Founded by a husband and wife duo, CurlMix is the latest product for the DIY naturalista who enjoys the thrill and excitement of creating her own hair product.
We caught up with Kim, the co-founder of CurlMix to give us some background information about what to expect with this new subscription service. We also interviewed Dr. Maeling Murphy of NikkiMae2003, CurlMix’s first Brand Ambassador (“vlogger of the month””> to hear what she has to say about her experiences with CurlMix so far.
Please introduce yourself!
I’m Kim, Co-Founder of CurlMix, a subscription DIY box service where we send you all natural and organic ingredients for you to mix your own hair products in your kitchen. Tim and I have been married for 2 years and we’ve been in the natural hair game for about 5 years now. We also co-founded our first business, The Natural Hair Academy, a social network for naturals.
What was the inspiration behind Curl Mix?
Back in college I was the ultimate DIYer, and so I would go out to buy all these goodies and then mix my own hair products to share with my friends. After college, I couldn’t keep up with DIYing because it took too much time. Then I decided to go online to see if someone would send me the ingredients in a monthly subscription. When I didn’t find one, I thought that I should create one for other DIYers like myself, thus, CurlMix was born.
How does the subscription service work?
You have to get on the mailing list to be notified when CurlMix will be available for purchase that month. Once notified, you’ll be given a 24 hour window to put in your order for the month. The contents in the CurlMix changes every month as the recipes are curated and recommended by the Vlogger of The Month. Once you receive your mix, follow the directions on the letter inside the box. Then you mix, enjoy, and share your mix with a friend. We would love for subscribers to share what they made on social media, by using the hashtag #CurlMix.
Will a Newbie Natural be comfortable combining the ingredients by themselves?
CurlMix is for two types of people, 1. The person who wants to try out different recipes before buying up the whole grocery store & 2.The person who just doesn’t have the time to spend 1 hour researching, 2 hours shopping, and 1 hour mixing to make a product they aren’t sure about. With those two people in mind, we make mixing as easy as pie. We give you a ton of instruction and even a video demonstration from the vlogger of the month.
Can CurlMix replace traditional shampoos, conditioners, and stylers?
CurlMix is meant to provide you with enough product to determine if you like the DIY recipe. We make it possible for you to try unique recipes every month without the risk. If you like it enough, we would encourage you to go out and buy the items in bulk so that you can keep mixing your favorite products. In the long run, bulk is the cheaper option. CurlMix’s purpose is to eliminate the risk involved with going out on your own to mix products. We take out the guesswork and save you time. So in essence, yes the recipes can replace traditional products, but the monthly subscription is about experiencing something new.
Are all the ingredients natural (i.e plant-based”>? If not, are there any safety precautions that one has to take when whipping up their product?
The products are all natural and some will be organic. We have taken extra steps to ensure that there are no preservatives and chemicals in our mixes. For this reason, we decided not to partner with any company whose products contain preservatives or chemicals. I didn’t realize this before, but nearly all of them have one of the two, especially the big box brands.
Does CurlMix come with tools for combining the ingredients?
Other than major appliances, CurlMix comes with everything you need for mixing.
What is the typical shelf life of the ingredients and the final DIY product?
We recommend refrigerating all of the final products we mail to you. They are all natural ingredients, so I would say it lasts about 3 to 4 weeks when refrigerated.
Will the product be available to Naturals outside the United States?
We are currently working on this. As of now we are saying yes, but the subscriber will have to pay additional costs for shipping.
Where can future customers reach you if they have any question?
Check us out on social media, I am always on there @CurlMix on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. You can also email your questions to info@curlmix.com.
YouTuber Nikki Mae has partnered with CurlMix as a brand ambassador.
Watch her DIY honey lemon mud wash using CurlMix ingredients:
As a DIYer yourself, how does it feel to be the pioneering brand ambassador for Curl Mix?
I was quite honored when Kim reached out to me to ask if I would partner with CurlMix for their launch! As a DIYer, I was in love with the concept of providing natural hair & body care recipes along with all the ingredients to make the product at home! I really love making my own products and using all natural ingredients, so it was a perfect match for the Natural Chica platform.
What would you say sets Curl Mix apart from other subscription services in the Natural hair care niche?
The unique aspect of CurlMix is that they’re providing you with the instructions and all natural ingredients to make your own products. This box is also great for those who may have wanted to try and make their own products, but were hesitant because they weren’t sure what recipe to try and what ingredients to get. This saves them that hassle by providing a tested recipe and will definitely hit them with that DIY bug for even more projects!
What tips would you give to future customers of Curl Mix?
I would tell them to have fun with the process! The beauty of a DIY project is that you can really make it your own by tweaking things here and there in the recipe. Don’t be afraid to experiment and maybe even invite a friend over to join in on the fun! Also, if you’d like to see an example of a CurlMix DIY product, be sure to check out my video where I made a Honey Lemon Mud Mask!
Subscribe to her YouTube channel, visit her blog Natural Chica, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter
Want to subscribe to CurlMix? Visit www.curlmix.com to sign up to their mailing list–you don’t want to miss their September 1st product launch.