Hassanatu Bah, the founder of Natu Natural’s, was born in Guinea, West Africa. In 2017, she migrated to Australia, reuniting with her mother, who had fled her country due to the instability of civil war. In Australia, she completed high school as well as her HSC while eagerly pursuing her dreams. In 2020, she began creating her hair care products in her mum’s kitchen and Natu Natural’s was born.
What inspired you to start Natu Naturals?
The creation of Natu Natural’s was inspired by her grandmother, who taught her how to use natural home remedies to look after her hair. Growing up in Australia as an immigrant came with its challenges. She felt the need to fit in, and this came with the insecurity of her hair. She would use harsh chemicals to straighten her hair, which would lead to further hair damage. Then this would lead to the struggles of finding hair care products for her to counteract the damage.
“It is rare to find Australian-made products targeting minorities that want to look after their hair but avoid harsh chemicals”, says Hassanatu.
What is the meaning behind Natu Natural’s?
The brand Natu Natural’s is named after the ending of Hassanatu’s name, ‘Natu’, who happens to be named after her grandmother. The ‘Naturals’ is derived from her stance to keep things natural, whether that be ingredients or embracing your natural hair. She wanted to incorporate two things she loves and share them with all Australians.
What sparked the rebrand of Natu Natural’s?
Natu Natural’s recent rebrand was sparked by her need to continue evolving her products and brand. The products on offer at the first launch were hair cream and serum. This involved a mix of shea butter and various oils. She found this to be popular in the African community, however there was still room for improvement from customer feedback.
Through the customer feedback received some were not happy about the pricing, while others were not too phased. She also wanted to address the issue of her oil-based products being too oily and weighing down customers who had straight hair. She decided to introduce and innovate new products to the mix while considering a revamp of her brand.
“I took on the feedback about the pricing while focusing on creating a shampoo and conditioner that were of high quality, for all hair types and could be found on Chemist Warehouse shelves”, Hassanatu said.
Fast forward to 2022-2023, she began working with her existing manufacturer who she once only bought her products from. There she decided to add the shampoo and conditioner with more natural ingredients which targeted all hair types.
“I changed my products to be more water-based instead of oil-based, which aligned with the customer feedback I received. Those with straight hair found the previous formula to be too oily and wore their hair down,” Hassanatu explained.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that oil-based products are still beneficial to use, but it depends on the individual, as oil is needed in our hair. Whereas water-based products are more for hydration.
What are you proud of about the rebrand?
The inclusivity that Natu Natural’s brings to Australians is a key factor she is most proud of. The feedback provided by her new and existing customers has helped hone her vision to provide hair care for everyone. She focused on the things that she was good at instead of taking everything on herself. This allowed her to focus on her strengths and give the jobs to experts in their fields who can help her brand grow.
“I am proud of the inclusivity of my hair care brand, Natu Natural’s, which is made for all Australians regardless of hair type. I had a client who was going through chemotherapy and used my hair products, and it helped her hair grow. This is why I do what I do,” exclaimed Hassanatu
What is missing in Australia in terms of hair care?
The hair care industry in Australia is vast and offers a variety of brands for customers to choose from. However, Hassanatu believes there can be more done for hair care products to be more inclusive in a multicultural country.
“The representation of minority groups in terms of hair needs to be catered for. Products that are suitable for all Australians with varying hair types and available in Australia are important,” Hassanatu states.
What hair care trend, in your opinion, isn’t working?
“A hair care trend, in my opinion, when it comes to big brands, is the use of harsh chemicals. I do believe these brands are becoming more aware of this, but it is an ongoing issue. The chemicals often found in these products are sulphate, silicone, parabens, etc., which can still be good for some hair types but not all,” Hassanatu says.
Common mistakes people make in their hair care routine?
The hair care industry has an array of products and regimens for customers to follow and gain inspiration from. According to Hassanatu a common mistake when it comes to unbraiding your hair is to avoid combing it when it is dry. This causes more hair loss which can be prevented by adding moisture to your hair first then combing it.
Anything else you would like to share?
Natu Natural’s is an Australian brand and was created at a time Hassanatu struggled with accepting her own hair type when she immigrated to Australia. The products have more than 90% naturally derived ingredients with the addition of organic argan oil. It also helps promote hair growth with the benefits of turmeric, which helps your hair and skin. All products are water-based and made for all hair types.
“I want my products to be Australian-made and for all Australians” Hassanatu says.
Visit the Natu Natural’s website for all your hair care needs while supporting inclusivity!
Use code THANKYOUNN10 for 10% off online when you check out.