How This CPA-Turned-Beauty-Founder Is Helping Canadians Embrace Their Natural Hair (Win!)

Did you know that, even as of 2022, hairstyling schools in Ontario were not required to teach students how to care for natural, textured hair? A persistent lack of representation across Canadian schools, media, workplaces and retail beauty aisles has allowed issues of hair discrimination to increase and focus on the natural and crafted textures and styles that different people may wear. After her own lifelong struggle with natural hair, Montreal-based CPA Daphné Eastmond had grown tired of seeing members of her community, including herself, feel their hair was a weak link. She quit her job in 2020 and took the leap into entrepreneurship, working to develop the perfect product over the course of two years. By developing Frizz + Co.—her own product line for textured hair—she was able to learn to love her curls. We chatted with Daphné to learn more. —Noa Nichol 

What inspired you to transition from your career as a CPA to entrepreneurship, specifically focusing on developing products for textured hair?

In full transparency, I never really aspired to be an entrepreneur. My focus was always on getting a degree, working in audit and climbing the corporate ladder. However, there was a shift where I wanted more. I wasn’t feeling fully aligned with what I was doing and wanted to work on something that I felt a deeper connection to. The hair care space just made sense to me: I am a product junkie, I love trying new hair products and given my experience and my hair journey, the community I am a part of deserved better. I wanted to do better.

Can you share a bit about your personal journey with natural hair and how it influenced the creation of Frizz + Co.?

My relationship with my hair has been complex at best. I spent most of my hair journey trying to alter the nature of my hair, whether it be using wigs, weaves, or chemical relaxers. I would aspire to have straight, silky hair like it was advertised through every single ad or magazine. I would visit salons and stylists who knew absolutely nothing about my hair leading to a few traumatic experiences. Even today, BIPOC women are not a priority segment for most beauty brands, and I constantly felt left out of the hair space because they did not feature hair like mine. I spent most of my time desperately looking for the one product that I could proudly buy into, that was made for curls, and feature on my bathroom counter, but it just didn’t exist.

Enter Frizz + Co. We spent two years working with a chemist to formulate our hero product, the Repairing Hair Mask, with curly and textured hair in mind. Our focus was clean, powerhouse ingredients that would elevate your Wash Day. Frizz + Co. products are described as “elevating wash day with clean, all-natural hair care.” Could you delve into the research and development process behind creating these products and the importance of using ethically sourced ingredients?

I leaned on a chemist to help formulate the deep conditioner. I chose her because she had experience formulating products that are specifically catered to curls and texture. I sent her a brief of the product, how I

wanted it to perform, and ingredients to avoid (i.e.: parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, formaldehyde, etc). She sent over multiple directions with feature ingredients (i.e.: mango butter, Moringa butter, Coconut oil). Through our initial samples, I wanted to prioritize less mainstream ingredients (i.e.: Moringa vs Coconut). She created our testers and I then brought a group of women with different curl patterns to try it out. They were my informal support group. We held meetings on how their experience using the product was (i.e.: smell, feel/texture, slip, detangling, look/feel of the curls). With their feedback, we were able to adjust the product to the formula we have today.

I also believe there was a strong sense of sustainability when formulating the product, hence the choice of choosing ethically sourced ingredients when the option was available. The conditioning base is also biodegradable.

In your experience, what are some of the key challenges faced by communities with textured hair in accessing quality hair care products, and how does Frizz + Co. address these challenges?

BIPOC communities are generally not a focus segment of the beauty industry. Black women are misunderstood and underrepresented in the beauty industry and on retail shelves (or most products on retail shelves are not designed with texture hair in mind). Also, an increasing amount of studies are linking the rise of cancer cases in black women and the products they are using.

As mentioned, my goal with Frizz + Co. was for this community to be a priority in every decision we make: from formulation to branding, to communication and imagery. We believe that our community deserves the very best and we are here to give it to them. We want to raise the standard in the hair care industry when it comes to curls and texture.

Building community seems to be a significant aspect of your mission with Frizz + Co. How do you envision your products contributing to fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment among individuals with textured hair?

The products bridge a gap and address the needs of a market that is historically overlooked. They are the connector in the community we are building: we are looking for better alternatives to take care of our curls, most of us have a complex journey filled with trauma, deception, frustration and anger, we are learning to love our curls and show up as our best selves through this and the repairing hair mask is at the center of it all.

Win! A $150 Frizz & Co. Prize Pack!

Congrats Katie O. of Oakville, ON, who will receive a $150 Frizz & Co. Prize Pack designed to elevate your wash day ritual and turning it into a self-care ritual, including:

• The Repairing Hair Mask: for your best curls yet. Our product features a custom scent with hints of tonka bean and tobacco for day-one curls every day of the week.
• A candle with hints of tobacco: to set the tone for a cozy vibe;
• A robe: to be super comfortable while deep conditioning your curls;
• A silk pillowcase: to protect your curls between wash days.

To enter, head over to Instagram, follow @frizz.co and @vitadailymedia and make sure to fulfil all the entry rules in the caption of the corresponding contest post. Contest opens June 5, 2024 and closes June 12, 2024. Complete contest rules and regulations here. Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.