Design Essentials
Design Essentials is a family-owned, 35+ year professional hair care brand formulating products for textured, natural, and chemically treated hair across types 1A-4C, sold through DTC e-commerce, a B2B Pro Site for licensed stylists, and 8+ major retailers including Walmart, Ulta, and Target across 30+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersDecatur, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Design Essentials does
Design Essentials is a privately held, family-owned hair care brand founded in 1990 by Cornell McBride Sr. and operated through McBride Research Laboratories, Inc. The company formulates and markets professional-grade hair care products specifically designed for textured, natural, and chemically treated hair across the full hair-type spectrum (Types 1A through 4C), with eight distinct product collections including Design Essentials Classic, Agave & Lavender, Almond & Avocado, African Chebe, Coconut & Monoi, Scalp Care, Wave By Design, and the legacy Sta Sof Fro line. Its core technology centers on proprietary formulations including the HydraStrength Vitamin & Protein Complex, Naturalceutical ingredient systems combining botanicals such as aloe vera and shea butter, and the proprietary Hair ID classification system used to personalize product recommendations. The company is led by Cornell McBride Jr. (CEO) with involvement from siblings Sholanda and Andre McBride and matriarch Harriet McBride.
Design Essentials operates a three-channel revenue model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce on designessentials.com (consumer products priced $8.99-$20.00), a B2B Pro Site for licensed beauty professionals requiring credential verification through BeautyAList (professional sizes 32oz-gallon at $34-$52), and broad retail distribution across Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Target, Walgreens, Dollar General, Amazon, H-E-B, JCPenney Salon, and specialty beauty supply stores, with international reach spanning over 30 countries. The company employs a multi-channel marketing approach including an interactive Hair Quiz with 15% discount incentive, content marketing through blog and video gallery, organic social media across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, an email newsletter, retail partner credibility signals, and the I AM DE Affiliate Program for influencers and stylists. It also maintains a portfolio of community and HBCU partnerships totaling at least $2M in pledged support to Spelman College and Howard University, plus wellness initiatives with organizations such as Runways to Freedom, the Basara Tribe in Chad, and ovarian and blood-disorder awareness groups.
Design Essentials firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Essentials
- Legal name
- McBride Research Laboratories, Inc.
- Website
- https://designessentials.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Design Essentials is a family-owned, 35+ year professional hair care brand formulating products for textured, natural, and chemically treated hair across types 1A-4C, sold through DTC e-commerce, a B2B Pro Site for licensed stylists, and 8+ major retailers including Walmart, Ulta, and Target across 30+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Essentials industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Hair Care
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments) (CRABALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments) (CRADANAE), Professional/Salon Haircare (Backbar & Retail) (CRABABAK), Textured Hair & Protective Styling (Braids/Twists/Locs) (HSALAAAH)
Keywords
Where Design Essentials is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Decatur
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Essentials business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer Product Sales: E-commerce sales through designessentials.com, with products ranging from $8.99 to $52+ for individual items. Consumers can purchase directly via the website with standard checkout.
- Professional/B2B Product Sales: Licensed beauty professionals access exclusive professional pricing through the Pro Site after verifying credentials via BeautyAList. Products are available in larger sizes (32oz, 64oz, gallon) at professional price points.
- Retail Distribution: Products sold through major retail chains including Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Target, Walgreens, Dollar General, Amazon, H-E-B, and JCPenney Salon, representing wholesale revenue from retail partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer-sized products (12oz-16oz) ranging from $12.99 to $20.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Professional-sized products (32oz-128oz gallon) ranging from $34.00 to $52.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Styling and finishing products ranging from $8.99 to $23.00 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels8 records
Design Essentials product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Essentials manufactures and sells professional hair care products formulated for textured, curly, coily, and natural hair types. The portfolio spans cleansing, conditioning, moisturizing, scalp treatment, and styling products and is sold through consumer retail (mass and beauty supply), direct e-commerce, and a dedicated B2B Pro Site that offers larger professional sizes (32oz, 64oz, gallon) and professional-only pricing for licensed stylists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Design Essentials Classic: Core professional-grade haircare collection, salon quality and pro-recommended products
- Agave & Lavender
- Almond & Avocado
- African Chebe
- Coconut & Monoi
- Scalp Care
- Wave By Design
- Sta Sof Fro
Products and services
- Cleansing product line (shampoos)
- Conditioning product line (conditioners)
- Moisturizing and treatment product line
- Scalp treatment line
- Styling product line
- Design Essentials Pro Site (Professional Channel)
- Hair ID System
Companies that use Design Essentials
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments7 records
Design Essentials technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Design Essentials partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- BeautyAListcoreBeautyAList provides professional license verification services for Design Essentials' Pro Site, enabling the company to verify licensed beauty professionals and grant access to professional-only pricing, products, and resources.
