Born and bred in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. Nicole Louw is one of the strong and phenomenal young woman who has started her own haircare brand named naturally Nirvana. Nicole grew up in one of the notorious side of the town named the Northern Areas in Gqeberha, where gang violence is rife up until this day.
When did you start with Nirvana Naturals and what made you choose to go for this product? And what makes your hair and skin care products stand out? “Naturally Nirvana was birthed in April 2021, but it has been on my mind for years. I think Covid was a wake-up call for me as I saw a need in the market to make eco-friendly haircare products, and I’m currently expanding into skincare as well. What makes my products stands out is the fact that I used plant-based ingredients sourced from my own garden”.
In starting, what were your challenges and how did you overcome them? “I faced so many challenges at the beginning, one of these challenges was using a friend who did the big chop to demonstrate how effective my products are, by doing ‘before and after’ pictures results, which she did but later on posted online as if someone else’s products made her hair healthy and long. How I handled this challenge was by setting up a standard NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Now I know as a business owner it’s important to protect yourself and your product”.
In your own experience, why do you think it is important for one to take care of their skin? And do your products accommodate males? “A healthy skin comes from within and from using the correct products, therefore it’s important to know your skin type. This also goes for hair as well, knowing your hair type is important too. And yes, both my skincare and haircare products are unisex as they tackle issues that are faced by both genders”.
What are your highlights as a business owner thus far? And what’s your next step in building the business? “My highlights are definitely being chosen earlier this year to be part of the Madiba Bay Mentorship program, I learned so much from my mentor Tham-Tham Uduojie and I used that knowledge as a ‘Seed Mentor at NMU’, and to be part of the Seed mentor program was also a high for me. And my other biggest highlights include winning R50 000 from Converse #CreateNext - where I pitched my eco-friendly business ideas, and being chosen to represent my university at regionals for The EDHE Pitch competition”.
When not working on Nirvana Naturals, what do you do to keep sane? “I love and enjoy taking walks, doing yoga because it calms me and keeps me sane”.