As a stylist, Inga Tritt had long had an interest in natural products. She felt there had to be a good, natural alternative to all the chemicals that were so commonplace in salons.
When her baby daughter developed a painful case of eczema, it inspired her to pursue her interest.
“I started trying a bunch of natural products on her and then it hit me,” Tritt recalls. “I thought, ‘We need a luxury, gourmet haircare and skin-care line for babies and children that really does what it says it will do without any questionable ingredients.”
With the time, money and passion to make her dream a reality — and the help of a research scientist and some smart chemists — she created The Original Little Sprout line of products four years ago. The line is the result of months spent formulating and reformulating products until she came up with exactly what she wanted.
The line, which includes variety of shampoos, conditioners, styling aids and body products, is free of sulfates and parabens. The products, which range in price from $10 to $28, are designed for all hair types, from the finest, straightest to the thickest and kinkiest.
Several of the products, including the Miracle Mousse, Leave-in Conditioner, Natural Hair Gel, Deep Conditioner and the Curl Calmer, are specifically designed for curly babies and kids.
“I see girls as little as 2 years old who tell me that their hair is wild and crazy,” Tritt says. “I remember thinking ‘What? Their hair is gorgeous! They just need the right products and they’ll love their hair.’ There’s nothing prettier than shiny, pretty curls.”
The Original Little Sprout is a natural extension for Tritt, who has spent her career working with hair. She opened her first hair salon in Santa Barbara, and then opened a second one in nearby Summerland.
Although she enjoyed the science and artistry of her work, she realized she wanted to be a mother. And she wanted to be able to be home with her baby.
“I told my husband, ‘Let’s sell everything,'” she says. “We made a lot of money and moved to San Luis Obispo.
While attending a music class with her baby daughter, Maya, she met her future business partner Cosenza Faber, who had moved to the Central California coast from Chicago. It was Faber’s twin curly daughters, Sophia and Ava, who inspired her to create curly products for the line.
Original Little Sprout products have amassed a loyal celebrity following, including customers such as Diane Lane, Courtney Cox, Cindy Crawford, Brooke Shields. Debra Messing and Angelina Jolie.
The curly products have been an especially big huge hit with both parents and kids who are thrilled to find natural products designed for curly kids.
“All day long, I see kids with hair that could just sparkle and shine with the right products,” Tritt says. “Kids deserve quality products just like we do.”
Little Sprout products are available in CurlMart.
