Disrupting The Curly Status Quo
By Kelly Kovac For Beauty Matter
CurlyCoilyTresses®️ founder Angela Fields has set out to disrupt the textured hair space with innovative, clean, fragrance-free formulas. BeautyMatter spoke to Angela about the identification of the white space and developing a brand and products to fill the void.
What was the opportunity you saw in the marketplace that compelled you to launch a brand?
Almost 20% of the general population is sensitized to at least one allergen, and studies find that fragrance is one of the most frequently identified substances causing allergic reactions. Fragrance allergy affects 2-11% of the general population. This translates to tens of millions of people affected by fragrance ingredients. Women are disproportionately impacted by fragrance allergies, and the rates in children have been rising dramatically in the last few decades.
A whopping 96% of shampoos, 98% of conditioners, and 97% of hair styling products contain fragrance, according to Secret Scents from Women’s Voices For The Earth!
More than 80% of women with curly and coily hair say they purchase products specifically for textured hair rather than general market products, according to the 2018 Texture Trends Report From NaturallyCurly.
An estimated 65% of the USA population has textured hair, which includes those with curly, coily, or wavy hair, with a growing percentage of textured-haired women embracing their natural hair. More than half of textured-haired consumers buy hair products at least once per month and more than one-third of curly and coily consumers purchase hair products at least twice a month. Indeed, women with textured hair are more likely to seek or avoid specific ingredients in their haircare products than are straight-haired or chemically relaxed shoppers.
Less than 20% of the haircare shelf space at most food, drug, and mass retailers is dedicated to products for texture, according to Lisa Brown, president of Lolique, a multicultural retail consulting firm. Textured-haired consumers spend considerably more than their straight-haired counterparts — an average of $205 a year, versus $130 a year, according to the 2018 Texture Trends Report. Among all curl types, curly consumers spend the most, $247 per year. That’s 78% more than their straight-haired counterparts!
CurlyCoilyTresses®️ seeks to disrupt the beauty industry status quo by offering innovative, clean, fragrance-free, and effective textured hair care options!
What was your vision for the brand and the plans for the business when you launched?
Our Unique Benefits:
For dry, frizzy or undefined natural hair.
All natural, signature blend of moisturizers and humectants replenish and revitalize. For all natural hair styles.
Locks in moisture and cuts styling time by half. Avoids itchy scalps and annoying reactions. Touchably soft, defined natural curls. Clean formulas never tested on animals.
Hassle-free satisfaction guarantee.
What is the formulation philosophy behind your product?
CurlyCoilyTresses®️ creates nontoxic formulations that are ageless and genderless and made without ingredients we deem unsafe including fragrances, essential oils, masking agents, harsh preservatives, drying alcohols, non-water soluble silicones, dyes, sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS) / sodium laureth sulfates (SLES), and unnecessary chemicals. All ingredients used by CurlyCoilyTresses®️ must provide a direct benefit to product effectiveness and be safe.
What is your distribution strategy for the brand?
B2C (business to consumer) is our core distribution strategy.
Would you share how you’ve funded the business to date?
Primarily, personal funds have funded the business.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about launching a beauty brand?
Identify a support network. Be creative and open to pivoting. Get comfortable stepping outside your comfort zone.
What’s your vision for the future of the brand?
We'll continue scaling our B2C sales until our targets are met, and then start our B2B (business to business) strategy.
What excites you about the future of the beauty/wellness industry?
Indie Beauty Brands (brands at least 51% owned by an individual) are unique, nimble enough to pivot quickly, agile enough to re-launch quickly and unique enough to capitalize on white spaces in unmatched ways.