Carina Chaz, the innovative founder of DedCool, created her first fragrance at 13 and already broke barriers with her genderless, vegan, and non-toxic scents by 21. She shares the whirlwind journey of her brand, from selling out 1,000 bottles to being featured at major retailers like Barneys and Sephora. Carina discusses her unique scent inspirations, including the influence of her upbringing and her favorite essential oils. She also dives into how fragrances can serve as a powerful means of self-expression, reflecting personal identity and challenges in the beauty industry.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Hustle Builds DedCool
Carina Chaz started DedCool at 21 by hustling and cold calling everyone she could.
Despite many hang-ups, she persisted and built her brand grassroots and bootstrapped.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Formulator’s Daughter’s Early Industry Dive
Carina grew up with a formulator for a mom in an organic, wellness-focused household.
She spent afterschool and summer days helping in a beauty product lab, gaining early immersion in the industry.
insights INSIGHT
Essential Oils Sparked Creation
Carina’s early fragrance experience was via essential oils, as traditional fragrances were not allowed.
Essential oils lacked the self-expression she wanted, which inspired her to create her own scent profiles.
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Carina created her first fragrance at 13 and launched her brand, DedCool, at 21. The first 1,000 bottles sold out instantly and before long, it was featured on the shelves of major retailers like Barneys and Sephora. DedCool’s scents challenge traditional norms, with a genderless, vegan, and non-toxic line that includes hits like Xtra Milk and Red Dakota.
In this episode, Carina sits down with Heather Hyatt, who runs social media at Scentbird. She takes us behind the scenes of DedCool, reveals the “secret sauce” found in all their fragrances, and explores how the brand is a reflection of her coming-of-age story.
Highlights: • A quick intro from Heather • Why Carina wasn’t allowed to experience traditional fragrance • Growing up as the daughter of a formulator • “I was stuck wearing essential oils” • Exploring nature and the power of plants • Feeling not quite a “girly girl” or “tom boy” • Is DedCool in the women’s or men’s department? • A Quick Guide to Carina’s Favorite Essential Oils • Carina didn’t love citrus… until she experienced this note • Collabs: Starface and Ouai • Starting DedCool at age 21 • Scent Spotlight: Xtra Milk, Madonna Lilly, Red Dakota, and Fragrance 01 “Taunt” • The “secret sauce” found in all DedCool fragrances • The first 1,000 bottles that sold out instantly • The scent to try when you’re not sure what to wear • True or false: DedCool uses water in fragrances • The fragrance that went viral on TikTok • The first fragrance Carina ever made • A fresh take on vanilla • Wearing fragrance to sleep? • Scent Connection: Coming of Age Edition • Creating a fragrance as a 13-year-old • The first Instagram “vibes” page • When Nasty Gal reached out • Why Carina connected so deeply with fragrance
Scent World 