If you have wavy, curly, or coily hair, you know the daily struggle of managing your hair and finding products to help.
University of University of Utah students Kristina Guzman, Haylie Heale, and Anila Jonnavithula believe they have the solution.
As freshmen, they started developing a business and a product line with help from the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. After five semesters in the Company Launch program, four Get Seeded grant rounds, and one Opportunity Quest business-model competition in three years, Kurl Up officially launched in March 2022, selling their hair oil through their website, local farmers’ markets, and student-run marketplaces at the university.
Kurl Up uses ingredients from each member’s cultural background to serve and represent every hair type. “Anila uses amla oil from her family in India to strengthen it. Haylie uses kukui nut oil from the Polynesian Islands, which locks in moisture. I use Brazil nut oil to combat frizz,” Guzman explained.
“My family and I are from South America where curly hair is more common,” Guzman added. “We’re used to extreme humidity causing frizz so we put Brazil nut oil in our blend, which has a lot of benefits for tight curls by naturally conditioning hair and adding great shine.”
Heale said, “My family and I are from the Pacific Islands of Hawaii and Samoa. In both of these places, curly hair is the norm. We added kukui nut, an ingredient native to the Hawaiian islands since it provides a great benefit for curly hair, locking in moisture.”
“My family and I are from South India,” Jonnavithula said. “We use amla oil almost daily to strengthen our hair since it’s so high in protein. It’s also great for taming frizz in India’s humid climate and adding shine.”
Hair oils are extremely versatile. They can be massaged into the scalp to promote faster, healthy hair growth. They can be used in hot oil treatments to protect and nourish dry, brittle hair. They can be used to soften your hair and provide vitamins and minerals that get stripped from frequent washing. They’re great for boosting moisture and shine by adding it to your tresses before walking out the door. Hair oils are the secret hack to elevating your look with just a few drops.
Kurl Up is planning future products that will incorporate ingredients from cultures from all over the world, and their products are handmade, vegan, cruelty-free, and fair trade.
Learn more about Kurl Up at kurlupusa.com.
