by Jeroslyn JoVonn
February 17, 2025
Hannah Diop and Issa Rae express their excitement in launching their plant-based haircare line Sienna Naturals.
Issa Rae and Hannah Diop’s clean haircare brand, Sienna Naturals, made its nationwide debut in Sephora stores on Monday, Feb. 10—a milestone the founders describe as a “dream come true.”
The Black-owned, award-winning, clean beauty brand officially launched in 178 locations nationwide, with more locations to come this calendar year. Over seven years in the making, Diop and Rae are elated to finally introduce the beauty world to a plant-based haircare solution for textured hair.
Diop founded Sienna Naturals as a pioneer in H.A.P.I. (Hydrating, Alimentary, pH-Balanced Ingredients) plant-based haircare. Frustrated by the lack of high-quality holistic hair products for textured hair, Diop developed the line and later welcomed Issa Rae as a Co-Founder.
Courtesy of Sienna Naturals
The plant-based haircare line delivers everything a textured hair queen seeks—combatting dryness, promoting growth, repairing damage, enhancing curl definition, and soothing scalp sensitivities—while prioritizing hair health from the root. Following the successful soft launch of the D.N.A. Scalp Serum on Martin Luther King Jr. Day via the Sephora brand app, Diop is thrilled to expand the full product line to Sephora’s online store and select locations nationwide.
“This is a dream come true. It is truly,” Hannah tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“I think I have a text message that I saved in my phone from 2018 where I was calling Issa like ‘We need to take this all the way to Sephora.’ And now the day is here and we’re launching in Sephora stores.
Hannah continued. “I think you know I’ve been on this journey for a while with Sienna Naturals, and it just feels like the timing is divine. I’m able to appreciate everything I’ve learned and the company we’ve built, and (I’m) just so excited it feels very, very aligned.”
Products available in-store include the D.N.A. Scalp Serum, Plant Power Repair MaskDaily Elixir Hair & Scalp Oil, and H.A.P.I. Shampoo, Untangled Conditioner, Dew Magic Leave-In Conditioner, Dream Curl Cream, and Mini H.A.P.I. Hydrating Ritual Set.
Issa has been instrumental in elevating Sienna Naturals, passionately advocating for the brand while seamlessly incorporating the products into her daily hair care routine. Her commitment to clean, effective haircare has helped bring even more visibility to the line, making it a staple for those seeking healthier, plant-based solutions.
“I love Dew Magic. I literally (wear it) every single day,” Issa shares. “I do wash my hair like every other day, every two days. And so adding that to my hair is just like a balm, and it makes me feel secure.”
Another Sienna Naturals favorite for Issa is the Dream Curl Cream.
“I love the mousse. The mousse specifically because it’s not heavy and it just, it does lay my hair down in a way that surprises me because other mousse don’t necessarily do that.”
The launch coincides with recent research exposing the presence of hazardous toxic chemicals in nearly 80% of beauty products marketed to Black women. Hannah highlights how the industry often emphasizes controlling textured hair, but she aims to shift the focus toward nurturing hair health—emphasizing that proper care ultimately leads to better manageability.
“There has been this focus by brands and by the consumer to style the hair to control the hair to get it to do what you want it to do,” Hannah explains. “And really, there’s been a lack of focus on how do you nurture. How do you help. How do you bring health and vitality and wellness.”
That’s Sienna Naturals comes in, Hannah says. “We’ve been able to find these plant-based alternatives to a lot of the harsh chemicals or chemicals that are known to cause harm,” she said. “In, you know, endocrine disrupting chemicals and cancer-causing chemicals in some cases is through plants. I think it’s really important, and It’s so wonderful that we’re able to bring this to market.”
Sienna Naturals’ in-store debut at Sephora follows a milestone moment at this year’s Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala, where Issa and Hannah were honored with the second annual Sephora Beauty Grant—a $100,000 award recognizing outstanding Black-owned beauty brands and supporting their continued growth.
Shoppers can now find Sienna Naturals products in the ‘Curly, Coily, and Textured Hair’ section at 178 select Sephora locations. The full product line is also available for purchase online through Sephora.
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