March 19, 2026
Courtney Adeleye Makes History With Both Haircare Businesses Stocked At Major Retailers
Adeleye celebrated her second hair and skincare brand to hit Walmart's shelves.
One business owner’s success has doubled as major retailers now stock both her haircare brands.
Courtney Adeleye already made headlines with her natural haircare brand, The Mane Choice. Emphasizing natural ingredients that focused on hair length and retention, the brand became a leader in the beauty industry, resulting in her business growth as well.
The former nurse turned the brand into a multimillion-dollar entity, beginning operations from home. The Mane Choice and its acclaimed shampoos, deep conditioners, and hair-growth vitamins passed $100 million in sales by 2019.
“There were not many brands that used natural ingredients and specialized in healthy hair growth at the same time,” Adeleye told Entrepreneur in a 2023 profile. “So, I started mixing my own products at home and infused them with vitamins, nutrients, and healthy ingredients.”
Like many successful founders, Adeleye decided to pursue an acquisition to secure new ownership and grow the business. That same year, she sold The Mane Choice to MAV Beauty Brands for $61.5 million, according to WWD.
However, Adeleye’s entrepreneurial spirit did not waver. She then began developing another brand that ties skincare and haircare together. Using the knowledge gained from her last venture, she created Watch & Sea Beauty. This brand, however, specializes in using plant- and ocean-based ingredients, staying true to her original business ethos of natural sourcing.
Now, Watch & Sea Beauty has formed its own wave. Its assortment of scalp cleansers and complexion serums has taken over shelves at CVS and Walmart. With her second brand stocked by the latter, Adeleye has a new claim to fame as a barrier-breaking entrepreneur.
On social media, she celebrated the feat, noting that it occurred during Women’s History Month. In the post, she showed off both her current and former haircare brands on Walmart shelves.
“For every moment I doubted whether I belonged in rooms that weren’t built for me. We just closed out Black History Month, and now we’re stepping into Women’s History Month, and I can’t think of a more powerful time to share this news. History isn’t just something we read about. We are OUT HERE MAKING IT,” she wrote in the caption.
Although she no longer owns The Mane Choice, she still remarked that two Black-women-founded brands are available for nationwide distribution through the commerce giant.
“Not only has it not been done by an African-American woman, but it’s also never been done by [an] African-American person ever,” she explained in the video.
Watch & Sea Beauty has also found additional distributors, with products available at Target and H.E.B. As she scales another successful launch, Adeleye is proving Black woman can have their own haircare and beauty empires.