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Claudine Manyozo Lifestyle Reporter

A generation of entrepreneurs might just be upon Zimbabwe, with many young women already having side projects by the time they start at university.

Males too are in the game, but not as aggressive as their female counterparts.

Some of the areas these young females are venturing into include makeup artistry, buying and selling clothes, beauty products and even groceries.

Ivy Rumbidzayi Murove is one such young lady who has a business mind and adds a professional touch to her project.

Every young adult wishes they could host a big party and enjoy on their 21st birthday, but this was not the case for Ivy.

On the occasion of her 21st birthday, she launched a line of hair products named “Touch ‘n’ Nourish”.

The range has five different products whose name for each is derived from the flavour and scent.

In the company of her equally young friends, Ivy hosted a classy dinner to celebrate both her 21st birthday and the birth of her business venture.

“I have sweet cherry shampoo which is specially formulated to repair damaged hair, prevent hair loss, get rid of dandruff, maintain hair silkiness and smoothness and restore shine and lustre,” says the eloquent young lady.

“Then I have sweet cherry conditioner which is designed to keep hair soft, reduce tangling, prevent breakage, retain moisture and reduce freeze.

“Next, I have sweet cherry oil treatment which was blended to increase blood circulation in the scalp, help with dandruff relief, increase hair strength, reduce hair and scalp dryness and to deal with split ends.

“Hair growth and thickness supplement contains essential oils such as coconut and castor, but in addition has jojoba and again oils which we know work wonders. With this oil you can say goodbye to dandruff, an itchy and dry scalp and bacterial or fungicidal infections. And lastly we have Neptune Hair Food which promotes hair growth, nourishes the scalp and moisturise hair.”

Ivy added that Touch ‘n’ Nourish products contain essential oils meant to take care of all hair types. From moisturising to rejuvenating brittle hair while promoting growth.

But it is her decision to go into business at such a young age that is intriguing.

Ivy says she looked at new trends in the fashion and beauty landscape and coming up with a business idea was easy after that.

“I decided to get into this line of business because most women are focusing on natural beauty and are now inclined towards natural hair. As a way of complimenting this appreciation of natural hair, I decided to launch this new kid on the block for both men and women,” she said.

Ivy says she is not satisfied yet and is looking into expanding the brand over and beyond a typical wash day’s products.

This will include styling gels, edge control, scalp relief oil and many other products.

To start an adventure at such a young age, one needs supportive adults around them.

For Ivy, that guidance and support came from her parents.

“My parents have taught me to always pursue my passion,” she said.

“I wish to thank them for guiding and encouraging me to do this, not to forget the rest of the family and my amazing friends.

“Special mention to my partner Miss Ethel Tanyaradzwa Nyamadzawo for being part of this adventure. We have made quite impressive progress but at the moment all our profits will be reinvested for the expansion of the brand. All in all, the business is profitable.”

Throughout the interview with Saturday Herald Lifetsyle, Ivy kept stressing on one word — passion!

“It is a passion we share as a brand to make it easy to beautify the average black woman,” she said.

“Coming from a background of 4C hair, it is easy to relate to how difficult it can get maintaining a well kept crown.

“Also looking at the products that are currently on the market, they’re mostly made to suit hair types other than type 4.

‘‘We therefore decided to infiltrate the market with a blend of products that can cater for the needs of black women, men and children.

“Everyone deserves to be beautiful in their natural hair and not have a difficult time achieving it. That’s exactly what our brand offers.”