Made in America Matters: Why We Formulate, Fill, and Package Aliis Right Here at Home

When you're searching for American-made beauty products, you'll find a lot of vague claims. "Distributed in the USA." "Designed in America." But finding beauty brands that are truly manufactured in America, from formulation through packaging? That's rare.

We thought we knew our story. Chattanooga manufacturing, plant-based formulas, family business at heart. It's who we are, and we're proud of it.

But Beauty New York reminded us why it matters.

Standing in our booth at the Oculus in New York City, talking to hundreds of beauty enthusiasts over two days, we kept hearing the same response when we mentioned where Aliis comes from: "Wait, this is made here? Like, formulated AND manufactured in the United States?"

And then the follow-up: "That's so rare."

They're right. It is rare. In an industry dominated by overseas manufacturing, complex supply chains, and vague "distributed in the USA" claims, we're doing something different. Aliis products are US made goods through and through. We chose this path because when you care about what goes into your products, you need to be there for every step. It costs more and takes more effort, but it's the only way we know how to do this right.

Beauty New York didn't teach us that being Made in America matters. We already knew. But talking to people who care deeply about beauty products reminded us why we chose this path in the first place.

So, Why Chattanooga?

Aliis is based in Maryland, where our marketing and operations team works. But our products are made in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where our family is. Where our formulator, Jamie, has been perfecting plant-based hair care for 40 years. We can walk into the facility and see exactly how our products are made.

When we talk about being a family business, we mean it literally. This started with family, it's manufactured by people we trust like family, and it's grown because we treat our customers like family.

At Beauty New York, we were talking directly to the people who would use our products. When they asked where Aliis comes from, we told them the truth: "My aunt and uncle's company in Chattanooga. Our formulator is right over there. He's been doing this for 40 years, and he's so careful about ingredients that he won't even eat sushi because he knows too much about what can go wrong."

That authenticity resonated. People could tell this was real.

What "Made in USA" Means for Aliis

Formulated in the USA

This is where it starts. Our formulator doesn't work from a template. He's not taking an existing formula and tweaking it. 

Every Aliis product is created from scratch with specific goals: 

• Healthy scalp
• Plant-based ingredients
• Effective results

When we say formulated in the USA, we mean Jamie is in Tennessee, testing ingredients, adjusting ratios, and perfecting formulas until they're exactly right. We're creating something new from the ground up.

Manufactured in the USA

Once a formula is perfected, it's manufactured right there. Same facility, same team, same standards.

This means:

• We know exactly what's going into every bottle
• We can adjust production based on what's working (and what needs improvement)
• Quality control happens in real time with people we know
• If something's not right, we catch it immediately

At Beauty New York, people asked us, "So it's not just made in China and then distributed from a US warehouse?" We could tell them: No. The full process happens here.

That distinction matters more than we realized.

Packaged in the USA

The bottles, the pumps, and the labels are all sourced and assembled domestically.

Fun fact we told people at Beauty New York: We labeled the products ourselves. Not as a cute marketing story, but because that's what happened in the early days.

Maybe we could have saved money outsourcing packaging to another country. But then we'd lose control over one more step in the process. And control matters when you're building something you're proud of.

Distributed in the USA

From our facility to your door, it's all handled domestically. Shorter supply chains, faster shipping, less environmental impact.

This also means when something sells out (and our Dry Shampoo has a habit of doing that), we can restock quickly instead of waiting weeks for an overseas shipment.

Quality Control at Every Step

When formulation, manufacturing, and packaging all happen in one place, quality control becomes simpler.

We're coordinating everything in one location with people we know and trust. We know what's going out to customers because we're involved in every stage.

At Beauty New York, people were fascinated by this. They'd ask about specific ingredients (Ashwagandha, Baobab, Bergamot) and we could tell them exactly why those ingredients were chosen, how they work together, and what Jamie was trying to achieve with the formula.

That level of detail comes from being deeply involved in every step of production.

Transparency You Can Trust

"Plant-based" has become a buzzword. Everyone claims it. Few brands can back it up.

When we say Aliis is plant-based, we can explain what that means ingredient by ingredient. Because it's made in a facility we can visit. Because we're involved in the entire process.

At Beauty New York, educated beauty enthusiasts would hear "no parabens, no sulfates" and kind of hand-wave it like "yeah, yeah, I know." They were clued in. They'd done their research. They were careful about what they bought.

But when we talked about Ashwagandha being in our shampoo? That got their attention. When we explained that Jamie won't eat certain foods because he knows too much about what can go wrong with ingredients? They leaned in.

That level of transparency only works when you're involved in every step. You can't be transparent about a process you're not part of.

Supporting Local: The People Behind Aliis

Made in America isn't just about us. It's about the American workers who manufacture our products. The suppliers who provide our ingredients and packaging. The communities that benefit when we choose domestic production.

When we succeed, they succeed. That matters to us.

You can't fake that kind of passion. And you can't manufacture it when you're disconnected from the process.

Speed to Innovation: Responding to What You Need

Here's an advantage of domestic production that nobody talks about: speed.

When someone at Beauty New York asked, "Do you have a leave-in conditioner?" or "What about a curl cream?" we could have that conversation with Jamie right away. We could talk about it, test it, and potentially bring it to market in a reasonable timeframe.

The Sea Salt Spray that debuted at Beauty New York? That happened because we could innovate quickly. We identified a gap in our lineup, Jamie formulated something special (Big Sea Kelp hydration, Dead Sea salt for texture), and we were able to launch it at a major event.

Domestic production means we can respond to what you need, not just what we planned two years ago.

No Mystery Ingredients: Plant-Based Formulas You Can Pronounce

Every ingredient in Aliis products is there for a reason:

• Ashwagandha and Gotu Kola: Nature's stress relievers for your scalp
• Baobab Oil: The Tree of Life ingredient that repairs damage
• Bergamot: Mood-boosting, scalp-balancing, and that signature scent people recognize
• Coconut, Moringa, and Buriti Oils: Next-level hydration that penetrates deeply
• Turmeric and Ginger: Scalp-soothing superstars

These are carefully selected plant-based ingredients that were chosen specifically because they work.

Supporting Beauty Products That Are Made in America

With Aliis, you’re getting a brand where every bottle is formulated, manufactured, packaged, and distributed right here in America. 

If that sounds like a story you’d like to be a part of, we’re happy to have you be a part of it. You can browse our lineup of products here, find us on Facebook or Instagram, follow our TikTok here, and say hi here.