Rooted in Strength: In conversation with our fave beauty founders
Motherhood, much like hair, tells a story of strength, resilience, growth, and transformation. Our hair holds so much history—and the emotional bond between our identity and our hair runs deep—and it’s especially present during motherhood, a chapter that shapes us, molds us, and comes with many changes.
This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating five women who embody that journey through both their work and their families: Mara Roszak of RŌZ, Athena Hewett of Monastery, Amanda Chantal Bacon of Moon Juice, Shani Darden of Shani Darden Skin Care, and Amy Liu of Tower28.
They’re not only your favorite beauty founders, but they’re also mothers whose values reflect the strength, resilience & vulnerability it takes to lead with love and evolve with grace—surrounding us all with nurturing beauty.
We asked them about the parallels between motherhood and careers and more—in addition to the products that connect them to themselves. We’re inspired by them everyday—and know you will be too.
Amanda Chantal Bacon with Vajra
Founder of Moon Juice @moonjuice
On How Hair Reflects Beauty Within
Biologically, your hair is the great indicator of what’s going on internally—nutritional deficiencies, stress, and imbalances. Emotionally it’s the last thing we want to let go of but biologically it’s the first thing our bodies will deprioritize. Placing such an importance on your hair and wanting it to be as healthy as can be means you have to prioritize taking care of yourself—especially for mothers.
On Staying Grounded When It Gets Too Much
Sleep, hydration, cortisol control, mineralization, and the cherry on top is making time to connect to the women in my life who I can relate to and are also juggling the same things—even just a text or a phone call—for a laugh, cry, or gossip session feeds my soul.
Amanda’s Self-Care Picks
“Superhair is the ultimate gift to prepare a new mom for the alarming postpartum hair shed they don’t know they're going to experience 3–4 months after birth.”
“Cherry Sleepy Magnesi-om is the closest thing to maiden sleep you’ll experience after becoming a mother.”
“I am a Milk Hair Serum and Santa Lucia Styling Oil devotee. It’s the ultimate softening, smoothing duo.”
Shani Darden with Phoenix and Lennon
Esthetician and Founder, Shani Darden @shanidaniskincare
On Teaching Her Daughters About Beauty
It was really important for me for my daughters to appreciate and embrace their natural, curly hair. I definitely did not have that growing up—my mom didn’t have the same hair texture as me so I didn’t really learn great techniques about how to care for my hair. And I really wanted my daughters to have that.
On The Power of a Good Hair Day
Hair and skin is everything to me. As long as my hair looks good, I need less makeup and less everything else. It makes me feel my most gorgeous.
Shani’s Self-Care Picks
“Retinol Reform is always my go-to. It’s the ultimate multi-tasker to address multiple anti-aging concerns from the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, to uneven texture, dullness and even loss of firmness—making it an essential for busy moms to keep their skin glowing!”
Shani Darden Triple Acid Signature Peel
“This is a staple in my weekly routine. It does a lot of the heavy lifting for resurfacing and brightening in just 10 minutes. No downtime—just glowing skin.”
“I love the Milk Hair Serum—it smells incredible and leaves my hair soft and shiny without weighing it down.”
“This oil is so lightweight, but makes your hair so glossy!”
Amy Liu with Charlie and Ellie
Founder and CEO of Tower28 @tower28
“I am so inspired by my tribe of fellow female founders that are also mothers. Being a mother has taught me how to be a better leader - more patient and empathetic but also try to lead by example. My girls inspire me everyday to do better.”
On Caring For Yourself When You’ve Got Nothing Left to Give
I have a few go-tos: I take a nice, relaxing shower with a little aromatherapy experience—it’s cleansing and cathartic. I also love going on a really long walk—especially in the morning I’ll go with my husband and we watch the sunrise together.
On Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities
My journey with eczema started when I was 18 years old but I don’t know that I would have started Tower 28 if it wasn’t for my daughter Charlie also having eczema. When it comes to your children, you become even more empathetic to a problem—I thought about what would be available for her to put on her skin that was clean and didn’t irritate her sensitive skin. I didn’t want her to have to question what she could use. I understand what it’s like to walk through the world with skin that’s imperfect and makes you feel insecure. I didn’t want her to have to feel that way.
Amy’s Self-Care Picks
“SOS Rescue Spray is my go-to for calming sensitive skin—it’s clean, gentle, and something I feel great about using on myself and my daughter.”
“This oil gives my hair a glossy finish without feeling heavy—plus, the scent is incredible.”
Athena Hewett with Grey and Rafe
Founder of Monastery @monasterymade
“In both motherhood and building a business, strength means showing up every day no matter how hard it gets. Resilience is refusing to think, ‘if this doesn’t work, I’ll walk away’—because when you’re nurturing something you love, quitting isn’t an option.”
On What She Loves About Her Hair
" I used to be terrified to have someone do my hair because I had this wavy texture that would knot in the back and I didn’t want them to cut it all off. Now I love my hair texture and embrace it—it’s strong, thick, and low maintenance."
On Beauty Rituals Passed Down Through Generations
"My YiaYia in Greece had six sisters and they all taught me so many remedies about skin and hair. I remember watching them drench their hair in olive oil and wrap it up overnight for a conditioning treatment."
Athena’s Self-Care Picks
Monastery Made Rose Cleansing Oil
“I always recommend our Rose Cleansing Oil because it turns a quick face wash into a moment of calm at the end of the day—it’s like a little exhale.”
Monastery Made Gold Restorative Face Oil
“As a mom, I’m always looking for products that feel both luxurious and practical—things that support my skin and fit into the chaos of real life. Gold Oil is another favorite; it gives my skin this healthy, rested glow even when I’m running on very little sleep.”
Monastery Made Attar Floral Concentrate Balm
“And of course, Attar—our cult balm—is a total lifesaver. It’s so gentle and effective I use it on everything from dry lips to my kids’ scraped knees. It's a staple in my bag at all times.”
“If I want a little extra volume at the roots before an event, I’ll reach for the Root Lift Spray—it gives the perfect boost without feeling heavy.”
Mara Roszak with Elio and Bernie
Celebrity Hairstylist & Founder of RŌZ @rozhair
“Motherhood teaches you a lot about yourself. I saw a strength in myself and a level of resilience I didn’t know I had as a mother and a founder.”
On the Power of Hair
I’ve been styling and cutting hair for 22 years now. Hair, to me, is so intimate, vulnerable, and really meaningful. It holds so much history and importance and I love getting to be a part of other people’s hair memories, moments, and transformations.
On Making Motherhood and a Career Work
Before I became a mom, I remember having a bit of fear around how I’d prioritize my family with my career because I really love what I do for work. But after becoming a mom, I realized everything just expands. And you focus on creating work that doesn’t feel like work, but feels like joy. Somehow there is time for both. There is energy for both. It’s challenging, of course, but there’s a special flow to it and my life feels more purposeful and fuller because of it. My career has flourished in a lot of ways because of my family. They encourage me to focus and show up for what I love to do.
Mara’s Self-Care Picks
Monastery Made Attar Floral Repair Concentrate
Monastery Made x Coppola Hideaways Hydrating Floral Essence
Tower 28 Beauty SOS Rescue Spray
