How does the saying go, "You don't realize what you have until it's gone"?

I didn't realize how fortunate I was to grow up in a major city with a prominent African-American population until moving away for college. It seems like practically every major street in my hometown is lined with beauty supply shops, stocked in abundance with hair weaves, conditioners, deep conditioners, gels, silk scarves, etc — all to look after and beautify Afro-textured hair. Going to Appalachian State University in Boone, NC as a black natural-haired girl for my undergraduate studies served as a wake-up call. Boone has a population of only 2.31% African-Americans. With relatively little demand for products or services for naturally curly hair, the only option was outdated s-curl activator products in the town’s local Walmart. This lead me to create my business, Curl Crush Box.

Curl Crush Box was created with a bigger purpose than just making quality products accessible. As a black woman, I know all too well the struggles of trying to maintain and care for my Afro-textured. Curl Crush Box encourages and teaches women and men to enjoy the natural characteristics of their kinky, curly, or wavy hair texture by providing encouragement, advice, and access to products, hairstyle tutorials, and much more.

Erika Afriyie
Owner & Founder