By Mrinal Gokhale
Wendi Levy and Kim Etheredge are two biracial women who faced the struggle of finding the right products for their curls for many years, but today they help others facing the same problem.
Today, their $10 million dollar hair care line, Mixed Chicks, is popular amongst multiracial women with straight to slightly wavy to tightly curled hair all across the country. They will soon be honored at the Action Icon Awards on October 16, 2016 for their hard work.
“Mixed Chicks has 25 SKUs in shampoos, conditioners, styling products, cosmetics and accessories,” Levy said. These women did not always know they’d become publicly recognized for developing hair care. The opportunity came by chance a few years ago, when the two discovered they needed an effective curling product for their “combination” hair.
“There were no products back then for our blended hair texture because most products were made specifically for ethnicity rather than texture,” Etheredge said.
Etheredge felt their leave in conditioner was the most popular item among their customers. With the main ingredient being safflower seed oil, Etheredge and Levy described the texture as lightweight and nonsticky for those who wanted to detangle and moisturize their hair.
“People we knew gave us compliments and asked what we do for our curls. We then started handing out samples of the ‘concoction,” Levy said.
The combination of natural ingredients used on the twins’ hair earned many compliments from friends and family who requested product samples, said Etheredge. They eventually took their business to the next level. Etheredge recalled that Mixed Chicks was developed in 2003, and by April 2004, products were listed on their website.
“One day, Kim and I went to the mall and in every few stores, someone asked us what we used on our curls. We then knew the demand for products that embrace curls was huge,” Levy said.
Today, the hair care line is found in stores such as Target, Walmart, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Bed Bath & Beyond, grocery stores, salons as well as beauty supply retailers.
Contrary to what some may believe, women aren’t the only ones who can use Mixed Chicks hair products.
“Because we’re a multiracial line, a plethora of men, women and children from all ethnicities and walks of life benefit from our products,” said Levy.
Most recently, the twins were featured on ABCs “She Talks” program. The Action Icon Award honors their support of Diamond in the Raw Foundation, which benefits female teenage foster children and at-risk youth this Oct. 16.