Isn’t it beautiful when we accept things for what they are? There’s been a sea change when it comes to acceptance of oneself – from body positivity to skin positivity and even hair positivity! We’re talking about curly and wavy hair that’s finally been accepted and embraced in India. Not all curls are being straightened or blow-dried flat or chemically treated to be ‘tamed’, rather are being looked after with TLC and specific products to let them live their best life.
If you recall, it was not too long ago when anyone who dared to embrace their curls had to order expensive products online or track down specific stores selling ‘foreign’ brands or worse, wait for friends and family to travel abroad to bring back curly hair products. Thankfully, we don’t have to do any of this anymore. When it comes to curly and wavy hair and products for it, Indian hair care brands are going in all guns blazing to cater to this section. It is said ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ and interestingly, many brands’ founders launched their own brands after their personal experiences of dealing with curly hair and curly hair products, or lack thereof.
So, what’s led to this slew of curly hair brands launching in India and the change in mindset of accepting curls? We find out…
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The Era of Curls
Anshita Mehrotra, founder of Fix My Curls who set up the brand in 2019 and is a curl girl herself, feels that the change in mindset for Indians to accept their curly hair can be attributed to the availability of information about curly hair. “Earlier, many individuals did not have adequate knowledge about their hair and thought that curly hair was simply frizz that needed to be fixed. However, it is important to note that frizz is not a hair type, and it is essential to educate individuals about different hair types, which include weary, curly, straight, coily and kinky.”
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She shares that by providing representation and information through various platforms such as social media, websites, and YouTube channels, brands like Fix My Curls are making it easier for individuals to embrace their curls and learn how to take care of them. “As people become more informed about their hair, they become more inclined to take care of it, which is why there has been a shift in mindset among Indians towards accepting and embracing their curly hair.”
Yogesh Kumar, Creative Director of Bangalore-based Blown Salon attributes the shift in mindset to certain factors such as the increase in availability of products catering to this hair type, the buzz and awareness created by social media influencers and, believe it or not, the COVID-19 pandemic. He says, “During the pandemic, people didn’t have the liberty to walk into a salon to get their hair done by a professional. This urged women to research and look into natural remedies that they could easily make at home.” He adds, “In the last few years, social media influencers have also created a lot of awareness of the benefits of keeping your hair natural, without the use of heat, chemicals, and styling tools. Highlighting the effects of the above has resonated with the younger generation to maintain their hair with natural products and move towards sustainable energy while still keeping it stylish.”
Paras Sharma, Top Stylist, Jean-Claude Biguine Salons too feels, “In the aftermath of the pandemic, people are more mindful of the health of their hair and skin. The trend is to celebrate natural textures, and as a result, hair products and services are increasingly inclusive of all hair types.”
He shares that the recent popularity of curly hair trends is undeniable and highly sought after by clients. “As a hairstylist, it provides ample opportunity to create trendy and modern looks. Curly hair texture works on all kinds of looks and lengths be it bobs or longer hairstyles. Curly hair texture has also opened up newer creative avenues for hair colourists, where clients with curly hair are willing to try out colour trends especially highlights. Even a few highlights bring out beautiful results in curls!”
Interestingly, Jean-Claude Biguine Salons has collaborated with Indian curly hair brand Curlin to launch hair spa services dedicated to curls especially Indian curls. The international salon chain now even has curling champions, a dedicated stylist in each salon catering to curls. Each of these stylists gets intense training when it comes to working with curly hair. They also have CurlSocial, a unique curl haircare experience at JCB salons along with Curlin, for personalised consultations and product recommendations to styling and maintenance advice. So, the next time you’re at a JCB salon and need help with your curls, ask away!
