The haircare industry worldwide has long underserved individuals with afro and curly hair textures. But these brilliant brands, from Zeit Care to Holy Curls, are looking to change things in the Nordics
Recent years have seen the global beauty market become more diversified than ever. But that doesn’t mean there aren't still gaps. The haircare industry worldwide has long underserved individuals with afro and curly hair textures, for example. Oftentimes, consumers with natural hair types depend solely on BIPOC brands for their targeted haircare needs, as traditional brands offer little to no diversity in their product lineups.
This is certainly the case in the Nordic hair scene, where curly hair care products are all too often a scarce commodity. But there are some excellent brands who do cater to the needs of wavy, curly and afro hair textures, and below we've highlighted six BIPOC-owned brands from across Scandinavia doing exactly that.
Sumilayi
Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, founder Hendrina Nsumbu created her curly hair-focused haircare brand, Sumilayi after seeing a gap in the market for natural hair types in Finland. Launched in 2017, the brand has built an extensive collection of fully vegan and cruelty-free products, with an ingredient list that is usually around 98 per cent naturally derived.
I Love Natural Hair
Launched in 2011, I Love Natural Hair is a multi-brand shop and advice platform that caters to the needs of those with curly hair in Denmark. CEO Carriene Rendbo, who hails from London, created the website and marketplace after growing her natural hair out when she relocated to Copenhagen. Rendbo's issues with finding useful information about transitioning natural hair out along with the general lack of curly hair products in Denmark made it clear that change was needed. Her website currently carries international curly hair products along with her own in-house items such as her I Love Natural Hair silk hair bonnet and silk pillow case.
Zeit Care
Co-founders and friends Amne Ali and Najat Abbas used their Moroccan heritage as the inspiration for haircare label Zeit Care. As it’s customary to use oils in one’s hair in Moroccan culture, the two crafted a selection of fine hair oils that can work for all hair types and specifically those with a curl pattern.
Holy Curls
Raised in Sweden and now based in London, Badria Ahmed founded Holy Curls with the idea of being bold and embracing one’s natural hair, something she herself struggled with growing up as a black Muslim girl in Sweden. Holy Curl's focused selection consists of five products: a shampoo, conditioner, gel, cream, and curl mask that can be used on a variety of curly types.
Rapunzel Coils
Established in 2020, Rapunzel Coils is a Swedish curl-inclusive haircare line created shortly after founder Cindy had her daughter and wanted to find a way to take care of her little girl's hair without using harsh chemicals. Through several months of researching different natural ingredients, she was able to craft a line that is is cruelty-free and 100 per cent organic.
Ceremonia
Babba C. Rivera, founder of Ceremonia, uses her Latinx heritage as a major influence for her popular clean haircare line, which recently became the first Latinx brand to be sold at Sephora. Raised in Sweden to immigrant Chilean parents, Rivera was inspired to create the brand after noticing the lack of Latinx representation in the beauty world. With her label, she hopes to showcase traditional Latin American beauty rituals and help Latinx beauty consumers feel more seen.