5 minutes with Bouclème founder Michele Scott-Lynch
We caught up with Michele, creator of curly hair brand Bouclème, whose Hydrating Hair Cleanser is featured in the limited edition Female Founders Edit.
“Most mainstream shampoos use strong detergents like sulphates that can leave hair feeling stripped and make curls frizzy. I wanted to create a shampoo that was effective at cleansing away sebum and product build up but gentle on both scalp and hair,” she explains.
“I want people to use it and feel confident they’ll have a great hair wash day. Like all our products, it’s fragranced with natural essential oils so you have that luxury spa-like element.”
The inspiration for Boucleme was… born out of personal need. I’ve got curly hair, and when I started here was just nothing for curls in the market. I have two daughters with curly hair, and I was just like, ‘This is crazy. How can there not be good curly hair products?’ We all have different types of curls, so when the products worked for all three of us, I was like ‘okay, we've got something here’.
I feel really proud about… creating something that’s natural, sustainable and has made me love my hair. When I was growing up there weren't any curly role models, so I hated my hair and I just straightened it for the first 30 years of my life. Curls were never portrayed as beautiful.
My biggest success so far is… when customers have basically said ‘You've changed my life’. Boucleme is about empowering you to feel beautiful wearing your hair’s natural pattern and texture. So for me, it doesn't get better than that.
A big challenge to overcome was.. trying to get people interested. A lot of beauty journalists had straight hair and it wasn’t for them. Luckily, curly women had created a community online where they shared tips and tricks and that was a game changer for us.
If I need to power through the day I love… Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil, especially if I've not had a good night's sleep. I will literally just slather that on all over, step into the shower and just inhale all that joy.
The skincare products I can’t live without are… Aurelia London’s probiotic serum and Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair moisturiser. They are my two go-tos, and I’ve started adding in an SPF now - I like Supergoop factor 50.
The product you’ll always find in my handbag is… Ilia Multi-Sticks. You can use them on your cheeks and your lips, so they're perfect for me. I don't wear loads of makeup but I feel put together and ready for the day when I've my blusher and some mascara on.
If I need to lift myself up… I love a good long soak in the bath with a podcast. Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO or How To Fail with Elizabeth Day are both great. I just find other people's stories fascinating.
If I need to destress I swear by… an Urban massage, where they come to your house. I don't do that enough but I do really enjoy that for uncrunching my shoulders and neck.
If you’re thinking of setting up a brand I’d tell you to… be really clear about what you're good at, and make sure that you find people who've got the skills that you don't have.
My top tip for wellness is… I try to do a 10 minute meditation three times a week, minimum. There's just so much going on in my head, so 10 minutes of just doing nothing helps centre me. I feel I make my best decisions when I'm coming from that place rather than running from A to B.
A typical working day for me.. is taken up with meetings, catching up with different departments and just making sure everything's humming to a fine tune. I normally leave the office about 5.30pm, get home to cook dinner for the girls and then I just veg out in front of some really trashy TV. Any reality TV will do. I don't have to think, and I can enjoy somebody else's drama.
Want to read more about the Bouclème Hydrating Hair Cleanser? Click here to see the full reveal >