Kenya Moore on Her Namesake Hair Care Line and 10 Years on ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’

Kenya Moore is known for many things.

She was at one point Miss USA 1993 and then an actress, but currently she’s best-known for being one of the unstoppable “Real Housewives of Atlanta” as well as a businesswoman running her own brand.

Moore currently heads Kenya Moore Hair Care, a line she launched in 2014 after realizing it was difficult to find products that were efficient in keeping her hair strong and healthy, especially with her past experience on pageants and sets.

“I finally thought, ‘You know what? I am going to develop something one day and do my own hair care line so people who have hair like mine can take care of their hair,’” she told WWD.

Since its debut, the brand has taken off, with some of its products flying off the shelves. Before Moore even officially sold one product, the website had pre-sold around $15,000 worth of product. She recalled, “It was so overwhelming, but it was great because people really believed in the product and they wanted to try it.”

Kenya Moore Hair initially started on its official e-commerce site, though now it’s available in retail giant Sally Beauty and, as of this February, CVS Pharmacy.

Some of the brand’s best-sellers include the Growth Repair Shampoo, Growth Repair Conditioner, Restorative Growth Mask and the Moore Hair Supplement, the latter of which is currently sold out.

“I think the unique perspective of what makes mine different is the real focus on growing your hair back and getting it healthy and vibrant again,” Moore said. “Specifically, the unique blend of ingredients took years to formulate and it’s proven — we know that they work. It also works on all hair types, not just a specific focus on any particular hair type.”

During the 14th season of “RHOA,” which is currently airing Sundays on Bravo, the television personality opened up to Shereé Whitfield, a fellow housewife, regarding the recent challenges her hair care brand has faced and how it was in jeopardy.

According to Moore, the business was going at an upward trajectory, with high demand in Sally Beauty stores in both the U.S. and the U.K. However, once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, hiccups emerged, including shipping delays and scarcity of employees.

“It seemed like everything just shut down,” Moore said. “We weren’t able to keep up with the orders. We were losing employees, lost track of orders and couldn’t keep track of components, which come from overseas. The delay is like maybe four or five months before you can even get a bottle. If you don’t have that, you can’t fill your orders, and they just kept coming.”

She continued, “At some point, we were having these serious conversations with our, at the time, only retailer about the logistical problems and that our sales are not what they were. It felt like we were being put on probation — if we can’t get it together by this amount of time, that might mean that they have to drop us from their stores.”

However, matters have since turned around as business has picked up at a steady pace. According to Moore, her brand is not yet where it needs to be, which might take a few more months, but she’s at least able to keep products on the shelves.

This year also marks a decade since Moore joined “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” as a main cast member.

“It’s just been an incredible roller coaster ride emotionally, physically, spiritually,” she said. “Being that I’m 10 years in, I’d have to say, it’s just been a roller coaster ride. I don’t know another way to really explain it.”

With each new season, the storylines, outfits and humor continue to become increasingly dramatic, which never makes for bad television. The current season of “Atlanta,” is no different, according to Moore.

“The second half of the show is probably better than the first half. It is insane, fun, funny, and there are a lot of people, including myself, in conflict with someone you didn’t even see coming. We have a lot of fun and there’s a lot of tears, too. It’s a great season, honestly. It’s one of the best seasons of ‘Real Housewives’ I’ve seen in a long time.”

She added, “We’ve always delivered great seasons.”