Kay Amoah launched her all-natural beauty brand Kiya Cosmetics months after having her third child last autumn. Building on her success, earlier this month, Kay added three new products to her thriving, new hair and skin brand.
While searching for products to improve her damaged post-pregnancy hair, Kay embarked on a quest, experimenting with natural ingredients to find the right products for her hair. At the time, she didn’t realise that she was taking the first steps on her entrepreneurial journey.
Just nine months after giving birth to her third child, Kay Amoah launched Kiya Cosmetics in September 2019. Kiya Cosmetics is a range of clean beauty products aimed at improving hair and skin naturally. Made up of high quality, natural ingredients, the brand’s ethos centres around skipping the use of unnecessary chemicals.
Speaking about how she got started, Kay said: “I’ve always had a passion for haircare, I big chopped (well, got my husband to shave my hair off) in 2017, and began my journey to learning to accept and care for my hair in its natural state.”
After her ‘Big Chop’, Kay began to research various products and ingredients to best care for her hair and skin.
After her ‘Big Chop’, Kay began to research various products and ingredients to best care for her hair and skin. After discovering how Shea Butter drastically improved the overall health and look of her hair when whipped with a variety of oils, she was quick to share her tips online with others, like her, who struggled to care for their dry, thick, type 4 hair.
However, her hair troubles were far from over. Four months after giving birth to her third child, Kay faced another hair care issue. “I lost my edges completely! They were gone. A few months after labour, a woman’s body goes through a ton of changes as the hormone levels try to regulate back to normal. This is when many women are faced with the issue of excessive shedding and hair loss. Having gone through this before however, I knew exactly what to do to restore them. I made a special blend of natural oils and Ayurvedic powders which is now my best-selling product; Kiya’s Hair Growth Oil. I used it on my edges every other day, and after 2/3 months they were completely restored! I then knew I needed to share these products with others who were facing the same issues as me but were unable to find solutions.”
Since launching, Kiya Cosmetics has quickly built up an online presence through social media, and is a regular at various trade shows and events. Despite the pressures of Covid-19, the brand has continued to see an increase in sales, with many happy customers raving about seeing improvements in their hair and skin after trying the products!
“It’s a really exciting time for Kiya Cosmetics, even with the difficulties surrounding Covid-19. I really appreciate everyone who has supported us and continued to shop with us, throughout the pandemic so far, it has really kept us going. This is just the beginning. I can’t wait to see where the next year takes us.”
There is a huge gap in the market for a brand like ours that is fresh, new, natural and that also caters heavily to women of colour.
Kay hopes to grow her brand to cater for most hair types. But she accepts that it won’t be an easy task. “I have three young children to run around after, but I believe it is possible. There is a huge gap in the market for a brand like ours that is fresh, new, natural and that also caters heavily to women of colour. As a Black, female, entrepreneur in London, it can sometimes feel as though there is a lot stacked up against me to fail, or not be as successful as others in this industry, however I am striving towards being a part of the change we’ve started to see in recent years.”
Kiya Cosmetics hair and skincare ranges includes Whipped Shea Butter in a variety of scents and Hair Growth Oil to a curl refreshing Hydrating Hair Mist and Shea Body Scrub. Earlier this month, they introduced three new skincare products to their line and are currently planning on adding at least two more hair care products before the end of the year!
Beauty retailers are slowly waking up to the huge demand from Black women to cater to their hair and skin types as more women are embracing their true and authentic selves. However, the reality is that women like Kay are building their own tables and showing that we can create our own brands, curated by women of colour who not only understand the needs of Black women, but are also able to meet their needs with quality and non-harmful solutions.
Visit Kiya Cosmetics website.
