How In Haircare and Ma Coiffeuse Afro are transforming textured hair care in France

Two founders are radically changing that right now.

In France, millions of people live with kinky, curly or tightly textured hair, yet for years they were all but absent from the cosmetics aisle. Out of this long-standing gap, a founding duo built a brand that is now seen as a benchmark for natural care for textured hair - and it is shaking up the market well beyond the community it started with.

How frustration turned into a business idea

When Rebecca Cathline went looking for suitable hair products in 2015, she found what felt like an empty shelf. While shampoos and care ranges for straight hair were available in endless options, there were hardly any professional choices for Afro-textured, kinky or very curly hair.

With roots in Guadeloupe and Côte d’Ivoire, Rebecca knew the everyday reality: parched ends, breakage, and salon visits that could be painful. Rather than accept it, she leaned on the most obvious resource she had - her entrepreneurial drive.

Together with her partner, Didier Derozin, she first created a digital solution: the Ma Coiffeuse Afro app. It enabled clients to book hairdressers who genuinely understand Afro hair, curls and kinky textures - including professionals who could come to people’s homes.

"A personal hair problem first became a community - and later, a care brand of its own."

The app quickly revealed just how large the need was. People with textured hair weren’t only searching for skilled stylists; they also wanted products that honoured their natural pattern.

From an app to their own haircare brand: In Haircare

Over time, community feedback crystallised into a clearer ambition: haircare that anyone can use at home without spending hours decoding ingredient lists or sacrificing quality.

In 2020 - right in the middle of the Covid lockdown - the duo took the next step. Salons were shut, people were spending more time in the bathroom, trying new routines and questioning old beauty rules. For Rebecca and Didier, it was the ideal moment to launch In Haircare.

Their promise was straightforward: natural, high-performing products designed to reduce breakage, encourage growth, and respect both scalp health and hair texture. No greenwashing and no guesswork - the work was grounded in laboratory results.

A lab-led approach, not a kitchen experiment

To bring that promise to life, they partnered with a specialist cosmetics laboratory in France. Working alongside the research team, they refined formulas, tested prototypes and kept iterating until “good enough” wasn’t on the table.

• 100% natural ingredients
• vegan and cruelty-free
• made in France
• focused on hair growth and strengthening the fibre

One key focus was food supplements aimed at supporting healthy hair growth. Capsules and treatment programmes were intended to act from within, while oils, serums and care treatments would support the hair from the outside.

"The idea: haircare not only from the outside, but as a holistic ritual for scalp, hair and self-image."

When haircare helps restore confidence

Many customers contact the brand with variations of the same story: hair shedding after pregnancy, thinning caused by workplace stress, or patchiness following illness and treatment. In situations like these, it isn’t just about appearance - it is about identity.

When you love your curls, bald spots can make you feel exposed very quickly. Rebecca points to that exact moment as fuel for her work: people should be able to like what they see in the mirror again.

That is why In Haircare’s products are designed around three core concerns:

• breakage caused by dry, overworked ends
• slowed growth or increased hair loss
• an irritated, dry or neglected scalp

By tackling these points, the brand aims to deliver more than simply “nice hair”. It touches on self-love, representation, and the freedom to stop hiding natural texture.

Inspiration: women with textured hair

In Haircare does not position itself as a faceless corporate label. It presents itself as something built from the community, for the community. Ideas for new launches often come directly from conversations with customers - via social media comments, at events, or through shared experiences.

Rebecca has received multiple accolades for this approach, including an award for digital beauty and recognition as one of France’s influential “Digital Women”. The commercial footprint reflects that momentum too: the brand is now stocked by chains such as Nocibé, Mademoiselle Bio and Blissim, as well as in pharmacies and hair salons.

"What began as a niche project for Afro hair is now appearing on the shelves of major beauty chains."

Rebecca and Didier’s aim is to keep expanding nationally and, over the long term, take the brand to other countries. The lack of product variety for textured hair is not a France-only issue.

Why textured hair needs different care

To understand the brand’s thinking, it helps to revisit the basics. Textured hair - from a loose wave to a tight coil - comes with needs that differ from straight hair:

• The natural bends make it harder for sebum to travel from the scalp to the ends, so lengths dry out faster.
• Kinky or tightly curled hair can break more easily when it is subjected to heavy mechanical stress or harsh treatment.
• Many people with Afro hair wear protective styles (braids, twists, weaves), which require thoughtful care beneath and between styles.

High-alcohol formulas, aggressive surfactants or heavy silicones often perform worse here. Instead, supportive ingredients tend to include plant oils, proteins, vitamins and gentle cleansing bases.

What consumers can take from In Haircare’s success

The brand’s rise highlights, first, just how large the market for specialised care really is. Second, it clarifies what people with textured hair can look for when shopping - even if they choose other brands.

Key points for a practical checklist:

• Read the ingredients: ideally short, clear lists without harsh sulphates and drying alcohols.
• Combine inner and outer care: a balanced diet, supplements only when needed, plus suitable oils, serums and masks.
• Be patient: hair growth takes time, and visible results usually appear only after several weeks of consistent use.

If you are dealing with hair loss, seek medical advice for severe or sudden changes. Haircare products can help, but they cannot replace a diagnosis where hormonal or illness-related causes are involved.

Textured hair in German-speaking countries

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, pressure is also growing on the cosmetics industry to reflect diversity not just in adverts, but in product ranges. More specialist salons, online communities and start-ups are filling gaps that established brands ignored for years.

In Haircare’s story makes one thing clear: when real needs are sidelined for a long time, there is room for new business ideas - especially when founders combine lived experience, community knowledge and scientific development.

For customers with curls, coils and kinks, that means fewer “stopgap” solutions. Anyone who wants to care for their natural texture can increasingly find products and brands made for exactly that - and perhaps soon, more often on shelves across German-speaking retail than has been the case so far.

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