Melanin Beauty Awards 2025: Shaina Rainford Is A Hair Innovator

Shaina Rainford believes in the power of storytelling. As the founder and CEO of the million dollar beauty business Bask & Lather Co., she has built an empire on the success stories of her clients. Women who’ve used her products are compelled to take to social media to sing its praises because it works. That authenticity and healing power is the pulse of the beloved brand.

According to Essence, Bask & Lather Co. is the #1 Black-owned brand for hair-growth oil on Amazon and became the first Black-owned brand featured in TikTok’s Super Brand Club. The brand’s digital print is undeniable. “Social media allowed our community to tell our story in their own voices,” Shaina explained to HB. “People shared their results, their journeys, and their confidence. That authenticity can’t be manufactured. Social platforms also let us educate our audience, show real-time transformations, and reach millions of people who needed solutions that actually deliver.”

Shaina’s background as a nurse practitioner lent itself to her ability to identify “root causes” and create innovative formulas to help nourish your natural tresses and sooth the scalp. “That mindset transferred directly into formulating products that actually work. 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.”

Shaina’s sister’s story is the inspiration behind Bask & Lather Co. “The brand was born from a deeply personal moment in my family. My mother created an early version of what is now our Scalp Stimulator and Hair Elixir to help my sister regrow her hair after a difficult experience. When her hair flourished, people around us wanted the products too. Seeing the transformation in front of my eyes lit a fire in me. I wanted women to have access to formulas that could truly change how they feel about themselves.”

Bask & Lather Co. products have helped women restore their confidence while reclaiming their crown. And they often share those experiences with the team. “Our community has embraced them wholeheartedly. We receive messages every day from people who’ve regrown their edges, restored their confidence, or found a solution after trying everything else. The trust and loyalty our customers show us is the heartbeat of the brand.”

What began with their best-selling product, the Scalp Stimulator, “continues to transform hairlines and restore people’s sense of self.” They approach every product with the same intentions—to nourish the hair and promote healthy tresses. Another product customers rave about is the Edge Control. “We approached it like a treatment and a styler in one. It gives hold without the flaking, white cast, or build-up. It leaves the hairline looking smooth while still caring for the follicles. Most edge controls only focus on aesthetics. Ours was designed to support long-term hair health,” this year’s hair innovator explained.

She added, “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.”

Keep scrolling for Shaina’s Melanin Beauty Awards reflections:

How do you honor your melanin? I honor my melanin by showing up fully as myself. I take care of my skin, protect it, celebrate it, and refuse to shrink myself or my presence. I honor it by creating products and a brand that uplifts other Black women and reminds us that our beauty was never something to negotiate.

What do you love about being a Black woman and having beautiful brown skin? I love the richness. I love the resilience. I love that our skin tells the story of generations before us and still shines through everything we overcome. Being a Black woman means carrying power, softness, innovation, and community all at once. It is the greatest blessing.

When did you fall in love with your beauty? I truly fell in love with my beauty when I embraced my natural hair and realized that nothing about me needed to be changed to be worthy. Motherhood deepened that love. It made me intentional about how I speak to myself, because my daughters are watching what confidence looks like in action.

What does winning a Melanin Beauty Award mean to you? It is an honor because it represents recognition from a community I care about deeply. This award celebrates not just me, but every woman who has poured into Bask & Lather, shared her story, or found confidence again through our products. It reminds me that purpose will always speak louder than pressure.