At just 15 years old, Hamilton High School student Zoya Siddiqui has already accomplished something many adults only dream of: launching her own business.
Siddiqui is the founder of Kinetic Curls, a hair care brand designed to help teens with curly and textured hair achieve healthy, defined curls without spending hours on complicated routines.
The idea grew out of her own experiences. As the only person with curly hair in her family, Siddiqui often struggled to find products and routines that worked for her. Growing up alongside two older sisters and a younger brother who all have straight hair, she said she sometimes wished her hair looked like theirs.
“I learned to appreciate my curls,” Siddiqui says. “And I wanted to be able to share the ability to appreciate your curls in the same way that I learned to do with other people.”
As she got older and began watching curly hair content online, she noticed another problem. Many routines required numerous products and lengthy styling sessions. For busy teenagers, she felt there had to be a simpler solution.
The idea first took shape when Siddiqui was in eighth grade. Last summer, she began researching ingredients, surveying friends about their hair care experiences, and working with a cosmetic chemist to develop a formula. Each weekend, she tested adjustments to the product in her kitchen, tracking results in spreadsheets while balancing schoolwork and extracurricular activities.
After months of testing, Siddiqui launched Kinetic Curls in March.
The brand’s first product is a curl cream designed to moisturize, hydrate, and define curls while providing a light hold. Made in small batches, it includes ingredients such as sweet almond oil and aloe vera juice, and is intended to simplify styling for curly-haired users.
Today, Siddiqui continues to make and ship orders herself while growing the brand through social media and partnerships within the curly hair community.
Kinetic Curls products are currently available online through the company’s website, with additional products planned for the future.
What began as one teenager’s search for a simpler curl routine has evolved into a growing business aimed at helping others embrace their natural hair. And for Siddiqui, this is only the beginning.