me in the beginning. It was completely new territory, and honestly, it felt overwhelming. But over time, through a lot of trial and error, I found a system that works and now ship products nationwide with confidence.
A few months in, I was approached by a local shop that features local makers and asked to carry my products. That was a big turning point. Being in a retail space allowed more people to discover the brand, and from there, I began partnering with additional local storefronts. The growth during that time was steady and organic.
One of the biggest milestones came that December when I decided to step into wholesale. It felt like a leap—especially with the challenges of shipping larger quantities in glass packaging—but it also felt like the natural next step. Once I worked through the logistics, the business really began to scale in a new way.
Today, Roost Naturals is carried in 70 stores across 26 states, which is something I’m incredibly proud of—especially considering how organically it all started.
It’s still growing, and I’m still building—but every stage has been about learning, refining, and taking the next step when it feels aligned, even if it’s a little outside my comfort zone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://roostnaturals.com
- Instagram: roost.naturals
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/roostnaturals
Image Credits
Katie Lynn Photography