The Doux and the future
The Doux, known for its texture-focused hair care solutions that merge old-school flavor with new-school science, has entered into the professional sector with CosmoProf.
DSN spoke with founder and CEO Maya Smith about the brand’s origins, how it differs from other hair care solutions on the market and what the future of the company looks like.
DSN: Can you tell us how The Doux came to be?
Maya Smith: My husband was stationed in the U.S. Air Force in Germany, and most of our clientele were active-duty military. My clients didn’t have to layer several products to create one result, which is what, traditionally, natural hair care looks like. At the time, I couldn’t find any products that were versatile enough for people who were transitioning from chemically treated hair to their natural hair that didn’t involve layering several products.
I started working with a group of chemists to create multifunctional products that would help me save time while delivering consistent results on several different textures because my clients were everything from bone straight to wavy to type 4 hair.
DSN: Can you tell us about the brand’s products?
MS: We are all about one-product solutions. Our product development is informed by feedback from actual clients and nearly three decades of experience from behind the chair.
DSN: What separates The Doux from other brands in the same space?
MS: Most brands are first developed by marketers who observe the market, then craft a marketing story based on what ingredients or technology is trending, and then formulate products based on that story. The products are then sampled by a few people, which may or may not include a textured hair expert. Hairstylists are typically left out of the process until it’s time to co-sign on the marketing story to validate the brand’s positioning.
The Doux is the opposite. Every step of our research and development starts with a curl expert, including proposed ingredients, technology, customer insight and salon performance. Stylists are the first part of development, not the last. This approach really speaks to why our products perform differently. They were created in the salon space, not in the kitchen or in the boardroom.
DSN: What is the origin of the brand’s CosmoProf debut?
MS: I’ve been a Cosmoprof customer my entire career. Since our inception, we’ve acquired a loyal community of fellow salon owners and cosmetologists. It was important to me to offer professional pricing to stylists who support the brand and trust The Doux with their client’s curls.
DSN: What does the future look like for The Doux?
MS: We’re hyper-focused on leaning into where we started–the salon. Supporting the professional community and growing our product assortment to improve hair care between salon visits is our priority because the stylist-led brand representation in mass retail is the pathway to better quality across the category.
