It’s a 10 Haircare founder and CEO on self-funding and starting over

For 20-year-old self-funded brand It’s a 10 Haircare, long-term success has come through business makeovers.

CEO Carolyn Aronson had been working in salons since she was 16 and was sick of using a bunch of single-benefit products. So at age 39, she sought to create an all-in-one solution. She launched It’s a 10 and its hero product, Miracle Leave-in, in 2006, creating a launchpad for Aronson’s hair empire. The product now sells more than 10 million bottles annually, and the company has expanded to a slew of hair products and sub-brands, grossing $500 million in annual sales.

And that’s all been done without any outside investment, focusing instead on steady growth and creative marketing moves, with its two decades in business marked by several phases of reinvention. Its latest makeover came last month: To celebrate its 20th anniversary (and lean into the moment hair care is having), It’s a 10 announced it’s rolling out a rebrand across its assortment, supported by a partnership with its first-ever global ambassador, Khloé Kardashian.

“You have to continue to invest in what you build, just like we are today,” Aronson said. “You have to be willing to start over again and over again and over again and over again throughout the years.”

Hairpin turns: It’s a 10 was founded with just $80,000 and was originally run out of Aronson’s house, she said.

“As we built collections and built brands, we always just turned the money over and kept putting it back into the company,” she said. “I really believe in growing companies slow and steady, without all of the VCs and the outside investors, because you tend to build a very loyal and authentic foundation to the company.”

In January 2017, Aronson bought out her partner and co-founder Scott Scharg’s stake in the company, obtaining full ownership of the brand (she took out a loan that was paid off over several years to do so, she said).

The next month, it debuted its first Super Bowl commercial, a not-so-subtle dig at then newly inaugurated President Trump’s “awful hair,” becoming the first independent hair care brand to air an ad during the big game. It continued with a “go big or go home” mindset from there, Aronson said. In 2019, the brand flew a blimp over Coachella and Stagecoach, offering free samples of its Miracle Leave-in.

At the same time, the brand was diversifying its distribution beyond the professional channel to the retailers it’s in today, spanning 40,000 retailers and salons—including Ulta Beauty, Target, Sally Beauty, and CVS—across 140 countries.

And over the last few years, It’s a 10 Enterprises has become an umbrella for a number of hair ventures: It launched men’s brand Rewind It 10 in 2023, and last year, it launched Gen Z-focused Cloud Haircare in CVS and Walmart, and relaunched ’90s hair care brand F.A.S.T. Haircare following its acquisition of owner Nisim in 2023.

Leave-in a mark: Its latest big marketing move came at Ulta Beauty World, when Aronson surprised attendees with a meet-and-greet with Kardashian at its booth, which highlighted the new campaign and previewed the revamped packaging.

The rebrand is the most significant visual overhaul in It’s a 10’s two decades, replacing its signature matte bottles with shiny, modern packaging. Ulta Beauty has a three-month exclusive on the rebrand, which debuts this summer, Aronson said. The partnership with Kardashian will include public appearances throughout the year, and campaign visuals will also be featured at retail locations.

When Aronson took over ownership of the brand, it didn’t even have a website, she admitted. Now, it has hundreds of thousands of followers across social media, and has lowered its age demographic by seven years. It’s further benefitting from the more than 300 million social media followers Kardashian has to offer, and aims to continue reaching a new, younger audience with the rebrand and campaign.

Head in the clouds: As It’s a 10 enters a “new era” with the rebrand, Aronson said she envisions the company becoming “a mini L’Oréal someday” as it continues to grow its portfolio of brands.

“I feel like we’re almost just beginning, or starting our next 20 years,” Aronson said.