Myers said the idea came about eight years ago while watching a pitch for a hair product on Shark Tank. She realised that most tools on the market — blow dryers, curling irons, hot combs — are designed to straighten hair or change its chemistry, offering little help for people with naturally curly or textured hair.
"It's only been the past 15 years or so where women of color and Black women in particular and, quite frankly, white women as well have really felt comfortable exposing their naturally curly hair and really just embracing it," she told TechCrunch.
Myers sketched the concept on a legal pad and built an early prototype using parts from Ace Hardware and CVS. The product eventually became Mint, a handheld device that applies product through refillable pods and includes warming technology to gently heat the product before application.
Richualist developed Mint in collaboration with the materials science company Dow. Myers said Dow had recently identified textured hair care as a white space and was starting a dedicated unit. The company provided engineering help and manufacturing guidance.
"We get that styling time down to about seven to 10 minutes. It's a massive game changer for the customer really stressed out by wash day," Myers said. She noted that reducing the need to tug on strands during styling could make hair healthier, reducing shedding and breakage.