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Founder's Blog

Meet Jaye

"I’m on a mission to make people fall in love with their hair. "

My hair is my favorite thing about myself. It represents the strands of my DNA, tightly coiled into a mess of curls. My curls are the infinite ways I define myself: unexpected, defiant, and full of life. I admire how they take up space in my world, how they simultaneously protect me, and identify me.

I’ve always had ‘Hand-in-Hair Syndrome’, as my mother so aptly named it. I would always have my hand in my curls, braids or fresh press. The silky texture, the heartwarming fragrance, the fine yet solid feel of the strands between my fingers. It’s no wonder that wash day is my favorite day of the week. Once a week, I connect with my hair on a cellular level, cleansing and nourishing it, responding to its needs and celebrating it for what it is. It’s my precious moment of self-care.

"Am I the only one who spends hours stretching their curls simply to watch them spring back up? "

The true beauty of curly hair lies in the details: in its makeup and composition. In high school, I dreamed of one day being a chemist. I am fascinated by what the universe is made of. So it was only natural that during the pandemic, I began developing my own hair and body product recipes that I wanted to share with the world. Every Sunday of Spring 2020, my inner scientist emerged and transformed my compact kitchen into a hair product lab. During the week, I eagerly researched ingredients and jotted down formulations to test with Amara and Tyla on the weekends.

We carried out the Curly Community Survey to learn what kinds of products our audience needed most. Ultimately, we realized that people were actually overwhelmed with the product offerings and lacked the knowledge and resources to make educated purchases. So, we pivoted to provide curlies with the resources that they’re missing, supporting them through their journey rather than pushing them to buy another damn hair product.

My best friends and I created Radical Beauty Collective to hold space for the whole journey: no matter how beautiful or ugly it gets. We’re along for your ride.

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