Richualist was founded by Dawn Myers, a entrepreneur driven by a mission to empower women of color and address their unique hair care needs. The company’s flagship product, The Mint, is an innovative hair tool designed specifically for curly and coily hair textures, ranging from 3A to 4C.
As a young law student, Myers made the life-changing decision to embrace her natural hair texture, cutting off her processed, relaxed, and damaged hair. This experience ignited a passion within her to create products that would make it easier for all women of color to feel beautiful and confident in their own skin.
Recognizing the challenges and inconveniences faced by many consumers with highly textured hair, Myers embarked on a mission to engineer new technology that would streamline the styling process. The Mint is the result of her efforts, offering an all-in-one solution that detangles, warms, and conditions curl creams and gels, allowing for styling with just one stroke.
The Mint boasts several groundbreaking features that set it apart. It utilizes patented technology to gently warm liquid hair products between 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, promoting deeper product penetration and improving moisture retention, especially for low porosity hair types. This “healthy heat” approach also stretches the product, reducing the amount needed during styling.
One of the key benefits of The Mint is its ability to decrease shrinkage, a common concern for those with highly textured hair. By effortlessly stretching curls while infusing them with nourishing warmth, the tool helps achieve beautifully elongated styles.
The Mint is designed to cut detangling and styling time in half, thanks to its innovative interchangeable bristles tailored to different hair types. This not only saves time but also reduces shedding and breakage by up to 70%, promoting healthy hair density.
The Mint’s compact, TSA-friendly design makes it a versatile tool for styling on-the-go, ensuring that users can maintain their natural hair wherever their travels take them. The tool also includes a variety of attachments engineered to achieve highly defined, voluminous, or frizz-free styles, catering to individual preferences and styling goals.
To bring her vision to life, Myers made significant personal sacrifices, including selling her home to fund early prototypes and liquidating her 401(k) retirement savings to afford payroll. Her perseverance and belief in her mission paid off when she received $1 million in funding in 2022, allowing her to complete the engineering and manufacturing of The Mint.
Through partnerships and strategic investments, Myers has been able to sustain her vision of bridging the hair care gap for Black women. Richualist’s products are a testament to the company’s commitment to innovation and its focus on catering to the nuanced needs of women of color.
