- After dyeing her hair, Leshme de Bruyn turned to natural remedies.
- Single moms now create hair care products at home.
- She plans to develop more products and expand her business in the future.
Leshme de Bruyn from Leonsdale, Cape Town turned her hair ailments into a growing hair care business.
In 2021, a 33-year-old single mom started making her own hair care products after a terrible experience that turned her hair purple and gray when she dyed it blonde.
“My hair started falling out. It was so thin that I could see my scalp,” she said.
De Bruyn worked out a formula with different ingredients to prevent further damage to her hair. After using the homemade serum for four weeks, her hair looked healthier. This was her “Ahaha!” for a moment.
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“Why not make your own product and see how your family and friends react,” she said.
The former clerk was well received, mass production began, and “Miss L – Embrace My Roots” was born.
Since then, De Bruyn has developed several products to add to her line.
The range includes shampoos, conditioners, hair serums, hair growth oils, beard oils and beard cleansers.
“I make hair growth oils and hair treatments in my kitchen. The treatments consist of coconut oil and other essential oils that need to be heated before cooling and bottling,” she explained.
Leshme de Bruin
News24 Bertram Margus
De Bruyn manages the entire production line, from cooking ingredients to bottling the product and adding label designs.
Her mother tried to help her by putting labels on the bottles, but that wasn’t her norm and she quickly took over.
Passionate entrepreneurs sell their products as combos and have a national following.
“There are also people from nearby towns such as Bredasdorp and Tulbagh. We have also received orders from the Johannesburg area. We also have the first order from Namibia,” she said excitedly.
Most of her clients are neighbors from the community of Leonsdale on the Elsies River. Residents supported her small business and encouraged her to continue.
“I got messages from people in the area saying they respected what I was doing,” De Brien said.
She is proud to be doing something good in this crime and mob-ravaged area, and hopes to soon expand her business and hire residents to support her.
