She Creates Beauty
Inspiring Founder Stories
Yanika Cordina
Meet Yanika Cordina, Founder of Cordina Hair and multiple IP owner of hair curling inventions: Flower Curl and Waver Bun. After being scouted online, she pitched the viral hair tools on national TV, Dragons’ Den and walked out with a deal. Her videos have since reached millions of organic views resulting in multiple sell outs.
Tell us about Cordina Hair in under 30 seconds?
Cordina Hair is an innovator in hair care. We innovate & create heatless hair styling solutions & hair care products for women who are on a journey to healthy, beautiful hair. With multiple patents & protected designs to our name, our hair curlers are unique & delicately handmade. We have grown our business organically and by word of mouth and our content has reached over 56 Million people of social media.
What is your USP?
Both our hair tools are so unique that earned multiple patents in the UK and internationally. The Flower Curl and Waver Bun can only be found on their own website and approved retailers like Counter Culture Store. When I created both hair tools, my goal was to address numerous pain points that I personally faced whenever I styled her hair. The hair tools have been designed to be worn comfortably day and night.
They are easy and quick to set and it allows the customer to roll in their sleep due to their unique design; freeing the sides of the face, back of the neck and ears. The Flower Curl creates beautiful long lasting curling results whilst the Waver Bun is a multipurpose hair tool that can be used to either prolong heatless curls or use instead of typical buns and ponytails without experiencing tightness at the roots whilst achieving heatless waves once remov
The Flower Curl gained over 36.4 million views on social media whilst the Waver Bun gained over 20M views.
Tell us a little about what you’ve done to ensure your products are sustainable?
Opting for plastic free packaging was very important to me. The hair tools are beautifully packaged in cardboard boxes and they are fully recyclable. We also continue to choose satin over silk which is a cruelty-free option and is a stronger material which enables the customer to use the hair tools time and time again. We also source a number of materials in the UK which is something we focused on from the start to bring our carbon footprint down.
So, what’s the “hero” product in your range?
Both of our hair tools are equally popular and when a customer purchases one, they tend to come back and order the other! However, there is something special about the Flower Curl due to its unique design and the way it is used. The Flower Curl gained over 36.4 million views on social media whilst the Waver Bun gained over 20M views.
Can you share a top tip for using the Flower Curl with us?
One of our most asked questions is whether to use the hair tools on dry, damp or wet hair. When using heatless hair tools I recommend to always start off with completely dry hair. Damp/wet hair can be very unpredictable and may not dry properly in heatless hair tools and the end result may be less manageable and more frizzy (due to water present in the hair). Therefore, I suggest you always start off with completely dry hair. For longer lasting curls, you can apply a little bit of water onto completely dry hair before wrapping. The hair shouldn’t feel wet or damp, a little bit goes a long way. This helps create more definition to the curls and also encourages longer lasting results.
Thinking more about the business side, what are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a female founder working to establish and grow your brand?
Challenges are inevitable for all entrepreneurs. The key is to acknowledge, embrace, and overcome them. The faster you can confront and solve a challenge, the better. However, as a female founder, juggling motherhood and running a business can be particularly difficult. This struggle was magnified when I unexpectedly became a single mother when my child was just a year old. Going through this experience made me realise the hardships that single parents face when trying to balance work and the high costs of childcare. One of my objectives is to raise awareness about the importance of female financial independence. It is crucial for women to have financial stability, be self-sufficient, and take control of their finances without relying on others.
Based on your journey, what advice would you give to other female founders or women thinking of starting their own business?
Being financially independent is one of the best decisions you could ever make for yourself. You don’t have to know it all either. Entrepreneurs learn as they go along. Be curious, don’t be afraid to ask questions and accept that challenges will always be part of your entrepreneurial journey. Enjoy the process.
And finally, what the vision for Cordina Hair?
This year we have launched in a number of retailers in the UK, including Counter Culture Store, and internationally with more exciting expansion plans planned internationally. Our vision is to develop more lines including cosmetics.
We are also passionate about nature as it is the bedrock of our existence & without it, our human race would struggle & not survive without it. As an environmentally conscious company, we have introduced the Flower BB Project (Flower, Bee & Butterfly). We want to help contribute towards natural pollination along with other environmental conscious projects.
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Sale!
Cordina Hair Flower Curl with Clips & Waver Bun Bundle
£52.45 – £58.96 -
Cordina Hair Satin Flower Curl® + Claw Clips
£35.00 – £42.00 -
Cordina Hair Waver Bun™
£22.00
