We sent our beauty writer Rachel McAlley to interview the entrepreneur and all round healthy curly hair phenomenon Rose Ovensehi from the brand Flora & Curl about her company and the ethos behind it.

Q. Rose, can you give the House of Coco readers an insight as to who you are, when you launched Flora & Curl, why you went down the route of making products for curly hair, and where you feel the business is heading?

A. I launched Flora & Curl in 2017 after launching a healthy haircare blog in 2015, to help women on a mission to transition into healthier and natural lifestyles. I felt that there were fewer options for women who choose to avoid harsh ingredients such as sulphates, silicones, mineral oil, artificial fragrancing and harsh colours in beauty isles. To solve this, I formulated the range with the focus on moisture and hydration for all curl types (which was the main concern for a lot of my blog followers). We have customers around the world, and are looking at expanding globally, including into the USA market this year to spread the word about Flora & Curl Haircare.

Q. You have a company philosophy to only use plant based products at Flora & Curl, is this because you have always been interested in using natural products on your own hair, or did it come about after researching what was best for the hair?

A. It was a mixture of both. I already had a passion for creating my own haircare products and in doing this, I had to do lots of research to find out the best raw natural ingredients that would work best. But I also believe in the power of botanical ingredients with therapeutic and moisturising properties. For example, Rose water smells amazing, and is a hair loving botanical that stabilises hair’s pH level and soothes the scalp. It is a natural conditioner. My products are infused with botanical ingredients containing such amazing, therapeutic benefits.

Q. How hands on are you with making the products yourself, and how long does it take from the initial thought process to get things off the ground, and into the final packaged product?

A. I formulate the products myself and make sure that each formula goes through a sampler and testing process to get feedback from friends, existing customers, bloggers and influencers. This will enable me to refine the formula to make sure it is ready enough to go through to packaging and final launch. It can take around 2-3 months or longer due to our testing process, as we test not only the results but also the packaging and naming. I love listening to my customers and being open to them informing the process of new product development.

Q. Do you have a favourite haircare product of yours that you live by, and how often do you use it?

A. My favourite product is the Flower Garden Hair Butter. I use it daily to add shine to my hair, lock in moisture and deep condition with a shower cap. It smells therapeutic, and gives dry brittle tresses so much health, shine and vibrancy.

Q. Which is your best selling haircare product from the Flora & Curl collection, and why do you think that it sells more than any of the others in the collection?

A. Our current best seller is our Jasmine Oasis Hair Mist, and behind it our Rose & Honey Milk Leave-in. Textured, curly hair is naturally dry and requires moisture and people are always on the lookout for effective solutions. Our customers love the effect of our botanical hair mist.

Q. Do you have any recent product launches that you want to shout about, and what is next to be released from Flora & Curl?

A. We are not currently looking into new product development, but later in the year we will be looking into expanding the range to including more styling and conditioning products.

Huge thanks to Rose for taking the time to answer our #GirlBossesofGreatBritain Q&A session.

A little about Flora & Curl:
Flora & Curl create natural, non-toxic products for textured hair. Designed to care for frizz, curls, kinks, afros and wiry waves, all products are 100% natural, 100% plant based, sulphate, silicone, paraben and alcohol free – there are no nasties here. Using high quality, potent botanical extracts, plant butters, herbs, clays, natural essential oils, fruit extracts and restorative and active ingredients, each product is designed to restore the hair and scalps natural balance. Flora & Curl is a sustainable brand. All products meet the European Union Directive for Cosmetic Safety, ingredients are sourced from British suppliers, products are cruelty free and made in the UK to help reduce carbon footprint and they use eco-friendly materials. Bottles and packaging are made from recyclable PET and labels are made from recycled paper.

Search online for more information about Flora & Curl.

Author

A veteran in global travel, Rachel also loves to explore hidden gems on home turf. She’s a writing connoisseur of Britain’s best hotels, luxury beauty products, and UK food and drink launches.

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