Renée was born in Los Angeles, California. She later moved to the small town of Truckee, California just outside Lake Tahoe. She spent her summers in Los Angeles and became fascinated with the fashion industry at a very young age. As soon as she turned 18, Renée packed her bags and headed back down to L.A. to pursue a career in fashion.

After a few years in the fashion industry, her interests quickly shifted to cosmetics. She worked for several industry-leading cosmetic and perfume companies before becoming the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the famed Philip B. During her tenure at Philip B., Renée gained extensive laboratory and marketing research experience. She also developed a keen understanding of the natural hair care business at a time when the concept of all-natural cosmetics was in its infancy. 

After a few years at Philip B., Renée adopted a chocolate Cocker Spaniel puppy, Avo. She found herself  purchasing every pet product known to man but could never find a pet shampoo that did not come with a warning label that read, “Harmful to Humans and Domestic Animals” or that simply did not work. She began researching dog shampoo products only to find that the ingredients listed were often not in the shampoos. Her research also led to her find that pH levels in dogs and cats were similar to humans. These findings, along with her natural hair care experience, led her to discover that essential oils and plant extracts were more beneficial for pets than humans—the combination of Tea Tree and Lavender oils was an excellent natural repellent for fleas, itchy skin and hot spots for animals while the same combination provided moisture, intense shine, and treated oily scalps for humans.