Kreyol Essence (KE) brings natural hair, skin, and body products from Haiti to the world. Our eco-friendly formulations are made from pure and natural ingredients with a special focus on dry hair and skin. As a social business, we are maniacal about creating sustainable jobs, protecting and conserving the island’s environment and empowering women. We promise that every purchase you make will have a positive and global impact.
Traditional Ingredients, Extraordinary Benefits. We use indigenous ingredients from Caribbean farms. We bask in delight when a customer discovers our century old wonder cure ingredients like sustainably-harvested Haitian Black Castor Oil - the one product you need for perfectly glowing skin, a flake-free scalp and to naturally grow hair, eyelashes and eyebrows.
Our traditional formulations consist of plant-based oils, herbs, and butters rich in history, moisture, and efficacy. We promise no fillers, no parabens, no sulfates, and no synthetic dyes.
Founding Story
Natural with a PurposeYve-Car Momperousse remembers waking up on Saturday mornings dreading to get her hair braided by the next door neighbor. However, she loved having her mom wash her hair in the kitchen sink. Whenever Yve-Car’s hair was breaking, mom pulled out the magic oil that seemed to solve everything for everyone in the house.
Like most girls, Yve-Car wanted to be seen as beautiful. She did all types of things to her hair to make it look good: chemical straightening, weaving, and braids, to mention a few. Over the years, Yve-Car did lots of damage to her hair for the purposes of style. After each “haircatastrophe”, she knew exactly what to do to regrow and repair her mane— call Mom and ask for a bottle of Haitian Black Castor Oil.
After growing her hair naturally, Yve-Car went to a hair dresser and asked to have her hair pressed. The Hairdresser took one look at her enormous afro and said “I am going to need significant heat to straighten that hair.” It turns out that the beautician burned Yve-Car’s hair by using an iron that was too hot.
Once again, Yve-Car needed Haitian Black Castor Oil, so she went to natural and West Indian stores in Philadelphia in search of the product. To her dismay, no one had the organic oil available. Yve-Car decided to make sure that she, and anyone else who needed the oil, could have access to it by creating Kreyol Essence (KE).
The creation of KE was also fueled by Yve-Car’s vision to stimulate economic activity in Haiti. As a long-time activist in the Haitian community, it was clear to her that the people of Haiti needed jobs instead of aid. On Jan. 12th, 2010, when a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, Yve-Car said to her mom “We should put the business idea on hold and focus on providing emergency care.” Her mom said to her “Now more than ever, our people will need jobs and a way to be self-sufficient. When the donations stop, how will the country survive? I need you to persevere in making this dream a reality as the lives of many are at stake.”
It is with the livelihood of others that KE was birthed.
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Team Bios
Yve-Car Momperousse
Co-founder and CEO
see bio
Yve-Car Momperousse is CEO and co-founder of Kreyòl Essence, the first Haitian company to bring natural + ethical hair products from Haiti to the world. Kreyòl Essence creates jobs for over 300 Haitian farmers and women leveraging unique ingredients such as Haitian Black Castor Oil, Haitian Moringa. Kreyòl Essence is known for its plant-based products formulated for those with dry hair, scalp, and skin with a focus on scalp health and care. Yve-Car holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Rutgers University, started her master’s at the University of Pennsylvania and completed her degree at Cornell University in International Development with a focus on Rural Agriculture. Kreyòl Essence launched its Black Castor Oil nationwide at Ulta Beauty making history as the first Haitian-owned brand and nationally at Whole Foods Market and over 100 natural stores in Canada. The social business connects its sales to economic development and improving the environment in Haiti
Stephane Jean-Baptiste is a visionary entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and business strategist who has made a significant impact in the beauty industry. As the COO and Co-Founder of Kreyol Essence, he has revolutionized the way natural beauty products are created and marketed. With a passion for celebrating Haitian culture and empowering local farmers, Stephane has built an eco-luxury brand that has gained international recognition. His creative direction and storytelling abilities have been instrumental in shaping the brand's narrative and connecting with a global audience. The social business connects its sales to economic development and improving the environment in Haiti and has launched nationwide with select retailers such as Ulta Beauty, QVC, Whole Foods Market and Urban Outfitters. Kreyol Essence was recently featured on ABC’s Shark Tank and was named 2020 Best Beauty Brand by the prestigious Beauty Independent. Refinery29 has called Kreyòl Essence one of the Most Exciting & Cool Indie Beauty Brands.
