Emily in Paris star Lucien Laviscount just launched the first men’s collection for REHAB, a brand that has now reached over £3 million in sales, but three years ago, it was just an idea in the minds of Vicky Ellis and Anastasia Tozer.
The best friends of 11 years, who met through working in the beauty industry, were discussing the complicated oil routine that Anastasia had done since childhood, with an inquisitive Vicky wanting to know exactly how it worked. Through the conversation, they realised a gap in the market existed for individual capsules that provided consumers with the exact amount to use, and so decided to fill it.
It was a risk for Anastasia, 31, and Vicky, 35, who put an equal five-figure amount in the business from personal savings. Both women are grateful to their husbands for allowing them to take the financial risk, and say the decision is partly what drove them to succeed.
Anastasia tells Metro: ‘I quit the job that gave me a safe and stable career. My husband and I had been saving for years to buy our first house, but we used the money to invest in the business and left our rented flat to move into his childhood bedroom.’
‘I put in the money my husband and I had planned to use on a kitchen renovation, which it desperately needed. We both had the pressure of doing this for our families. Everything was on the line, and it gave us real motivation to make it succeed,’ Vicky adds.
‘Partly because of that, we never thought about giving up. We had the mentality of it not being an option.’
Remembering those early days, Vicky says: ‘My husband used to pack all the products from our garage, with the boxes often overflowing into the kitchen. One day, we had a sudden spike of 1000 orders. We were so time-crunched that he was packing as I was loading them into the delivery van.
‘We quickly realised we needed to move into a warehouse because we were letting customers down, and it was stressful having to quickly adapt. Being a business owner is constantly putting out fires.’
‘Never in a million years did we think it would grow this quickly,’ Anastisa highlights.
As the business, which initially focused on haircare but had since expanded into bodycare, became profitable, they reinvested the cash, believing they could make it even bigger.
‘We’re the type of people who don’t settle and are always pushing ourselves for the next thing, so we have quite high expectations of ourselves,’ says Vicky, who credits the attitude to her upbringing, saying that while she didn’t have loads, what she did have were parents, who were always striving for more. She continues: ‘We really just want to always go on to the next big thing, even once we’ve conquered the first.’
Their shared work ethic and aligned values on making the company eco-conscious and cruelty-free are what make their partnership work so well. They highly recommend going into business with someone equally passionate who you can lean on. ‘When you’re going through these tough times, it is so helpful,’ explains Vicky. ‘Obviously, you can go to your team, but there’s only so much they can relate to when the pressure is on your shoulders. It must be so tough for people doing it alone.’
Their overarching goal now is to become a global brand. REHAB may not be there yet, but they are the UK’s fastest-growing beauty brand, according to FEBE, the recipient of multiple esteemed Beauty awards (a big deal in the industry), and their products are now available to shop in Selfridges, Boots, and Sainsbury’s. To add to their wins, Stacey Solomon came on board in 2023 with a 33% stake.
Their joining of forces came after Stacey organically shared the products with her audience on Instagram after being gifted a package, which led to six months’ worth of stock selling in 24 hours. Vicky and Anastasia got in touch to say they wanted to work with her more collaboratively, and Stacey invited REHAB to Pickle Cottage.
‘I thought we were pitching for her to talk more about the brand, which is how you would normally expect a meeting with someone who’s quite high profile to go,’ says Vicky, who had a previous relationship with Stacey and went alone. ‘She said, “I want to stop you there”, and told me she wanted to invest. I was not expecting it at all. My mind flipped at that point, and I was trying to keep cool.
‘When you’re in that entrepreneurial mindset, one of the toughest things is that you don’t really get a chance to take in the most incredible moments, but that one is one that I won’t forget.
‘As I was driving down her driveway, I called Anastasia, and she literally screamed.’
‘Stacey wanting to invest in the brand was unbelievable for our little business,’ Anastasia explains of her reaction.
Despite their achievements, they’re still a relatively small team with just 16 full-time staff, and are constantly striving for more.
‘We feel we haven’t made it, because we just believe that there’s so much more we want to do, but also it still feels like a passion project and probably always will,’ says Vicky.
Talking about their current moves, she continues: ‘Going into men’s beauty is potentially perceived as a risk, but I know so many men who already use our products, and anyway, we like to do the unexpected and prove people wrong.’
Designed for the modern man, REHAB.’s Men’s Collection redefines everyday grooming with three new essentials – the Hair & Beard Grooming Oil, Shower Milk for Him, and Hair & Body Cologne for Him. Each product delivers performance-driven results, uses eco-friendly packaging, and, as always, is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. You can shop here.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
Share your views in the comments below.
