Mara Roszak's hands have been in some of L.A.’s most photographed hair: that of Emma Stone, Cara Delevigne, Hailey Bieber, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Billie Eilish … the list goes on and on. As a fledgling stylist in the Chris McMillan Salon, Roszak booked her first A-list client (Sarah Michelle Gellar) at 18 and has since built a reputation for hair that’s polished, refined, and sculptural, yet effortless.
In 2015, Roszak opened the doors to her West Hollywood salon Mare. Six years later, she made the leap to beauty founder with the launch of RŌZ, a clean, high-performance hair-care line that pairs minimalist, design-forward sustainable packaging with tightly edited, results-driven formulas.
Since its 2021 debut, RŌZ has become a cult favorite — stocked in top stylists’ kits, embraced by a distinctly cool clientele, and consistently a darling among social influencers. A buzzy group of investors including Roszak's clients Zoë Saldaña, Mila Kunis, and Lily Collins has further cemented its credibility.
The line now includes nine core products: all vegan, cruelty-free and silicone-free, with a signature coastal California-inspired aroma of bergamot, vetiver, and citrus.
Roszak’s growth from behind-the-chair talent to brand founder reflects a broader shift in the beauty industry where expertise, point of view, and sustainability matter as much as name recognition. She recently spoke to American Salon about her evolution.
AS: What piqued your interest in working with hair, and eventually to creating your own hair-care line?
MR: I was about 13 when my own hair changed; it became very frizzy, and I became obsessed with figuring out how to work with it. That curiosity turned into styling friends’ hair, then family, and eventually led me to beauty school at 16.
My mom was a sculptor. Hair felt like sculpture to me — it was creative, emotional, and incredibly personal. I loved how it connected me to community and how I was able to make people feel.
After many years behind the chair, I started to feel a very clear pull toward product development. I was constantly mixing things together, or wishing something existed that didn’t.
What did you think was missing from the market that your product line would address?
There was a real gap between clean and performance, especially in the professional space. My clients were asking for cleaner options that performed, and I had nothing to offer them.
Products were either clean or they worked the way stylists or consumers needed them to. I wanted to create a very curated line of essentials — products that truly needed to exist, that simplified routines while delivering beautiful, reliable results.
Santa Lucia Styling Oil was truly the beginning of everything. I couldn’t find a lightweight oil that worked for fine hair and still delivered real performance. It became the foundation of almost every style I created. Our Foundation Shampoo, Foundation Conditioner, and Milk Hair Serum were born later.
I created a category that didn’t exist with RŌZ — clean formulations, sustainable packaging, professional performance — yet simple to use and only what needs to exist for any result.
As someone who wasn’t in product development, how did you make the leap from dream to reality?
I leaned into what I did know — hair. I tested everything on myself and my clients, brought lab samples to set, and paid attention to how products behaved in real life, not just in theory. I also wasn’t afraid to ask for help.
I partnered with labs I trusted, asked a lot of questions, and have stayed incredibly hands-on and diligent about process. It was very much a learning-by-doing process.
Formulation is a process of iteration, patience, and trust. I learned that you can’t do it alone. Surrounding yourself with people who bring different expertise, and being open to feedback, makes all the difference.
Remaining patient, even though difficulty, is necessary for product development. To get something exactly right can take years of reworking.
What is your biggest advice for fellow hairstylists who want to create their own products?
Trust your gut, but also be open to learning and asking for help. Take the meeting, ask the question. It’s not a linear journey.
What’s been the most validating moment of developing a product line?
Seeing other hairstylists genuinely use and love the products. Professionals are the most discerning, and when they reach for RŌZ behind the chair, that’s incredibly rewarding. It tells me we created something real.
I’m deeply focused on thoughtful growth — continuing to innovate, creating the best formulations, and expand RŌZ in a way that feels intentional and true to the brand.