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, then an actress, but currently she is best known for being one of the unstoppable "Real Housewives of Atlanta" as well as a businesswoman at the head of her own brand.

Moore currently runs Kenya Moore Hair Care, a line she launched in 2014 after realizing it was difficult to find effective products to keep her hair strong and healthy, especially with her past experience on contests and sets.

"I finally thought, 'You know what? One day I'm going to develop something and create my own hair care line so that 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. Even before Moore officially sold a product, the website had pre-sold about $15,000 worth of products. She recalls, "It was so overwhelming, but it was great because people really believed in the product and they wanted to try it."

Kenya Moore Hair originally started on its official e-commerce site, but is now available from retail giant Sally Beauty and, from February, CVS Pharmacy.

Some of the brand's bestsellers include Growth Repair Shampoo, Growth Repair Conditioner, Growth Repair Mask, and Moore Hair Supplement, the latter of which is currently sold out.

"I think the unique perspective of what makes mine different is the real goal of regrowing your hair and making it healthy and vibrant," Moore said. "Specifically, the unique blend of ingredients took years to formulate and it's proven - we know they work. It also works on all hair types, not just one particular hair type. »

During the 14th season of "RHOA," which currently airs Sundays on Bravo, the TV personality opened up to fellow housewife Shereé Whitfield about recent challenges her brand of hair care was facing and how she was in danger.

According to Moore, the business was on an upward trajectory, with strong demand at Sally Beauty stores in the US and UK. However, once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, problems arose including shipping delays and a shortage of employees. .

"It seemed like everything had stopped," Moore said. “We couldn't keep up with the orders. We were losing employees, losing order tracking, and couldn't track components, which were coming from overseas. The delay is maybe four or five months before you can even get a bottle. If you don't have it, you can't fulfill your orders, and they keep coming. »

She continued, "At one point we had these serious conversations with our only retailer at the time about logistical issues and our sales not being what they were. It was like we're on probation - if we can't get ourselves together in that amount of time, it could mean they have to pull us out of their stores."

Things have since reversed, however, as business has picked up at a brisk pace. According to Moore, her brand isn't where it needs to be yet, which could take a few more months, but she's at least able to keep the products on the shelves.

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

“It was just an incredible roller coaster emotionally, physically and spiritually,” she said. “Given I'm 10, I have to say it's just a roller coaster ride. I don't know any other way to really explain it."

With each new season, the storylines, outfits and humor continue to get more and more dramatic, which never makes for bad TV...