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Let’s take a look at some of the Indian brands that are paving the way for curly hair in India:
Fix My Curls
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Seeing how the curly hair type severely lacked representation in the hair care industry, Anshita Mehrotra set to fix that by launching ‘Fix My Curls,’ a haircare range specially catered to curly and wavy hair back in 2019. Fix My Curls aims to change the notion that curly hair is ‘unruly, frizzy or untameable’, and plays on the word Fix as a clapback to the industry. Today, this haircare brand is helping people embrace their natural hair texture instead of ‘treating’ them with heat, or other damaging treatments. The brand offers a wide range of products for curly hair including shampoos, Deep Conditioner, Curl Quenching Hair Butter, Curl Quenching Hair Gelly, Leave-in Cream, and more!
Curlvana
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Launched in May 2022, Curlvana by Anveya Living prides itself on being a glycerine-free curl care range and aims to provide comprehensive and simplified solutions for curly-haired people. Vivek Singh, CEO & Co-founder, Anveya Living says, “It’s not easy being a curly-haired person in India – the aversion to anything other than straight strands, the various misconceptions about curly hair & the lack of quality solutions are just a few roadblocks. When my wife Divya wrote a book, ‘I Hate My Curls’, which draws from her life experiences as a young curl-head troubled with her curly hair, I knew it was time to do something about it.” To encourage curly hair folk to begin their curl care journey with confidence, the brand even launched a ‘Crazy About Curls’ offer – inviting everyone to get their first curly hair product free of cost!
Curlin
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Founded in 2021 by Sumit Karranji, Curlin was launched with the aim of bringing out the fun that can be experienced by every curly and wavy-haired individual. Their range of haircare solutions is clinically proven to detangle curls and includes everything from shampoos and conditioners to leave-in creams, masks, scalp tonics and more. Some of these can be tried at JCB Salons as part of the CurlSocial experience, as mentioned above.
Curl Up
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Wife and husband duo, Ahalya Ram and Mithun Chakkaravarthy decided to leave their stable jobs in the US to launch Curl Up, a haircare brand catering to curly hair. The products are made of botanical ingredients and are 100% sulfate, paraben and silicones free, and sourced from USA, UK, Sweden, Japan and Brazil. The Curl Up collection consists of a shampoo, conditioner, curl-defining cream, ultra-defining hair gel, curl-nourishing hair oil and an intense hydrating hair mask.
Iluvia’s Repair Reviver System for Wavy & Curls Care
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iluvia’s Curl Care System is specially designed to enhance and maintain the natural texture of waves, curls, and coils without weighing them down with heavy waxes commonly found in traditional leave-in products. The formula incorporates bioferments of tomato and rice to provide extra softness and shine. It has a three-step curly hair care routine designed to naturally enhance the retention of waves, curls, and coils – the Repair Reviver shampoo and mask, and a Hair Protection Serum that together provides 360° protection and frizz control.
True Frog
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Homegrown vegan, cruelty-free brand True Frog was incepted in early 2020 by Sarika Gawande, Subrata Nag and Mangesh Gawande to bring out the best of nature and science when it comes to hair & skin. The brand promises everything is made with ethically derived ingredients and sensitively processed extracts, are non-toxic and free of all harmful chemicals. Headquartered in Bangalore and with a pan-India market presence, True Frog also launched a range of products catering to curly and wavy hair including a shampoo with flax seeds and beetroot extract, a deep conditioning mask, curl-defining cream, volumising mousse, and styling gel.
Arata
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Another popular Indian haircare brand, Arata focuses on creating solution-oriented, functional formulas. They have a dedicated Advanced Curl Care range for all-season curl definition and moisture retention which includes a hair gel, shampoos, leave-in and rinse-off conditioners, detangling spray, curl care cream, mask, hair oil and more.
BBlunt
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Founded by celebrity hairstylist Adhuna Bhabani, and now part of Honasa Consumer portfolio – the company that also owns Mama Earth, Bblunt offers customers a range of curly hair products enriched with coconut water & jojoba oil. This includes a shampoo, conditioner, leave-in cream and hair oil. Bblunt products can be experienced at their salons pan-India and purchased in-store and online as well.
Enjoyed reading this? Then click here to read more about maintaining your natural curls.
