Verte Beauty brings hair smoothies to Hamilton
Hair smoothie business provides an at-home hair spa experience
C/O @verte_beauty
By: Michelle Li, Contributor
When Yousra Yousif was young, her hair was damaged by its exposure to chemical straightening treatments. She searched for a product that would make her hair healthy once again without product build-up, but her efforts were to no avail.
As a result, she turned to her African-Arabian roots of using natural hair remedies and developed her own formulas. After sharing her creations with friends, they encouraged her to start her own business. In July 2020, Yousif opened her online hair smoothie shop, Verte Beauty.
Yousif’s hair smoothies are made from a blend of her special hair mask mixtures and fresh Canadian fruits and vegetables. She uses smoothie-inspired ingredients such as carrots, arugula leaves, coconut milk, avocados, pumpkin and cinnamon.
As the product is fresh, it has to be kept in the refrigerator. This novel concept has made her business stand out from others.
“So the idea of you having a hair mask that needs to be kept in the refrigerator is a whole new thing here in Hamilton . . . I believe all of us now got used to the idea of having natural skincare products and natural, for example, face masks. But when it comes to the hair . . . the familiar idea around is just the normal home remedies that need to be done on the spot, at the same time and that's it. With our lifestyle that could be a little bit exhausting and hard to commit with. So having this combination and the whole concept is what makes us unique,” said Yousif.
At $13 for an 8 oz container, Yousif has worked to ensure that her products are affordable. However, customers have told her that it feels like they are using a more expensive product.
“[W]e wanted to ensure that having a healthy, natural product within your beauty regime should never be an expensive or complicated matter. And we made sure to . . . provide our product with a very reasonable price that's accessible and easily purchased for everyone including students, without the need of worrying [about] how will I be able to commit for a long run,” said Yousif.
Yousif’s hair smoothies can be used to treat a variety of hair concerns, from hair loss to itchy scalp and dryness.
“No matter what's your hair type, no matter what treatments you've done to your hair. No matter how old you are, especially because our product suits even toddlers. So definitely healthier hair, that's what we're looking for,” said Yousif.
As Yousif started her business in the midst of the pandemic, she decided to open an online shop. However, opening a physical shop is a possibility she is considering for the future. She also hopes to get her hair smoothies into hair spas and retail stores.
Since launching Verte Beauty, Yousif’s customers have raved about how the smell of the product reminds them of being at a lavish spa. From the product’s luxurious smell to its results, her customers have been satisfied with the product. With Verte Beauty bringing innovative ideas to the table, its future looks bright.