IVY WILD is a love letter to textured hair. After experiencing hair loss, founder Sherine Walrond wanted clean, botanical formulas grounded in trichology – so she created plant-based, scalp-loving formulations fit for all curls, coils and kinks. What started as a personal search has now become a powerful mission to educate the Black community on caring for their hair from scalp to tip.

What is IVY WILD? Tell us about your hair products and the mission behind them.

IVY WILD is a dedicated Afro-textured haircare brand rooted in conscious, clean, and highly effective botanical formulations. We see ourselves as partners in your hair health journey, not just providers of products.

Our mission is profoundly simple: to equip our community with the knowledge and the right tools to achieve genuinely healthy, moisturised hair. We strive to simplify the complex world of natural haircare, eliminate wash day anxiety, and empower every customer to approach their coils and curls with confidence and joy. IVY WILD is about nurturing hair health from the inside out.

What kind of hair types or hair concerns are they for?

Our products are precisely engineered to meet the unique structural needs of Afro-textured hair, specifically coily, curly, and kinky textures (3A through 4C).

From a trichology perspective, we focus on treating issues like poor moisture retention and cuticle fragility, which cause chronic dryness, breakage, tangling, and frizz. If you’ve felt that your hair is constantly thirsty or struggling to retain length, our moisture-rich formulas are designed to solve those issues. We focus on enhancing the hair’s elasticity and resilience by providing deep, long-lasting hydration at the molecular level.

What was the inspiration or personal experience that led you to create IVY WILD?

The foundation of IVY WILD is deeply personal, stemming from my complex journey with hair health. Over my lifetime, I have faced four different types of hair loss, including debilitating struggles with seborrheic dermatitis (seb derm), postpartum shedding, and traction alopecia.

Notably, my traction alopecia was caused by a miseducated hairdresser. This gave me a profound, personal understanding of hair fragility, scalp sensitivity, and the mental toll hair issues take, fuelling my determination to create real solutions rooted in proper education, which is why I qualified as a Trichologist.

I realised the market lacked genuinely clean, high-performing formulas. More importantly, listening to the community’s shared pain points – chronic dryness, breakage, and ineffective products – showed me I had to offer a better way.

I began formulating plant-based alternatives in my kitchen, driven by both my personal history and the need to address those collective frustrations. IVY WILD was born out of a necessity to provide real solutions based on trichological principles.

“From a trichology standpoint, true hair health begins at the scalp”

Why was it important to you to use only natural ingredients?

While we are governed by the science of trichology to ensure ultimate performance, we absolutely prioritise natural ingredients because, for us, it simply makes sense. We choose ingredients that are bio-compatible, deeply nurturing, and powerfully effective.
For us, this is an act of conscious care and clean integrity. We rigorously exclude harsh chemicals, parabens, and heavy synthetic fillers that we know can cause build-up, sensitise the scalp, or strip the hair.

From a trichology standpoint, true hair health begins at the scalp. We strategically harness the power of ingredients like organic aloe vera, shea butter, and potent botanical oils because they are nutrient-dense and scientifically proven to support a healthy scalp microbiome and provide essential moisture to high-texture hair. It’s about delivering maximum nourishment and results without compromising on safety, efficacy, or ethical sourcing.

We believe healthy hair is achieved through smart, clean formulation that begins with nature.

What products do you suggest for wash day and what are some tips for maximising their effectiveness?

Wash day is the essential reset for healthy hair! I suggest starting with our Hydrating Shampoo and following up with the Intensive Moisturising Conditioner.

Trichology-focused wash day tips for optimal health
Scalp First: When shampooing, concentrate the effort on your scalp to ensure deep cleansing and to promote follicle health. From a trichology perspective, a clean, balanced scalp is the foundation for strong hair growth. The run-off is enough to refresh the strands.

Detangle with Conditioner: Use the exceptional slip of the Intensive Moisturising Conditioner to patiently and gently finger-detangle your hair in sections, starting at the ends.

Heat for Deep Hydration: For deep penetration, apply the conditioner or a treatment, cover with a shower cap, and apply gentle heat for 15-30 minutes. This helps the ingredients truly absorb into the hair shaft, improving cortex flexibility and reducing breakage.

The Sealing Method: Always follow conditioning with our layering system: the Daily Leave-In Lotion (Conditioner) for lightweight moisture, immediately followed by the rich Moisture Sealant to lock that hydration inside the hair for days.

How do you recommend using your Edge Control?

Our award-winning Edge Control is a superstar for a few crucial reasons. It offers firm hold and sleekness without the flaking or drying agents common in other products. Crucially, it is specifically formulated to combat humidity and prevent the reversion of 4C hair.

