ASU health student Mayson Heyninck knows what it’s like to feel ashamed of her natural curls. After going to predominantly white schools for years, she used to straighten her naturally curly hair to try and “fit in” with the crowd. But that changed when one of her high school friends encouraged her to start a natural hair journey in 2015.
“My hair journey was almost like a personal journey because I was able to find myself and be confident in who I was as a person,” Heyninck said.
After more encouragement from her friend, Heyninck decided to start her brightly-colored natural hair company Loopin’ Locs in July 2020.
Heyninck wanted other curly-haired girls to find confidence in themselves. She started to look into how to make hair products and as she was doing her research, she came across a Youtube channel called Curly Chemistry, which educates people about their natural hair.
“I wanted to create something that overall, in the long run, helps your hair grow, not necessarily in length but stronger and healthier,” Heyninck said. All of her products are vegan and naturally-derived with no sulfates, parabens, or wheat.
After researching the best ingredients and methods for curly hair, she found her specialty: The L.C.O Method: A technique that is commonly used by curly-haired girls in which you use a liquid or leave-in conditioner, cream product, and oil for maximum hydration.
“I knew a lot of curly-haired girls did it, but there was not a line specifically that did it all, so I was like ‘you know what, that’s going to be my unique thing, that’s gonna make me stand out,’” Heyninck said.
While running her business, Heyninck is also a full-time student. She is currently a junior majoring in health sciences and has recently applied to the Mayo Clinic Echocardiography program. Alongside this, she works as a nanny.
“It’s really busy, but also it’s a nice escape because I feel like even though I do have an interest in echocardiography, this is my passion,” Heyninck said. “I’m just so happy I took the leap to do it.”
Unlike other hair care companies on the market, Heyninck doesn’t have a huge production team to help her manufacture the products- it’s just her. But her grandmother has been a huge help to her with her entrepreneurial background.
“I learned if you want to get stuff done, do it yourself,” Heyninck said.
Sabriya Smith, a senior majoring in business communications, has been on her natural hair journey for six years. Smith said she had never tried a product that worked for her hair that uses only natural ingredients- until she tried Loopin’ Locs.
“[There are] no extra preservatives or chemicals, so I love them,” Smith said.
In the future, Heyninck plans to expand her line to include products for different hair types, including wavy and coily textures. She also wants to add curl-friendly hair accessories to her inventory.
“If I were to never have my curly hair journey, I would still be trying to be like someone I’m not, and I would definitely not be as confident as I am now, or as happy as I am now,” Heyninck said.
Loopin’ Locs products can be purchased on Heyninck’s website.
