Polyethylene Glycol, Parabens, Sulfates, Formaldehyde, Triclosan and synthetic fragrances: This is only a sampling of the chemicals that you’ll find in hair care products. Kim Lewis is a label reader, and she wasn’t going to use products that not only could seriously damage her hair and scalp but are also known carcinogens and disruptors to the body’s developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune systems.
Kim wanted only safe, pure products on her curly hair, so she concocted her own products with natural and organic ingredients. She then wanted to make it easier for other women to make their own products via a subscription service that she named CurlMix. She had a great idea and the drive and knowledge to start her own business, but where to get the money? Always the consummate problem solver, Kim signed her husband, Tim, up to be a contestant on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Like always, he did his part, winning $100,000.
Kim and Tim had been a team for a long time. They were high school sweethearts and went on to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign together, Kim for logistics and marketing and Tim for economics and psychology. After graduation, Kim went right into the corporate world and felt like she was suffocating. Her inner entrepreneur yearned to be free. Tim went to Starbucks while he searched for his career path and crammed for “Millionaire.”
The subscription service was successful, but more and more, her customers wanted ready-made products. Kim accommodated them. Today, CurlMix is a handmade, vegan, organic hair care line that features the Wash + Go System, a four-step process that will leave curly to kinky hair soft, defined, moisturized, shiny, frizz free and delightfully fragrant.
Step 1 is an Aloe Vera Shampoo that gently cleanses hair without stripping it. The same healing properties that make aloe vera so good for the skin work on the hair as well.
Step 2 is a Grape Seed Oil Conditioner with ultimate slip (the quality that makes hair easier to detangle). This conditioner penetrates each strand of hair to protect and strengthen it from the inside out and prevent breakage and split ends.
Step 3 is the Avocado Moisturizer with Organic Argan Oil that nourishes and hydrates. Avocado contains oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins A, B, C and E. Argan oil softens and strengthens dry, brittle hair so that it can grow long and healthy.
Step 4 is the Flaxseed Gel for styling. It leaves hair moist and manageable and aids in hair growth. (Guys, that means your hair also!) Flaxseed is a natural remedy for thinning hair, facilitates hair growth and heals the scalp.
All products come in the most splendiferous yet subtle scents: lavender, vanilla berry, watermelon, lemon and rose. Fragrance free is also available.
CurlMix is also popular with people who have sun-damaged, heat-damaged or very dry wavy hair and people whose hair knots or tangles easily.
Kim and Tim realize that not everyone can fund a business with game show bonanzas, so they pay their good fortune forward by donating a portion of their proceeds to women-owned businesses.