The secret lies in our water-based formulation. This is highly beneficial because it keeps the formula light, allows for easy re-styling without harsh build-up, and, most importantly, provides a level of moisture rather than stripping it away, which is vital for maintaining the delicate health of your edges.

Unlike traditional pomade-style edge controls that often rely heavily on petroleum, mineral oil, or non-water-soluble synthetic polymers for a heavy, greasy hold, we utilise conditioning ingredients that melt seamlessly with the hair. This allows us to achieve that desired sleek finish without the common drawback of flaking, caking, or moisture loss. It’s truly a conditioning formula that holds!

My Recommended Application:
Clean Canvas: Ensure your edges are clean and dry for the best adhesion and finish.

Micro-Application: Use a small amount on your fingertip or a dedicated edge brush. Less is more to avoid heaviness!

Smooth and Style: Gently sculpt and shape your edges into your preferred look.

The Setting Secret: For a truly long-lasting, smooth finish, lay your edges down by tying a silk or satin scarf around the area for a few minutes while the product sets. This ensures maximum definition without slippage.

Tell us about the beginnings of building the business. What gave you the push to launch it and how did you get started?

The biggest catalyst for the launch was the overwhelming demand and the validation we received from the community who sampled our early formulations. The push came from the clear need to transition our effective kitchen remedies into a professional, scalable resource for everyone struggling with moisture and manageability.

After actively listening to our community’s shared pain points – the need for genuinely moisturising products that don’t cause build-up or flaking – I gained confidence that we had created something truly valuable.

I got started by educating myself in cosmetic science and officially launched in 2018, building our brand on authenticity and grassroots connection, driven solely by the commitment to solve those foundational hair issues for our customers. It was a true labour of love (and for full transparency: struggle).

What has been a highlight of your business journey so far?

While receiving the ‘Best Edge Control’ Award [at the 2020 Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards] was a proud moment of industry recognition, the true, daily highlight is witnessing the transformation and empowerment within our community.

A massive highlight that truly validated our mission was our two-week exhibition and event series at the Chelsea Library for Black History Month this year. This collaboration with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Libraries was profoundly important, proving that what we do is bigger than ‘just hair’.

“We don’t just sell products; we equip you with the knowledge to own your crown”

The Celebration of Hair Exhibition included contributions from local schools, showcasing the importance of hair in identity from a young age. Our programme featured our signature braiding workshop, expert discussions around self-esteem and psychology, and a rotating selection of talented artists whose work explored cultural identity. This positioned hair health and identity at the forefront of a major cultural institution.

It proved that our mission to educate and solve customer pain points extends beyond products and into crucial conversations about self-acceptance and heritage. Every success story shared by a customer or every time we take our message into a prestigious public space like the Chelsea Library is the most powerful affirmation of our work.

We don’t just sell products; we equip you with the knowledge to own your crown.

Tell us about your braiding workshops: where do you host them, who are they for and why did you launch them?

Our IVY WILD Academy Workshops are a critical, formal extension of our educational mission – one rooted in self-esteem and identity. Our reach extends nationally across the UK (including Scotland, Birmingham, London, Margate) and also includes specialist settings like universities and foster care agencies.

They are specifically for parents and carers of children with coily and curly hair textures. I noticed a genuine anxiety and lack of confidence among parents who want to care for their child’s hair. I launched the Academy because I know that feeling of helplessness; my own experiences instilled in me a deep desire to prevent this anxiety in others and protect the child’s developing self-esteem.

By addressing the customer pain point of parental uncertainty, we teach tension-free hair handling, effective protective styling, and positive routines based on scientific care. Our ultimate aim through the Academy is to empower our community to confidently style their child’s hair, transforming a moment of stress into a moment of connection that strengthens the child’s overall identity and self-acceptance.

What’s your long-term vision for IVY WILD?

My vision is that IVY WILD becomes the essential partner for every person with textured hair, transforming the way our community approaches self-care. We aim to be the UK’s most trusted voice, not just selling products, but offering real knowledge and support.
I want to continue building a brand shaped by your needs and my deep personal conviction.

I know that good hair health is foundational to confidence. We will continue to innovate our product line, directly informed by the hair issues brought to us. Crucially, we are vastly expanding our educational platform, growing our workshops and online resources, all grounded in sound trichology but translated into simple, actionable steps – making expert hair science accessible to everyone.

Ultimately, the IVY WILD vision is your empowerment: uncompromised hair health, self-acceptance, and the freedom to wear your beautiful crown with absolute confidence.

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