Founder Notes No. 1
Why I Started CIRRA
There comes a point when you stop asking, “Why doesn't someone make this?” and start asking, “What if I did?”
For me, that question came after years of living with curly hair.
Like many women, my relationship with my curls has changed over time. What worked in my twenties didn't work in my forties, and by my fifties I realised something surprising: the products available for curly hair rarely seemed to acknowledge that curls change as we do.
They became harder to manage, more fragile, less predictable. Yet almost every conversation in the industry was still centred around defining curls, adding moisture or chasing perfect ringlets.
I wasn't looking for perfection.
I was looking for resilience.
For products that helped my curls feel healthier, softer and easier to care for, without making me feel as though I was trying to recreate the hair I had thirty years ago.
After spending twenty-nine years in retail, I understood how powerful great brands can be. The very best don't simply sell products; they earn trust by understanding the people they serve.
I realised there was an opportunity to create something I wished had existed.
Not another curly hair brand.
A brand created specifically for mature curls.
That was the beginning of CIRRA.
Today, CIRRA is still being built. There are formulation meetings, packaging decisions, supplier calls and countless moments where progress feels slower than I'd like. But every decision is guided by the same principle:
Create products worthy of the women they'll serve.
My hope is that CIRRA becomes more than a collection of bottles on a bathroom shelf.
I hope it becomes a trusted source of knowledge, encouragement and beautifully designed products that help women feel confident in their curls at every stage of life.
Thank you for following the journey.
We're only just getting started.
Rachel Thompson
Founder, CIRRA
Progress report
This Month at CIRRA
- Investor presentation completed
- UK Startups application submitted
- Website launched
- Product development continues with our formulation partner
- More educational content coming soon
