About Us
The OBIA Naturals Reintroduction Film
Formulas that explain themselves.
Welcome to OBIA Naturals. Since 2012, we've made vegan, pH-balanced hair and body care, formulated by our founder — a chemist — so every product can explain itself. We keep our water-based hair formulas in the slightly acidic range where your cuticle lies flat and holds moisture, and we leave out anything without a job to do. Not because other ingredients are scary. Because ours have work to do. Press play to meet us again, then meet the formulas.
OBIA Naturals at a Glance
OBIA Naturals is a vegan hair and body care brand for curly, coily, and wavy hair (Types 2 to 4), founded in 2012 by cosmetic chemist Obia Ewah, who still formulates every product. Our water-based formulas are made at pH 4.5 to 5.5, where the cuticle lies flat, and every claim we make names the ingredient and the mechanism behind it.
- Founded: 2012
- Founder and formulator: Obia Ewah, cosmetic chemist (bachelor's degrees in Chemistry and Biology, University of North Texas; member, Society of Cosmetic Chemists)
- What we make: shampoo bars, conditioners, deep treatments, leave-ins, stylers, a hair oil, and body care, from $14.99 to $24.99
- What's different: a full protein-free and coconut-oil-free wash-day lane for sensitive curls, and a published ingredient list for every product
- Always made without: sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, or petroleum
- Made in: our own manufacturing space in Dallas, Texas
- Where to buy: obianaturals.com, the OBIA Naturals Amazon store, and TikTok Shop
Our Story
Presented with the “2015 Best Emerging Brand for Type 4 Natural Hair” by the editors at Naturally Curly, OBIA Naturals is focused on producing vegan, pH-balanced hair and body care products that offer a natural alternative to conscientious consumers. The OBIA Naturals journey began in 2012, when Obia Ewah decided to use her dual bachelor's degrees in Chemistry and Biology to start a hair and skin care line that addressed her sensitive skin needs.
On the path to becoming a doctor, it was during Obia's third year of medical school when she fell ill and started becoming more conscientious of the foods she ate and the products she used on her hair and body. As part of her quest to live a healthier lifestyle, Obia decided to shed her relaxed tresses for her naturally tightly coiled texture. Known as the “Big Chop,” Obia's newly embraced coif left her needing the right combination of products to tame her thick hair while staying gentle on her sensitive skin. A former chemist for private-label cosmetic manufacturing companies, Obia recognized the void in the market and began tinkering with her own formulas using the natural ingredients she had spent years studying at the University of North Texas.
In 14 years, what started out as botanical blends for friends and family has blossomed into a global business of pH-balanced, herbal-based vegan products that do not contain mineral oil, sulfates, petroleum, drying alcohols, silicones, honey, beeswax, goat's milk, or any animal protein. Membership in the Society of Cosmetic Chemists enables Obia to attend seminars regularly and stay on the pulse of the latest beauty industry studies and research. Using science-based technology, OBIA Naturals products have developed an award-winning reputation for high-quality formulations composed of easily absorbed natural humectants that nourish all hair textures and skin types.
A well-respected beauty industry thought leader, Obia Ewah uses educational Instagram clips and DIY YouTube videos as a platform to inspire and educate women on the science behind healthy hair. Obia's passion for quality ingredients has propelled OBIA Naturals to the forefront of the natural hair movement, with features by top beauty influencers and magazines such as Forbes, Business Insider, and Essence. OBIA Naturals distribution past and present includes Wal-Mart, Target, Sally Beauty, CVS, JC Penney, Albertsons, Giant Eagle, Discount Drug Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, HEB, Amazon.com, beauty supply stores, and salons in over 21 countries. OBIA Naturals was a finalist for Small Business of the Year by Amazon in 2019.
Did You Know?
Obia (pronounced “oh-bee-yah”) means first daughter in the Lokaa language, our founder's native tongue. Obia is from the Yakurr people of Nigeria, located in Cross River State — and yes, she is the first daughter of her family!