BEAUTY BRANDS TO KNOW: UHAI HAIR PRODUCTS
UHAI HAIR
Susan Edwards is the founder of Uhai Hair, a line of versatile haircare products infused with high quality African ingredients such as superfood baobab, coconut oil and shea butter to revive the hair and scalp. After living in both Kenya and Liberia for 8 years, Susan was able to perfect a multitude of formulas to help solve common haircare problems like dry scalp. Uhai Hair is now available globally in Liberia, Kenya, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, and the U.S.
SHEER: Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you're from.
SUSAN EDWARDS: I was born and raised on Chicago’s south side and am the youngest of seven siblings. I studied chemical engineering at Stanford and actually worked at a pharmaceutical manufacturer before going to business school and shifting towards investing and advising small businesses. Working with small businesses really fueled my passion for entrepreneurship and I decided to take the leap several years ago and enter the hair care industry.
SHEER: What is the origin of your brand name Uhai and how did the brand come to life?
SE: Uhai means life in Swahili. I chose the name Uhai because I want our products to revive and bring new life to your hair.
I created Uhai for several reasons. First, I have battled flaking since college and many of the shampoos recommended by my dermatologists have always dried out my hair. Second, many family and friends were suffering from dry hair and severe hair breakage and loss. I wanted to create a brand that generated actual results for women experiencing these issues.
It took me two years to launch – from analyzing and determining our target market, testing product formulations, finalizing packaging and manufacturing the final product. It was all very grueling, but I am proud of the collection we created and the global brand that Uhai has become.
SHEER: What made you decide to make the move to Kenya and Liberia and how did you adjust to the change?
SE: I met my fiancé in business school and after we graduated, he moved to Nairobi to work for the World Bank. I joined him there a year later and we got married. I LOVED living in Kenya. Nairobi has everything to offer and in two hours, you can be on a wild game drive (safari) or relaxing on the coast. The major adjustment for me was not being near family but we developed close relationships with friends who’ve become our family.
After four years in Nairobi, my husband – who is Liberian – wanted to move back to Liberia to manage his family’s healthcare business full time so we made that move in 2015. That transition was more difficult. The country was still grappling with the after-effects of the Ebola health crisis. The cost of living was much higher – there was no consistent electricity so we relied heavily on generators and since many goods were imported into the country, they were often 2x to 3x the price you would find in the United States. But we were close to family and my daughters loved going to the beach nearly every weekend.
SHEER: How do you select the ingredients in Uhai products and where do you primarily source from?
SE: Our mission is to celebrate the continent and its powerful botanics, so we’ve infused baobab – Africa’s superfood – in all of our products. We source our baobab from Togo and we also use high quality ingredients such as coconut oil and shea butter. For our manufacturing, we use a Black-owned facility in the Chicago area – which ensures our community benefits economically.
SHEER: What are your most popular products currently and what are their most effective qualities?
SE: Without a doubt, our most popular products are our Scalp Serum and Oil Blend. Our Scalp Serum is truly effective in moisturizing a dry scalp to reduce flaking and also soothing itchiness and irritation. It is formulated with aloe vera juice and baobab, tea tree and rosemary oil and has been featured in The Zoe Report.
Uhai Scalp Serum
Our Oil Blend was recently awarded an Allure Best of Beauty Award and is made with soybean, grape seed, olive, baobab, rosemary and tea tree oil. It has a refreshing, light scent so every customer loves to apply to both their hair and skin. Another amazing feature is that it is non-greasy, which many women want so that there isn’t product buildup on their hair or dreadlocks.
Uhai Oil Blend, $12.99
SHEER: What are some hair care myths and mistakes you see a lot of women making with their natural hair that your products are helping to debunk?
SE: I think many women are looking for a quick solution to their hair troubles. But we have to treat our hair like any wellness journey. When it comes to our bodies, we invest in treating it right by eating healthy, getting proper sleep and exercising and we know that the results will not be immediate.
The same applies to our hair. We need to invest in treating it right – cleansing and conditioning regularly, moisturizing daily and not wearing any styles that pull and damage the hair strands - and giving our hair and scalp time to adjust to the changes we are making in our regimen.
Uhai Styling Cream, $11.99
SHEER: What challenges did you face as a black woman starting her own global business in the beauty industry? What advice do you have for other women looking to embark on the same entrepreneurial journey?
SE: I think funding is a critical challenge many Black women face in starting their global business. I had savings from my years in the corporate world that I used to get started and I have utilized family and friends for seed investments. But I am lucky. Not everyone can call on those early supporters for financing. For women starting their businesses, I recommend that if they can, work full-time while getting their business off the ground so that they have a steady income and can build up some savings. Also, invest in creating a sound business plan that you can pitch to your network and VCs. Even if you don’t get financial support after pitching your business, always ask for a recommendation on who you should speak with because there will be someone who believes in your vision.
SHEER: Where would you like to see Uhai in the future?
SE: My vision is to make Uhai a staple of healthy hair regimens globally. Long term, I would love to build a consumer goods company that not only includes Uhai, but other emerging skin care, beauty and wellness brands that are developed by women of color.