Reneé Potgieter is a renowned natural hair stylist based in Cape Town, South Africa. She’s passionate about helping her clients embrace their hair’s real (crazy, kinky, unruly) nature, and instilling a fierce sense of pride and self-love in those she works with. After 20 years in the industry, there’s still nothing that gives her more satisfaction than the way women beam with confidence when their hair is in the best condition it can be, and is gorgeously, authentically natural-looking (with the help of the cleanest available products that she’s hunted down).

Reneé is not the type to take crap from anyone, and she believes that this philosophy should apply to our hair and beauty choices too! Early in her career, she realised that South African salons were flooded with harsh chemical-laden products, which are hazardous to the health of hair care professionals and their clients. She started searching the globe for products that were healthier, petrochemical-free, made with sustainably sourced ingredients, and not tested on animals.

Since 2001, Reneé’s quest for a no-nonsense natural approach has revolutionised the way her clients (and many South Africans) think about hair. Her new book, WTF HAPPENED TO MY HAIR? tackles some hard truths about hair care, self-acceptance, cleaning up and going green.