The Interview: Lizzie Carter founder of Only Curls on leaving fashion and embracing curls

Lizzie Carter launched Only Curls in 2019 after being inspired by curly hair brands in the US. The brand is on a mission to encourage people with curls of all textures to ditch chemicals and start loving their natural curls. Only Curls understands how fragile curly hair can be and how important it is to care for it properly. All of its products are packed with natural nourishing ingredients that penetrate and hydrate the hair, bringing curls back to life.

Carter’s background is in Fashion Design. She designed women’s underwear, pyjamas and swimwear for a variety of brands during her 10 year career including Nordstrom and ASOS. “Going into the beauty industry was definitely a pivot but I’ve been able to put my product development and branding experience to good use,” she says.

Carter’s hair journey is what inspired her to launch the brand. At the age of 29, she started to embrace her curls after years of straightening her hair. While looking for suitable products, she realised that she couldn’t find anything that would cater to her hair’s specific needs. To add, hairdressers didn’t make things any easier. “All they wanted to do was a sleek blowout. They didn’t want to diffuse my curls and that was when I realised curly haired girls had been forgotten about,” she says.

Only Curls was started as a bit of an experiment, according to Carter. She started by launching the Curly Hair Towel (which the brand still sells today). This involved producing a sample run of towels, photographing them and setting up a website. She also gifted the towel to influencers and in time, improved on and built the brand and its product offering. “I did the best I could with the small budget I had. It was only when the business grew that I was able to expand the product range, build a better website and work on branding,” she adds.

As an experienced designer, Carter was used to looking for gaps in the market, but it was a shopping trip that provided the ‘a-ha’ moment she needed to launch Only Curls. “I remembered someone in the US telling me about a special towel they used for their curls. When I couldn’t find one here, Only Curls was born. When the brand first launched, it targeted adults with curly hair although it has recently expanded its customer base with the launch of a children’s range called ‘Little Curls’.

When the brand launched, it had one goal in mind - to encourage people to embrace their curls, so it’s no wonder the brand was well received by customers. Customers are (and continue to be) at the heart of everything Only Curls does. “To put our customers first, I knew we needed to offer endless support and advice on how they could look after their curls. The response from customers has been great. They appreciate our brand and our story and have been so supportive,” Carter says.

The Starter Pack is the brand’s bestseller. It contains all the products that are needed to embrace curls and have a great wash day including the All Curl Cleanser, All Curl Conditioner, Hydrating Curl Creme and Enhancing Curl Gel. “Once customers have tried The Starter Pack, they come back for the full-sized bottles. The mousse has been really popular – it has sold out four times since we launched it last year. So many people are using it as a quick and easy way to refresh their curls as overstretched curls are a common frustration for those with curly hair,” Carter says.

Only Curls’ latest launch is Little Curls. Little Curls is a range specifically developed for children who are six months-plus. Carter tells us that the range is dermatologically tested and 98% natural. “We wanted to create a range that would help parents and kids understand how to look after their curls. We hope that it will prevent the next generation of children from turning to hair straighteners,” she says.

To make hair care effective and accessible for all, the brand’s ranges are suitable for all curl types (from loose waves to tight coils). Its ultimate goal is to help people embrace their natural curls, which is the reason why it offers support to customers regardless of whether they purchase a product or not. It also puts a lot of effort into marketing and packaging. “We want people to feel excited about their curls – from the moment they visit our website to the emails they receive when they purchase our products and of course, when their products arrive at their front door,” Carter says.

As for her thoughts on the hair industry, Carter believes it is becoming more saturated. “You don’t have to be a huge conglomerate to start your own brand and because of this, there will be more competition. We realise that being in the hair care space isn’t just about having a great product, we have to be ahead and clever with our strategies in order to be seen and attract new customers,” she says.

Carter’s advice for anyone who wants to get into the hair industry would be to make sure they have identified a gap in the market before taking the next step. “Launching with accessories first was great for us because it kept our budget low in the beginning, then we knew we had an audience ready and waiting for our hair care line. So what does the future hold for Only Curls? Since launching, they have only focused on the UK market, but they are currently looking into international expansion.

For more information about Only Curls, please visit its website.