Inspiring Conversations with Ricca Stewart of Hair and Face Essentials

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricca Stewart.

Hi Ricca, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2016 I suffered a traumatic event that put me in an emotional state which kept me in the house for a year. Clearly some of the side effects of staying inside for a year were over-eating and lack of exercise which both I was guilty of. Being that all my life I have been going to the gym, my appearance and good health have been a priority this had a dramatic effect on my life in all of those areas. I had professionals to help with my mind but didn’t have anyone the help with the weight. After researching several diets, I decided to try the “Keto diet”. It was going great, after a couple of weeks I was feeling better and soon after, the weight was coming off – ooh yeah. Then a few weeks later, I noticed my hair seemed to be shedding a lot – like ALOT. It was so bad my hairstylist told me I needed to go to a doctor because it was coming out excessively. I went to the doctor and was told maybe it was my age – insert side eye here – because he couldn’t see anything wrong. That answer did not help me because I didn’t feel that was the reason. It was such a dramatic thing that just came up and I figured it had to be something else. The only thing that was different was my being on the diet.

When I went home, I searched hair loss on Keto and was amazed on how many articles and stories came up. Well where was all of this when I was researching this diet? So come to find out the insufficient calories, the vitamin and mineral deficiencies, the lack of correct proteins and stress can all make your hair fall out. According to some pages, it will only last for a little while but truthfully who is willing to wait for that. I would rather be thick with nice hair than skinny with no hair. Due to that dilemma, I started to research ways to grow back hair naturally with no chemicals. I had had enough of taking medication that included ingredients that were possibly harmful putting me in one of those commercials on tv, you know the ones “ have you or any of your loved ones taken x-y-z and now you are a member of a class action lawsuit. Being that I wanted a natural way, I did what any other person would do – I googled it. After going through hundreds of pages, I came across some that suggested Ayurvedic options. Ayurveda is a 3000 year old natural system of medicine which translates to “life-science” from India which uses herbs to help heal ailments. In going through some recipes, I added and subtracted and came up with a formula that worked for me.

After only 3-4 months, my hairstylist and myself saw a huge difference in my hair in thickness and texture. I kept on with the weekly hair masks and in only six months, my hair was no longer shedding, had almost zero split ends and was extra thick. A few of my friends noticed the difference in my hair and asked what I was using. I told them what I came up with and I offered to make some packets for them. I then had a friend who was diagnosed with alopecia ask me if my hair mask would work for her. I let her know it would help with thickness but I wasn’t sure of the missing spots. I asked her to give me a little time and I went back to my research. Coming up with a hair oil formula that was designed to help with bald spots and thinning hair. I made a batch for her and myself. With all the changes to my own hair I couldn’t really tell the difference but thought it was helping. Then got confirmation after two months that the oil in fact helped to fill in the missing spots in her hair. With all of these good sigh Hair and Face Essentials was born. I felt I stumbled across something that could help people when they were at a low point. A woman’s hair is her crown and when it is not right, it can throw you off your game. The highlight was when I went back to California and my cousin, Marie Anderson, who is a hairstylist, did my hair for a wedding. Her salon is Marie Anderson Salon in Torrance. She comment on how nice my hair looked and asked what I was using. I went through my story again and later that month, I gave her a few packets to try on herself. What I didn’t know is she actually passed out the packets to her clients and with the reviews she got back she became my sole distributor in Los Angeles.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My road has had several peaks and valleys. In the beginning, my trial and error cost me a lot of money and time with regards to product supplies, packaging and production. Being that I am using ingredients that are not “normal” American products, it was hard to locate them. It took a lot of research to find wholesale businesses that I could purchase from without having to pay expensive shipping costs to get them from another country. Once the ingredients were purchased, it took a village of helpers to get my packets together. This was pre-COVID but we had the same precautions, face masks with ventilation to avoid inhaling all the powders, gloves and aprons. The measurements, packaging, the package filling and heat sealing all made for very long and tedious processes. The biggest dilemma I am having is social media. On my own personal page, my posts are far in between so having to do daily posting and updates is something I am not used to and still do not do correctly. Another situation I have come across which was new to me but probably not new to others is people taking my product, replicating it and then selling and branding it as their own. I understand that imitation is a supposed to be a form of flattery however, I am not that flattered. I have had hairstylists take my product and now present it at their salon and their own products and even using my same wording. So I think the challenge is not taking that type of thing personal – it’s just business.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in all herbal hand-blended conditioning hair masks and hair oils. All of our products are chemical and toxin-free and incorporate natural ingredients that contain special properties to help hair grow strong and beautiful. You can find plenty of drugs and topical treatments on the market that promise to stop hair loss and help hair grow back, but many of these options are expensive and come with side effects. My masks and oil were made so you can ditch the chemical-filled bottles and trust and believe in a product that won’t damage or do long-term harm to your hair. For the short time, we have been in business we have had great reviews, customer photos and other accolades all contesting to the strength and potency of our products. The initial products were made for personal use and then came the thought that we were not the only ones who could benefit from consistent use. I know most women at one point in time want either longer or thicker hair and why not help them all get both?

What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love about my city is the diversity, the different hues of skin, the cultures that blend all so well together. I love that I can go to different parts of the city and end up in a whole new world. The food is amazing, there are so many different cuisines that every weekend can be a new surprise. What I dislike is the ever inflating price to live in the city. It has become ridiculously expensive to stay in good neighborhoods and get the best we all want for our families. The lack of support for the homeless population is heartbreaking to know that most people are only 1-2 paychecks away from homelessness. The problem is I don’t know the solution I just know it is all a problem.

Pricing:

• Mane Appeal Hair Mask – $25
• Restoration Hair Oil – $14

Contact Info:

• Email: Ricca@handfessentials.com
• Website: Handfessentials.com
• Instagram: Hairandfaceessentials