Founder & CEO Yelitsa Jean-Charles has created a brand, Healthy Roots Dolls, that reinforces the beauty of black hair by creating a doll with kinky, coily and curly hair patterns. These dolls do more than celebrate diversity and beauty. The encourage self-love!
Healthy Roots Dolls
Healthy Roots dolls is a multicultural children’s product company and the first line of dolls are full curl power teaching girls to love their curls. The first line of dolls are the Curlfriends Zoe, Gaiana and Marisol with hair that can be washed and styled just like real hair. They are teaching girls to love their natural hair.
Inspiration Behind The Brand
“I created Healthy Roots Dolls because I never had a doll that looked like me growing up. As a children’s illustrator, I understand that toys influence how kids think, act and see themselves, so when little girls can’t find dolls that look like them, it negatively impacts their self esteem. That’s why our Curlfriends Zoe, Marisol and Gaiana are more than just another doll painted brown. They are an educational play experience around hair care”, stated Yelitsa.
I never had a doll that looked like me growing up and it wasn’t until my junior year of college that I learned to love my natural hair. Because of this experience, I wanted to work in children’s media to create the representation I didn’t have growing up. I want to teach all Black girls to love their healthy roots.
Yelitsa Jean-Charles
What is a message you want to help spread within your community?
That no one should feel less than because of the kink of their curl or the color of their skin. All children should love their healthy roots.
My entire journey building Healthy Roots Dolls started online with telling my story. I showed people my sketches, raised funds, asked people to vote for me in pitch competitions, and shared my challenges while asking for help. It’s not an overnight success. You build an audience by putting yourself out there while learning how to tell a really great story. Post the content, talk to people, and find your people.
Entrepreneurship is incredibly challenging. Who inspires you and why?
I’m inspired by all the children that our products inspire to see themselves fully. Everytime a little girl rocks a beautiful hairstyle and is feeling herself, it brings me joy.
What is one thing you wish someone would have told you before you started so that you could be more prepared?
You can’t do everything yourself and sometimes there won’t be anyone to do it for you.
More on Yelitsa and Her Journey
As a children’s illustrator, I know toys and children’s media are a solution to this problem. I never had a doll that looked like me growing up. Research has shown that toys impact how we think, act and perceive ourselves. So when girls of color can’t find dolls that look like them or make them feel beautiful, it negatively impacts their self esteem leading them to dislike their hair or color of their skin.
That’s why I created Zoe, the first Healthy Roots Dolls and the first doll that teaches natural hair. And while there are Black dolls available, we go beyond just painting a doll brown.
PaSH Magazine is a lifestyle publication. Our slogan is “all your tiny obsessions.” We are strong advocates of self-love, self-care, body positivity and supporting minorities, especially women, people of color and communities not highlighted in mainstream media. Please send pitches to southernpashmag@gmail.com. Please note that we sometimes use affiliate links. If you purchase anything from a link we have provided, we may receive a small commission. This money is used to help support our efforts at PaSH Inc.
