Slay Your Look, Not The Planet : Building a Global Ethical Beauty Brand with Adria Marshall, Ecoslay
Plant-Based Power & Purpose: How Ecoslay’s Founder Is Redefining Haircare With Heart
When Adria Marshall set out to embrace her natural curls, she had no idea she’d be launching a multimillion-dollar business that would challenge the beauty industry and redefine what sustainable haircare could look like. On The Wild Party Podcast, we sat down with the Ecoslay founder to talk about her journey from software developer to CEO, and the values that drive her plant-powered brand.
A Personal Haircare Problem Turned Passion Project
Adria’s story began in college while earning her Computer Science major at University of Alabama, when she started transitioning from relaxed to natural hair. The deeper she dove into products for curly textures, the more frustrated she became with misleading ingredient labels and a lack of effective, healthy options. A lifelong gardener with a passion for sustainability, Adria started experimenting in her kitchen, sourcing flaxseed, aloe, and marshmallow root from her local farmers market.
At the time, she was working full-time in tech but her side hobby quickly turned into something more. She launched a small online store and joined natural hair communities on YouTube and Instagram, sharing what she was learning. Then one winter, a single review video of her Orange Marmalade Curl Definer went viral. By January 1st, she had over 1,000 orders and a decision to make: go back to work or scale the business.
Staying True to Her Values, Even While Scaling
Adria reached out to manufacturers but found herself disheartened when they insisted on changing her clean formulations. So she decided to keep production in-house, building a small team that she personally trained. Today, Ecoslay still handcrafts its products in small batches, has a global customer base, and employs a passionate, values-aligned team.
More than a product line, Ecoslay is rooted in education. “Our top success metric isn’t revenue it’s how many people we’ve taught about good ingredients and how to care for their natural hair,” Adria told Stefanie. The company tracks metrics like pouches recycled, partnerships formed, and kindness extended, along with profits.
Community, Sustainability, and the “Slay Nation”
From partnering with a Georgia charter school that teaches students how to grow ingredients for Ecoslay’s products, to donating gently used returns to women’s shelters, Adria’s commitment to community is unmatched. Ecoslay’s recycling club and partnership with Terracycle ensure their packaging doesn’t end up in landfills - an issue Adria tackled head-on after learning her previous recycling provider wasn’t truly recycling.
She also launched the Ecobator, a program that offers mentorship and ethical, low-minimum small-batch manufacturing for fellow entrepreneurs, serving as the support system she wishes she had when starting out.
This year, Ecoslay became a certified B Corporation. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
Lessons in Leadership and Team Building
Adria shared that some of her biggest lessons came from early mistakes: underpaying staff, underestimating the science behind cosmetic formulations, and trying to do too much herself. Today, her team receives living wages, 401(k)s, and support for personal passions including a comic book artist-turned-chemist who now formulates Ecoslay’s products.
“I want my team to grow here,” she said. “And when they’re ready to fly, I want to be part of that journey too.”
What’s Next for Ecoslay?
With a thriving e-commerce site, growing retail presence, and a fanbase Adria lovingly calls the “Slay Nation,” Ecoslay continues to innovate without compromising its mission. The brand’s “Slay your look, not the planet” motto isn’t just a slogan—it’s a way of doing business, rooted in care, consistency, and community.
To learn more or shop Ecoslay’s full product line, visit ecoslay.com or follow them on Instagram @ecoslay.
