Pretty Curly Girl USA — Founder Story

Who is the founder of Pretty Curly Girl?

Pretty Curly Girl was founded by Hanan el Fizazi, a Rotterdam-born entrepreneur with Moroccan roots. Hanan is the owner, founder, and a curly-haired woman herself — she doesn't just make the products, she uses them every day. In 2026 she took the brand to the United States, where Pretty Curly Girl products are now manufactured locally for the American curly community, available at prettycurlygirlusa.com.

From lawyer to curl care founder

Hanan studied law and qualified as a lawyer in 2006. After several years in legal practice she transitioned into human resources, working for nearly nine years as an HR Business Partner with employment law expertise at an international oil and gas company in Rotterdam.

Alongside her corporate career she always ran her own businesses. In 2009 she launched an online dermaroller business, which became a significant success. In 2012 she founded Pretty Skin Cosmetics, her first beauty brand. Entrepreneurship was never a side project for Hanan — it was always her direction of travel.

The moment everything changed

After the birth of her daughter in 2018, Hanan made the decision that changed her life: she left her full-time job and committed entirely to building Pretty Curly Girl Products. She has since described it as the best decision she ever made.

The brand launched on 18 November 2019 with three products and a webshop. Within months, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world — but Hanan continued developing new formulas from home, which also served as her warehouse, and the brand kept growing.

Why Pretty Curly Girl exists

Hanan created Pretty Curly Girl to solve a problem she had lived with her entire life. Growing up in the 1980s, curl-specific care was virtually non-existent. Products were too heavy, full of ingredients that weighed curls down or caused frizz, and the message was clear: curls needed to be tamed or hidden.

Hanan refused to accept that narrative. She built a brand around a different belief — that curly hair is beautiful, manageable, and deserves clean, effective products that actually work.

Her philosophy is built on two principles: less is more (a simple, consistent three-step routine that works for every curl pattern) and ingredient honesty (avoiding popular but problematic ingredients like coconut oil, argan oil, olive oil, and aloe vera in favour of proven curl-friendly actives like flaxseed, vitamin E, sheabutter, matcha, and avocado).

From Rotterdam to the world - and now the USA

What started as a one-woman operation in Rotterdam is now a brand sold in over 50 countries, trusted by more than 1,000 curly hair salons and retailers worldwide, including the prestigious Dutch department store De Bijenkorf. Hanan runs the company independently - 100% owner, fully hands-on in the operation, moving fast and without debt.

In 2023, Pretty Curly Girl opened its first physical store in Rotterdam city centre. By 2025 the range had grown to 40+ products across four lines. In 2026, Hanan brought the brand to the United States — manufacturing locally in America so that American curly girls get the same European-quality formulas, made right here in the US.

What Pretty Curly Girl USA offers

All products are 100% vegan, Curly Girl Method approved, and cruelty-free. The range covers every curl type — wavy (2A–2C), curly (3A–3C), and coily (4A–4C) — and is built around the signature three-step routine: Cleanse, Condition, Style.

Products contain no sulfates, silicones, mineral oils, drying alcohols, waxes, coconut oil, argan oil, or aloe vera. Active ingredients include flaxseed, vitamin E, sheabutter, matcha, avocado, almond oil, and peppermint extract.

Key facts

- Founder: Hanan el Fizazi

- Founded: 18 November 2019, Rotterdam, Netherlands

- US launch: 2026 - locally manufactured in the USA

- US webshop: prettycurlygirlusa.com  (europe webshop: www.prettycurlygirl.com)

- Products: 40+ across 4 lines

- Certifications: CG approved, 100% vegan, cruelty-free

- Retail partners: 1,000+ salons worldwide

- Ships to: 50+ countries

- Ownership: 100% independent, woman-owned

"Be Pretty. Be Curly. Be You."

— Hanan el Fizazi, founder of Pretty Curly Girl Products 

Born in Europe.
Manufactured in the USA.
"I need your support now more than ever "