The 2025 Melanin Beauty Awards are celebrating incredible achievements in beauty, and we’re thrilled to honor Shaina Rainford, the visionary CEO and founder of Bask & Lather Co., as our Hair Innovator! Shaina has built a million-dollar business not just on products, but on the authentic success stories and transformative journeys of her clients.
From Nurse Practitioner to Beauty Mogul
What sets Bask & Lather Co. apart? It’s the brand’s pulse: authenticity and healing power. As reported by Essence, it’s the #1 Black-owned hair-growth oil brand on Amazon and made history as the first Black-owned brand featured in TikTok’s Super Brand Club. Shaina’s background as a nurse practitioner gave her a unique scientific lens to identify the root causes of hair and scalp issues, allowing her to create truly restorative formulas.
“That mindset transferred directly into formulating products that actually work,” Shaina shared. “I understood hair loss, scalp health, product safety, and ingredients from a scientific lens. It allowed me to build solutions—starting with my own sister’s hair loss—that weren’t just cosmetic, but restorative.”
A Personal Journey Inspires a Brand
The inspiration behind Bask & Lather Co. is deeply personal. Shaina’s sister experienced hair loss, and her mother created an early version of the Scalp Stimulator and Hair Elixir to help her regrow her hair. Witnessing the transformation ignited a passion in Shaina to make these effective formulas accessible to other women.
The brand’s community has embraced these products wholeheartedly, sharing daily messages about regrown edges, restored confidence, and solutions found after trying everything else. This trust and loyalty are the true heartbeat of Bask & Lather Co.
Innovation in Every Product
From their best-selling Scalp Stimulator and Hair Elixir to their innovative edge control, every product is crafted with intention. Their edge control, for example, is designed as a treatment and styler in one, offering hold without flaking or buildup, while actively caring for hair follicles. “Most edge controls only focus on aesthetics. Ours was designed to support long-term hair health,” Shaina explained.
This brand exists because my family went through something painful, and we turned it into something healing. We will always stay committed to integrity, efficacy, and community over shortcuts. — Shaina Rainford
Honoring Melanin and Resilience
Shaina honors her melanin by showing up authentically, celebrating her skin, and refusing to shrink her presence. She believes being a Black woman means embodying power, softness, innovation, and community. Winning the Melanin Beauty Award is a profound honor, representing recognition from a community she deeply cares about and celebrating every woman who has shared her story and found confidence through Bask & Lather Co.
What are your favorite hair growth tips or products? Share your experiences and recommendations in the comments below!