Oyin Handmade & Hotel Revival Are Bringing Curly Haircare To Travel

Oyin Handmade Founder Jamyla Bennu — Source: Oyin Handmade / Oyin Handmade

Oyin Handmade is helping Black girls travel lighter through a new partnership with Hotel Revival.

Guests at the iconic property in Baltimore will have access to Oyin Handmade’s products. Honey Wash Shampoo, Honey Hemp Detangling Conditioner, Hair Dew Leave-In Lotion, and Juices & Berries Herbal Hair Refresher await in their rooms and suites. They add to the vacation experience, through scents carefully chosen to work well together without being overwhelming.

If they like the products they can purchase full-sized versions at the hotel’s store to bring home with them. Oyin founder Jamyla Bennu explained how she brought her veteran hair brand to the elegant property to HelloBeautiful.

Keeping It in the Community

“I actually met the Director of Impact at the Hotel Revival. Her name is Jasmine Garland. I met her at a local small business showcase,” said Bennu. “They have a mission to connect to the city of Baltimore and showcase its unique attributes. And one of those unique attributes are small businesses. So that’s where our missions kind of overlapped.”

Their partnership is the first step towards a more inclusive beauty standard in hospitality. The industry sorely needs this. Black travelers spend over $145 billion annually. Despite this, products to keep their strands and skin cared for are nowhere to be found. People selecting the combs and hair dryers available in the rooms they frequent cannot relate to their needs.

Bennu described how watery shampoos and skinny conditioners can alienate Black consumers.

“In hospitality, or in any other areas where kind of standardized amenities are given, there is very little option for managing the diversity of texture that actually exists,” said Bennu.

Keeping It Nimble

Oyin Handmade works swiftly to meet holes in the market. Oyin Handmade developed and created these products in Baltimore. After over 20 years in business, the firm is still equipped to quickly innovate with a team of just four full-time staffers.

This is not the first time that Oyin Handmade has worked their way into an unexpected setting. The company previously worked with University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) to ensure that their patients had access to products that catered to their needs.

“We love working with other businesses and local institutions. I think it’s really important for us to build mutually supportive systems,” said Bennu.

“We would love to do more of this, finding new ways to support textured hair and to serve people with these hair types in places where they’re not traditionally served,” she continued.

Keeping It Local

Bennu took the partnership with Hotel Revival from idea to execution in less than six months. “The fact that we self-manufacture gives us a lot of flexibility and allows us to be nimble in meeting the needs of these different industries,” she said.

Those with kinks and coils often have to tote haircare products due to the inadequacy of those at spas, hotels, and other facilities. Bennu noted that true luxury means being captured no matter what side of the texture spectrum you are on.

Travelers enjoy their scenic views and serene surroundings. They deserve adequate amenities.

Hotels declare their priorities with their choices. “The luxury space worked so hard to provide high-end and luxury experiences for their guests. And if there is a blind spot or if there’s an opportunity there, I think it’s deeply important to lean into those opportunities so that all of your visitors can feel welcomed,” Bennu added.

“Since there is an amenity that’s being offered, that means it’s something that you’ve already decided is important enough that you want to provide it to your guests. But if 20% to 30% of your guests can’t use that amenity, then it actually turns into a point of exclusion.”

Keeping It Inclusive

That exclusion has the airports sending off flights filled with boho twists, box braids, tight straight backs, and waist-length fulanis. Some choose this. Others feel forced

“It turns into a whole genre of hair styling called ‘vacation braids,’” said Bennu. She acknowledged the innovative spirit of Black globetrotters adding that, “We will adapt.”

“We are gonna go on our trips, we are gonna get our passport stamps. We are gonna do the thing, honey. We’re not gonna let it hold us back,” she said.

“It remains an opportunity to make that happen in a way that brings delight to a segment of your guest population in a way they never even expected,” she added.

“I’m so excited to be able to be that surprise and delight in someone’s travels.”

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