For years, Lucie Macleod had attempted to style her hair using straighteners, dye and bleach.
By aged 21, while studying at University of Warwick, it had become dry, brittle and ‘frazzled’ — and that’s when she had a lightbulb idea.
‘One day I was wearing a black top and I could see bits of snapped off hair on my clothes,’ she tells Metro.
‘I didn’t really know what to do and although I tried different products, none were really working for me.’
The English student embarked on a quest to look for more natural hair products.
It was to be the start of a haircare journey that would turn into a lucrative business, which last year, made a staggering £5 million.
‘I would never in a million years have dreamt of being here,’ says Lucy.
Lucie started by examining the ingredients in conventional haircare products, buying the raw base materials, such as essential oils and aloe to create her own products.
She says, ‘It was as simple as trial and error. I did a lot of background research and I looked into cosmetic formulation.
‘There were errors during the trials, it took me about a year before I was happy.
‘When I went back home, my friends and family couldn’t believe the difference in my hair. They asked whether I’d had extensions.’
Lucie then made a TikTok video, detailing her hair journey, including snaps of her hair before and after using her own products and explaining the steps she had taken. It went viral, racking up 600,000 views.
She says, ‘Everyone was asking me how to do it or to sell them a bottle or send them a bottle. I’d never considered selling it before, I wondered what they were talking about. I didn’t think anyone would take it seriously.’
She was so overwhelmed by the furore that she even deleted her TikTok account, but the video still circulated.
Instead, one potential customer found her other social media accounts and messaged her for help with her hair.
Lucie says: ‘I couldn’t believe people’s commitment to it.’
Persuaded by the enthusiasm, Lucie decided to start creating the products under the name Hair Syrup, starting at first with ten bottles and hoping to cover her costs, and slowly growing.
With just £300, she worked out of her parents’ kitchen during the Covid lockdown, juggling the products and university.
She says: ‘I was probably spending 90 hours a week between the business and my degree. I barely slept, but it was worth it.’
Soon, armed with a first class degree in English Literature, her business had grown so much, that she could no longer operate out of her parents’ home.
She says: ‘I signed a lease for my first studio in February 2022. It was terrifying, I got a 12-month lease and it felt like I was signing my life away.’
But the hard work paid off and in March 2022, Beauty Bay started stocking the hair products.
Lucie says: ‘I was really proud of myself because I felt like it gave the brand a lot of credibility.’
She continued scaling up her business, learning as she went.
She says: ‘No one had ever done anything like this before so I didn’t have anything to follow.’
While friends and family were cautious to start with, they’re Lucie’s biggest cheerleaders. Her mum now works with her, and her dad regularly appears in her TikTok videos
Now, Hair Syrup employees a team of people, and the brand produces hair syrups, conditioners and accessories, amongst other products.
And, Lucie believes the experience has changed her, particularly during challenging times of growth.
She says: ‘It’s been a journey for everyone involved. I’ve grown with it. You wouldn’t recognise me if you met me four years ago. It’s made me a lot more tenacious.’
In January 2025, Lucie even appeared on Dragons Den, but walked away without investment.
However it didn’t hold her back, and Hair Syrup is now stocked in high street favourite, Boots, among other retailers.
She is projected to make £12million in 2025 and in September, she won the Sunday Times Young Founder of the Year.
Now she dreams of being stocked in Sephora and going global.
She says, ‘I thought I might be lucky to sell ten bottles. We’ve had amazing support from customers.
‘They love what we stand for, that just because someone says no, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of your dream.
‘Hair Syrup has become a symbol and a voice for resilience, hope and aspiration for young people.’
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