When 35-year-old Liesl Smerdon looked through a family photo album, she never imagined that one childhood photograph would eventually lead to a range of haircare products stocked on Checkers’ shelves. The photograph showed her as a 10-year-old with a head of natural curls.
It was a reminder of the hair she had spent years trying to change. Throughout high school and university, she had straightened, relaxed and flat-ironed it, but that moment inspired her to embrace her natural curls again. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, my hair actually looks really beautiful.’”
She started experimenting with oils and hair products, but quickly discovered there were very few retail products designed for people making the same transition. “I was having fun, making products for myself, my friends and my family. I never intended to start a business,” Smerdon says.
Today, that personal project has grown into Curl Chemistry, a proudly South African haircare brand celebrating its 10th anniversary, with 9 products stocked in selected Checkers stores across the Western Cape. Based in Cape Town, Smerdon began with just R5 000, one leave-in Curl Activating Cream, a Facebook page and a leap of faith. “I had no idea what was coming,” she says about the overwhelming positive reaction in the beginning. “My Facebook inbox was completely full. People from all over South Africa, and even overseas, were messaging me.” At the time, Smerdon was working full-time as a finance administrator and doing everything herself. After hours and over weekends, she filled jars, labelled products, packed orders, answered customer queries and managed the finances, often surviving on very little sleep.
“My husband helped me, but it was basically my baby, and one person can only do so much.” Her family became the backbone of the business. Her parents opened their garage in Parow so she could operate from there, and it remains the company’s base today. Her husband became her sounding board, financial adviser and logistics partner. As the business grew, so did their family. The couple welcomed their first son, Eli, in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by their second son, Cole, in 2024. For eight years, Smerdon knocked on retailers’ doors, hoping someone would give her products a chance. As competition intensified and Covid-19 disrupted the business, she reached breaking point. “I was speaking to investors and people who wanted to buy the business because things really weren’t looking good,” she remembers.
“I felt like giving up because I wasn’t seeing any profits.” Then, in 2024, Checkers decided to stock Curl Chemistry. “Getting that confirmation was overwhelming. This opportunity put us on the map,” Smerdon says. Being stocked in Checkers introduced Curl Chemistry to thousands of new customers, significantly increasing the brand’s visibility and strengthening consumer trust. “People who had never heard of us before now discover our products while shopping,” she says. The increased demand has also enabled Curl Chemistry to grow beyond its humble beginnings. What started as a one-woman operation now employs one permanent employee and three casual workers, alongside Smerdon and a dedicated social media manager.
The retailer has provided their business with access to market, and also helped create new opportunities for growth. Her focus is now on expanding into more Checkers stores, improving formulations and continuing to grow the brand. Smerdon is honest about the challenges of being a mother, having a full-time career and a business on the side. “Sometimes your kids are sick and you are away from the business. Sometimes you might not feel like putting in the energy. But then you also get moments of encouragement,” she says. “I have not mastered the juggling act. Every day is a learning curve.” For women dreaming of starting their own businesses, her advice is simple. “Take one step at a time. Starting your own business is a gift you give yourself and it’s something you can always be proud of.”