- Spelman Collegeflagship$1 million pledge to Spelman College supporting development of young women pursuing careers in cosmetic chemistry through scholarships, internship opportunities, and lab-based learning. Reflects commitment to representation and science education.
- Howard Universityflagship$1 million pledge supporting growth of future leaders through scholarships and programming that strengthen both academic and professional development, cultivating visionaries across industries and communities.
- Basara Tribe in Chad, AfricacoreRelationship evolved from sourcing partnership to broader community collaboration focused on wellness, including clean water access, food and supply distribution, and repairs to community structures like the local community center.
- Runways to FreedomcoreSupports women recovering from displacement, trafficking, and trauma through fashion, training, and healing-centered care, providing resources and space for transformation with dignity and support.
- KidsDoc On WheelsminorMobile pediatric nursing care initiative bringing wellness screenings and health support to children in underserved areas, meeting families where they are with empathy and consistency.
- OvacomeminorWellness partnership raising awareness around ovarian cancer through early detection support and critical conversations in underserved communities.
- African Caribbean Leukemia TrustminorWellness partnership focused on breast cancer, kidney disease, and blood disorder awareness, increasing donor awareness in communities often overlooked by mainstream health initiatives.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Design Essentials competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carol's Daughter: Founded in 1993, Carol's Daughter is a heritage brand specializing in textured hair care with a similar product portfolio (shampoos, conditioners, styling). Now owned by L'Oréal, it competes directly with Design Essentials across retail and professional channels.
- Mielle Organics: One of the fastest-growing textured hair care brands, Mielle Organics offers moisturizing, scalp-care, and styling products targeted at the same consumer segments. Its social-media-native growth model and category overlap (rosemary/scalp collections) make it a direct competitor.
- Shea Moisture: Owned by Unilever, Shea Moisture is a natural products brand serving textured and curly hair with extensive retail distribution. It competes across the same hair-type segmentation (1A-4C) and overlaps heavily with DE on price and channel.
- Pattern Beauty: Founded by Tracee Ellis Ross, Pattern Beauty is a curly and coily hair care brand with strong DTC and retail presence. It targets the same Type 3-4 segments and competes for professional stylist endorsements and specialty retail shelf space.
- Cantu: Cantu is a mass-market hair care brand focused on textured hair with extensive retail distribution at Walmart, Target, and beauty supply stores. Its pricing tier and product overlap (shea-based moisturizers, styling) make it a direct competitor in value channels.
- Camille Rose: Camille Rose Naturals is a natural hair care brand targeting textured, curly, and loc'd hair with botanical-based formulations. It competes directly with DE's Coconut & Monoi and Almond & Avocado collections in beauty supply and mass retail.
- TGIN (Thank God It's Natural): TGIN is a Black-owned, women-led natural hair care brand offering moisturizers, stylers, and treatments for textured hair. It competes in the same beauty supply and DTC channels with similar price points and target consumers.
- As I Am: As I Am Naturally is a curly and coily hair care brand with a strong professional salon presence and a B2B/professional distribution model similar to Design Essentials' Pro Site. It targets the same Type 3-4 consumer and licensed stylist community.
Broad incumbents
- Mizani: Owned by L'Oréal, Mizani is a professional textured hair care brand with broad salon and retail distribution. It is a broader incumbent in the same category, overlapping with DE's professional channel and product portfolio.
Emerging players
- DevaCurl: DevaCurl specializes in wavy, curly, and coily hair care under the Curly Girl Method methodology. While focused primarily on Type 2-3, it competes for the same curly hair consumer and overlaps with DE's Wave By Design and Coconut & Monoi collections.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Essentials social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Essentials financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Essentials leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Design Essentials funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Essentials M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Design Essentials
What does Design Essentials do?
Design Essentials manufactures and sells professional hair care products formulated for textured, curly, coily, and natural hair types. The portfolio spans cleansing, conditioning, moisturizing, scalp treatment, and styling products and is sold through consumer retail (mass and beauty supply), direct e-commerce, and a dedicated B2B Pro Site that offers larger professional sizes (32oz, 64oz, gallon) and professional-only pricing for licensed stylists.
Is Design Essentials a public or private company?
Design Essentials is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Design Essentials founded?
Design Essentials was founded in 1990. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Design Essentials based?
Design Essentials is headquartered in Decatur, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Essentials make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are professional/B2B Product Sales and retail Distribution.
Who are Design Essentials's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carol's Daughter, Mielle Organics, Shea Moisture, Pattern Beauty, Cantu, Camille Rose, TGIN (Thank God It's Natural) and As I Am. Mizani is listed as a broad incumbent. DevaCurl is listed as an emerging player.
Does Design Essentials have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Essentials.
What industry is Design Essentials in?
Design Essentials's product category is Professional Hair Care. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABALAB, Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments), with a secondary code of CRADANAE, Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments). Its NAICS code is 456120 and its SIC code is 2844.