How it started
While at PopSugar and Elle, Charuza got to test thousands of beauty products in order to review them, she said. She also interviewed hundreds of dermatologists over the years.
It sounds dreamy from the outside, but Charuza was struggling with skin issues: Many of the products she tested ended up triggering skin irritation and allergic reactions. Outside of work, Charuza’s inner circle was also riddled with skin problems: her sister, husband and baby all suffer from eczema.
The skin struggle made Charuza remember the Ayurvedic solutions her family used for hair and skin issues growing up. Ayurveda is a medical system that originated in India that centers on herbal remedies. Squigs’ “Gooseberry Delight” hair oil, for instance, stems from the oil Charuza’s grandmother helped her make growing up. The company’s name also stems from a family story: Squigs is the nickname Charuza and her sister called each other as kids.
“I couldn’t find any affordable Ayurvedic brands that felt fun, and like anyone could use it,” she explained. “I know the market is so saturated, but I truly felt like there was no Ayurvedic brand out there that was creating affordable products that had those efficacious ingredients.”
Tipping point
Squigs has accomplished a lot since rolling out about 11 months ago. The brand won beauty publication Byrdie’s “Eco Beauty Award” for “Best Do-It-All Hair Product” in 2022, which Charuza said was “super exciting because that was just one month in, and Byrdie editors tested over 300 products based on efficacy [and] sustainability.”
Urban Outfitters reached out to talk about getting Squigs in its stores, which Charuza described as a “pinch-me moment.” Until Urban, Squigs was 100% DTC—but Charuza always pictured it going into retailers eventually.
She explained that it’s a lot harder for DTC brands to remain online-only than it once was. That’s partly because of the current marketing landscape, which includes hurdles such as uncertainty around the future of TikTok—which has been targeted by regulators and lawmakers—as well as digital consumer tracking challenges caused by Apple’s 2021 iOS update.
Plus, having a brand on a physical shelf in a retailer such as Urban Outfitters drives legitimacy and brand awareness, she said.
“It really helps consumers out there be like, ‘I can vouch for this brand. I can trust this brand,’” Charuza said, especially because Urban and Squigs target a similar demographic (Gen Z and younger millennials).
Another pinch-me moment, she said, was when Squigs was featured on “Today” in August. In the segment, a beauty influencer recommended Squigs’ hair oil product. Charuza recalled the orders piling in after it aired, as well as watching the episode with her family.
The brand was also chosen for Ulta Beauty’s MUSE accelerator program, which is a 10-week-long mentorship program that offers early-stage BIPOC beauty brands support. With the acceptance, Charuza said, came a $50,000 grant—the only funding Squigs has taken thus far.