In North Carolina, a local entrepreneur has developed synthetic hair made from natural materials.
Ciara May tells bizjournals her company, Rebundle, was founded in 2019 to replace the synthetic hair extensions commonly used by black women for braiding with a biodegradable alternative that does not contain irritants or toxic chemicals.
“Last summer I experienced severe scalp irritation while wearing my hair in braid extensions. I was scratching my scalp uncontrollably and was so uncomfortable,” she says. “Though I had dealt with this sort of irritation many times before, I had finally had enough. I knew that other women had similar experiences, but I did some heavy research to quantify it.”
May plans on launching pre-sales in December and begin shipping to customers early next year.
“I think for the majority of the summer I was really focused on and concerned about getting it right,” she adds. “Now that we’re positioning to launch, I have all this anxiety wanting to make sure this is great and people love it. I have to make sure we deliver on the brand.”
The company will also recycle used hair and braids.