Conversations with Tracey Spruill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracey Spruill.

Hi Tracey, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Hi Voyage readers! I’ve always had an interest in hair since I was very little from styling my dolls, going to the salon, and even styling my friend’s hair for prom. After completing my accounting degree at one of the top-ranked HBCUs in the nation, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, I decided to get my cosmetology license and attended one of the top cosmetology schools, Aveda Institute – Chapel Hill. After school, I moved to Charlotte and began working in Corporate America. Balancing full-time employment and cultivating my skill set in hair through my business mane.ediTS® (www.maneedits.com), I’ve maintained an active cosmetology license and have received advanced continuing education from notable celebrity hairstylists. I’ve even had the opportunity to work alongside supermodels, fashion designers, and other major hair artists while styling hair for multiple seasons of New York Fashion Week. I love the creative outlet of styling for multicultural bridal hair, installing hair extensions, and crafting tailored wigs, as well as the adrenalin that comes with high-end runway hair.  At the end of it all, it’s a joy to know that I’ve made someone else look and feel good about themselves.

My interest in hair product development was birthed through my own personal struggles with eczema. While mine is concentrated around my hairline, myself and about 53 million other Americans suffer with eczema which results in a discomforting fine itchy rash of bumps during flare-ups.  I’ve used the prescription shampoos and all of the current over-the-counter (OTC) shampoos on the market today with no luck. They all leave my hair feeling dry and some of the OTCs have even made the flare ups more intense.

In addition to my personal struggles, seeing family members, friends and clients who suffer from illnesses that adversely affect the hair and scalp such as Lupus – both systemic and discoid, various forms of alopecia with CCCA and traction being the most common I’ve seen, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, and dandruff were all mounting blocks that drove me to bring Aloe + Coal By T. Spruill® to market. Most people view their hair as their crown or a safety net which can be closely tied to one’s self-esteem.  When you are struggling with a condition that adversely affects your hair and scalp and you feel like you are doing everything right but nothing is working, you begin to feel defeated.  Knowing that I couldn’t confidently recommend a best fit product on the market, I strongly felt that a better option had to be available. My goal was to introduce a product that helped those with symptoms typically caused by dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and eczema go from “struggling with” to “living with” by providing products that help manage your condition and improve your quality of life. So I started researching.

Aloe + Coal By T. Spruill® shampoo and conditioner is dermatologist recommended and ideal for those experiencing dry scalp, itchy scalp, scalp inflammation, hair breakage, thinning hair, and other common scalp irritations typically caused by dandruff. Our products are sulfate-free, paraben-free, formaldehyde-free, formaldehyde derivative-free and artificial fragrance-free.  They are made with natural, organic and botanical ingredients known to have medicinal benefits for the hair and scalp and won’t leave you compromising on moisture and hydration.  Aloe + Coal By T. Spruill® addresses real hair health concerns by merging proven medicine with tried and true holistic healing.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
With the operational support of my twin sister Stacey, we launched a few months shy of the COVID-19 outbreak. Our excitement of being on salon and barber shelves and being carried in local stores was quickly met with the hard reality that the hair care/salon industry was shutting down and local stores were going out of business. We had to pivot our approach and immediately focus on being 100% online. Now that we have made it to see two years in business, we are still navigating the new norm of COVID-19 but are working to expand our reach! As a small business, we appreciate opportunities like this interview feature because it helps us get our brand in front of our community so that those who need us most, know we exist!

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’m an Aries and I’ve read that I’m naturally risk-averse. There may be some truth to that but I’m also faithful. I believe that whatever you have in your heart, pray on it, work hard, be smart about it, and then go for it! Success is on the other side of fear, so don’t let fear hold you back.

Pricing:

• Aloe + Coal By T. Spruill® Shampoo = $29.97
• Aloe + Coal By T. Spruill® Conditioner = $29.97
• Aloe + Coal By T. Spruill® Shampoo and Conditioner Set = $59.94

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://tspruill.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bytspruill/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bytspruill
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bytspruill

Image Credits
Thien La