Mylani Vegan Hair & Body Care: Beauty Rooted in Experience and Legacy

Charlisa Harris, Founder and Owner, Master Cosmetologist and Certified Cosmetic Formulator, created Mylani Vegan Hair & Body Care from nearly 30 years of experience behind the salon chair. After 16 years as the owner of Chadowboxx Salon, Harris wanted to create plant-based products that addressed the real hair and scalp concerns she saw every day.

Mylani offers vegan, cruelty-free hair and body care for moisture, scalp care, breakage, curl definition, length retention and healthy-hair maintenance. At Chadowboxx Salon, Harris specializes in textured hair care and incorporates Mylani products into her services based on each client’s individual needs.

“Honestly, my clients did,” Harris says about what inspired her to create Mylani. She saw clients struggle to maintain their hair between appointments and become overwhelmed by products that weren’t meeting their needs. Instead of continuing to search for the products she wanted, Harris became a Certified Cosmetic Formulator and learned to create them herself.

Harris began practicing cosmetology at age 16, attended beauty school and became a licensed cosmetologist in 2008. She opened Chadowboxx Salon in 2010, and her product journey began in 2017, eventually evolving into Mylani Vegan Hair & Body Care.

“Mylani wasn’t created in a boardroom. It was created behind the salon chair, and it still lives there today,” Harris says. As a Master Cosmetologist and Certified Cosmetic Formulator, she combines decades of hands-on experience with product formulation while continuing to work directly with the people she creates products for.

For Harris, being a Black woman-owned business represents ownership, representation and legacy. She became a mother at 17 and built her career while raising her family. Giving back is also important to her through mentoring young people and up-and-coming beauty professionals. “For me, it’s about reaching back while I’m still moving forward.”

Chadowboxx Salon, 110 E Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, OR 97060, (503) 957-5369. The salon operates by appointment Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m., with alternating Saturdays. Mylani Vegan Hair & Body Care is available 24/7 for online shopping at MylaniBeauty.com.