We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Latrice Farris Morgan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Latrice below.
Hi Latrice, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
My natural hair care line, Farris Hair Care, was birthed from working as a cosmetologist. While servicing my clients I would assess their hair and scalp conditions. Some would bring in medicated products to use every 2 weeks or so. When I noticed that their conditions were the same or worsened after a period of time, I started thinking of an alternate solution that would reverse those conditions or any damage, and alleviate my clients’ suffering. It reminded me of a time in my life when I was treated for a medical condition, but the prescribed medication only intensified the symptoms and developed new ones. After having that personal experience, I decided to take a holistic approach to my health and then focused on finding natural ways to care for the hair and scalp. I spent countless hours researching the ingredients that I used to create the formulas for each one of my products. In 2016, Farris Hair Care pre-wash, shampoo and conditioner were developed. Followed by our hair oil in 2020. Since then, we have maintained a small and growing customer base for the past 2 years and officially launched all 4 of our products on March 4, 2022. Creating a natural hair care line with plant-based ingredients known to have many health benefits is the fuel that keeps me going and excited to do this work every day.
Latrice, 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 am a licensed cosmetologist, born and raised in Detroit, MI. I feel like I was born with a passion for hair! Whenever I was around someone my eyes would fixate on that person’s hair. I would admire their hair or think of ways to improve their style. Around the age of 10, I started styling my family, friends and neighbors’ hair. That is when I discovered my innate ability to do hair in a way that brought joy to others as well as myself. At the age of 15, I would get my hair professionally styled and when the style got old, I would undo it, then follow those exact steps to redo the same hairstyle. That was how I learned to do most of the trending hairdos. I also learned by visualizing the steps that I couldn’t see the stylist actually doing.
As I got older, I became interested in the health of hair. While attending cosmetology school, I learned about chemical reactions, the science and technical structure of hair. As I studied and implemented my skills as a student and later as a licensed stylist, I developed an interest in natural ways to treat, maintain and repair damaged hair. Through education and hands-on experience, I discovered that shampooing is one of the foundations for healthy hair as well as proper styling. This ignited my passion to research and develop products that would not only be good for our hair, but safe for our bodies as well. For this reason, we use raw materials that can either be consumed, cooked or used topically, which demonstrates how safe our products are. Farris Hair Care products address health and wellness concerns of the hair and scalp, invigorate the scalp, encourage healthy hair and renewed hair growth – all while providing a therapeutic experience and leaving your hair feeling clean and soft.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
I had no idea how to get started with manufacturing my products. There is so much that goes into the production before actually pouring the products into a bottle and putting my label on it. As I forementioned, after assessing my clients’ hair and scalp, I’d go home and research organic ingredients that had natural restorative properties. Although it wasn’t planned, each product was developed in the order in which they are used. The prewash was the first product that I developed a formula for. I needed something that would remove any type of build up on the scalp, reduce or stop itchiness with antibacterial and antifungal properties as well. Once I formulated the prewash I used it on myself first, then my mom and sister. I took it to the salon and started using it on my clients and the feedback was amazing! They loved it! I had no labels, I purchased the bottles from the local beauty supply store and I just wrote the ingredients and formulas in a journal that was designated to the hair care business. As time went on, I had to create a shampoo with ingredients that would adequately function with the prewash. The shampoo was created to give the hair and scalp a thorough cleanse and the conditioner to restore and help replenish natural moisture back into the hair. The shampoo was my biggest challenge. In order to maintain the integrity of the natural ingredients the consistency was more “liquidity” than other shampoos. But still effective. I later found a product formulation educator that helped me balance the measurements and solidify the formulas. I also learned how to test the quality and PH levels for each product. This has been a great experience for me personally and professionally. I’ve gained a ton of knowledge and patience during this journey. I now know about mixing and blending essential oils, other liquids, emulsifiers, natural preservatives, shelf life and storage of homemade products.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Word of mouth for sure! As a cosmetologist, I built my clientele strictly on word of mouth. In my 15+ years of experience, I’ve never done any advertisement, I’ve never taken any pictures of my work or solicited new clients in any other way. This is what I call a blessing! Those same clients turned into customers when I created Farris Hair Care products. I’ve gained new customers from those same hair clients who have recommended the products to others. These days, I can reach more people through social media platforms and online sales. Because of that, I am now taking pictures of my clients’ hair, creating videos and advertising the products on Instagram, Facebook and on my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.farrishaircare.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farrishaircare/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarrisHairCare
Image Credits
K & L Imagery and Tia Nicole Media