How CEO Sandrine Sophie Is Redefining Clean Beauty with Kalia Nature
Photo courtesy of Sandrine Sophie
August 4, 2025
written by Yasmina Victor-Bihary
I discovered Kalia Nature while visiting my local beauty store –a little independent store in Enghien-les-Bains, a charming little city in the Paris area. It was winter of 2022 and my hair was dry, something I’ve often struggled with. I bought my first hibiscus solid bar shampoo and voila, it’s been a staple beauty item in my beauty cabinet since.
Little did I know, I would have the opportunity to have an up close and personal chat with its CEO Sandrine Sophine.
We chatted over a virtual coffee session on a sunny day. With birds chirping in the back, spring season showing up – I sat down with the beauty CEO and chatted about her experience, brand, take on beauty and other topics related to Caribbean womanhood.
Tell me about you: who is Sandrine Sophie outside of her role of CEO?
Sandrine Sophie, 49. I do love a good mocktail, I like to dance and to sing. You might like to know that I wanted to be an artist for starters. I was even part of a choir when I was younger!
How did you get started with Kalia Nature?
My daughter Neela was born prematurely. 2,86 lbs. 10’23. I had her when I was 30 and was attuned to health topics, clean ingredients and so on. I wanted to use the most quality products to take care of my daughter’s hair, especially as she was born more vulnerable. I couldn’t find any product that matched my expectations, so I started a DIY routine to take care of my girl’s hair, using plants from our Caribbean pharmacopoeia such as bay rum tree’s leaves, castor oil. I got inspired by my granny, Mamie Bernadette, who used to sell plants, secret sauces for women’s hair, on the market in Fort-de-France (editor’s note: the main city of Martinique). I adapted ingredients to make my own products.
I had an epiphany after visiting the U.S.! My path came across African American women while I was wandering the streets of New York with my husband. They touched my hair and asked about my routine and products I used for such results. They were impressed and enthusiastic. When we got back to France, my husband encouraged me to give it a shot.
It was in April 2014. We then got a spot in the Natural Hair Academy where we had great feedback about our products. We’ve been going strong since.
I’m truly proud that we are one of the few rare brands on the market to have our own internal R&D lab. That’s why we took time to make Kalia Nature evolve. This choice allows us to have total control and offer transparency, from the formulation to the final product.
If you were one Kalia Nature product, which one would it be and why?
I would be the 3-in-1 hibiscus cream: conditioner, mask and leave-in cream. I would be this one for various reasons. First, because of its multifunction aspect and for the fact it’s for all types of hair. Second, I got inspiration from my mom for the formulation. When she was a little girl, growing up in Martinique, she used hibiscus mucilage prepared by Mamie Bernadette. It was used for softening her hair, after the shampoo made with soap of Marseille, which left the hair dry. How efficient!
[Additional Read: Meet the Two Women Who Are Reclaiming Caribbean Tourism through The Caribbean Green Book]
Why did you choose the name Kalie Nature? Did you think of international expansion from the start? Kalia Nature sounds universal as it could be understood in English as well.
I never thought of it that way! “Kalia” is a variety of tailflower, well known and cultivated in Martinique, often nicknamed “the island of flowers.” Nature, because all our products are mostly made of natural ingredients, issued from our Creole gardens. Later, I fortuitously figured out another meaning for Kalia Nature.
We were at a fair in Paris. An Israeli client accosted me: “Do you know the real meaning of the word Kalia?” I started to explain to her what it means to me. She replied: “Well, it means head towards God. “Ka” means “God”, "Lia” means “move toward.” As a Catholic, it has made so much sense having chosen this name ever since. I stick, more than ever, to the famous adage “There is no coincidence, but appointments” or “Nothing happens by chance”.
Earlier Photos of Sandrine Sophie
You’re from Martinique but grew up in France. What was your experience like? How did your experience shape your French Caribbean identity?
I was born in Martinique and grew up there until I was 6. I left with my parents and headed out for a small village in France, in a department located in the suburbs of Paris. My parents passed on our Caribbean culture through food and music. But I got most of it when I went on holidays each year in July and August. I have great memories with my cousins and my grandparents. At the time, I barely had any awareness about my Caribbean identity, as we were the only Caribbean and Black people in the corner, where we used to live. I felt as if I didn't belong to where I was. Today, I love saying that I bring Caribbean culture wherever I’m at that moment.
How do you define the Caribbean woman? Which words come to mind when you think of the Caribbean women?
We have always been labeled as “potomitan,” a woman “pillar,” who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Poto Mitan” means to me “suffering.” Today, we describe Caribbean women as resilient. We are allowed to show our weakness and vulnerability. It’s okay to say “no,” and to allow ourselves to dream big.
I don’t talk about it a lot, but when I was 17, my mother and I were homeless. My father got into debt, lost everything and abandoned us. My aunt put us up. This setback taught me a lot about autonomy and financial education. It has influenced and shaped how I raise my daughters, who know the value of money. 95 % of my team is female. I recently organized a seminar around financial education and budget for my team, led by Maëva DERBY, from @monbudgetbento). It was not mandatory, but I like to say that I give the tools to people I work with, and they do what they need to do. We have a saying in Creole which is “sé grenn diri ka fè sak diri” (small streams make big rivers). This is my way of contributing to a shift for women.
Do you have role models? If so, who are they?
My mom. I have been watching her succeed with little means and with no degree. That said, growing up in the 80s in France, I didn’t have any Black role models around, in the media or so. That’s why today I teach my daughters to aspire to grow into becoming their own role model.
Childhood Photos of Sandrine Sophie
In 2022 you were diagnosed with cancer. What did you take away from this experience?
That’s right. I was diagnosed with cancer and what I learned is that there are no guarantees and nothing can be taken for granted. You may have a good and healthy lifestyle, and yet you can get sick overnight. I have learned to step back. I have learned to let go of my past, to let go of my baggage, full of stones.
I have learned to look truly around, to prioritize, to refocus the right way. I have learned to trust more, to dare more. I used to consider myself as (what one says in English) a “late bloomer.” I founded Kalia Nature at 40. I also spent 17 years working at L’Oréal group, as a management accountant. I finally see it as running my company with more maturity. It allows me to handle challenges way better than I would in my younger years. It allows me to persevere in the long run.
Would you like to share with us your best memories or anecdotes on your personal or professional path?
The cult film “La Haine” (“Hatred” released in the US as “Hate”) turned twenty years old this year. I got struck by this French social thriller by Matthieu Kassovitz, whose main subject was the suburbs of the Paris area. I took away a line which basically says: “The fall is not the hardest, it’s the landing off.”In one of the scenes, the main character must get off a building, with a single cord. And he says so each time he passes a floor. Landing is the hardest. In other words, “sé zyé ki crapon,” a Creole phrase I take from my aunt. Our eyes are cowards; hard work pays off.
What is next for Kalia Nature?
Two new products will be out in May. We recently signed a contract to expand with a large European distributor. Kalia Nature will be distributed in 139 stores in total of La Boutique du Coiffeur, with outlets in Luxembourg and Switzerland.
To learn more about Kalia Nature visit their website here.
