From Grandma's Kitchen: The FORHALLE Story | Natural Curl Care UK

Vintage recipe card from 1905 showing Great-Grandma's original curl butter recipe

Where Magic Began

1905. A kitchen in the Benin Nigeria. A recipe passed down through whispers and loving hands.

Long before beauty aisles existed, before ingredient lists were printed on labels, there was Great-Grandma's kitchen, a place where natural ingredients transformed into something magical. Where shea butter was whipped by hand, where coconut oil was pressed fresh, and where the secret to soft, healthy hair lived in clay pots and glass jars.

This is where our story begins.

Four Generations of Curl Care Wisdom

Great-Grandma (1905)

She didn't call it a "hair butter." She called it "Hair magic" the blend she'd prepare after church, sitting on the veranda with her daughters, working the mixture into their hair while sharing stories and laughter.

Her recipe was simple but powerful:

Shea butter from the local market
Coconut oil pressed by hand
Herbs from her garden
Time, patience, and love

She knew what modern science is only now confirming: natural ingredients, when properly combined, can transform hair from dry and brittle to soft and thriving.

Grandma (1950s)

She inherited the recipe but adapted it for her time. A full time housewife looking after 5 daughters, she needed something that worked quickly but effectively. She began experimenting with whipping techniques that made the butter lighter, easier to apply.

"Your hair is your crown," she'd tell her children. "Wear it with pride."

Mum (1980s)

She grew up during a time when natural hair wasn't always celebrated. She kept the recipe alive, using it on her own hair.

She held onto those kitchen traditions, knowing one day they'd matter again.

Frey (Today)

Then came Halle, my daughter, the fourth generation, and the namesake of FORHALLE.

The Moment That Changed Everything

It was a Tuesday morning. Halle was 3 years old.

We'd been battling her hair for what felt like hours. The tears. The tangled brush. The products that promised miracles but delivered disappointment. I watched my beautiful daughter literally cry in pain as I tried to detangle her curls, and something inside me broke.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

I remembered Sunday mornings with my grandmother. The laughter. The gentle hands. The way hair care felt like love, not war.

That night, I spoke to my mum and she reminded me of the ingredients great grandma used, ingredients measured in "handfuls" and "until it feels right."

I decided to recreate it.

The Kitchen Experiments

Trial 1: Too Heavy

I followed the original recipe exactly. The butter was rich too rich for modern life. It was just too difficult to apply to Halle's hair

Trial 2: Too Light

I overcorrected, making it whipped and airy. Beautiful texture, but it didn't provide enough moisture. I just didnt like the texture afterwards

Trial 3-15: Getting Closer

I spent six months in my kitchen, whipping small batches after Halle went to bed. I experimented with ratios, with whipping techniques, with adding modern ingredients that would enhance, not replace, Great-Grandma's wisdom.

Trial 16: The Breakthrough

I added blueberries.

It sounds unconventional, I know. But blueberries are packed with antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, compounds that promote scalp health and hair strength. They're nature's superfood, not just for your body, but for your hair.

I infused blueberry extract into the base recipe, kept Great-Grandma's shea butter and replaced coconut oil with Castor oil - I wanted the butter to add thickness to hair, added avocado oil for extra conditioning, and whipped it until it was cloud-soft.

The next morning, I tried it on Halle's hair.

She didn't cry. Not once.

The tangles melted away. And when she looked in the mirror, she smiled actually smiled at her reflection.

"Mummy, I'm a princess," she said, touching her freshly made hair.

That's when I knew: this wasn't just for us. This was for every parent dealing with tears at hair time. For every child learning to love their natural texture. For every family that deserves something better than harsh chemicals and broken promises.

Why Blueberries?

The Modern Addition to a Traditional Recipe

When I decided to update Great-Grandma's recipe for 2025, I knew I needed something that would enhance the traditional ingredients without compromising their effectiveness.

Blueberries emerged as the perfect choice:

The Science Behind the Berry

Vitamin C: Stimulates collagen production in the scalp, promoting healthy hair growth
Vitamin E: A powerful antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress and repairs damage
Anthocyanins: Compounds that improve blood circulation to the scalp
Proanthocyanidins: Support follicle health and may encourage hair growth

Why They Work in Hair Care

Great-Grandma worked with what she had local, natural, fresh. If she'd had access to blueberries, she would have used them. They're nature's powerhouse, packed with nutrients that make hair stronger, healthier, and more resilient.

Plus, they smell incredible.

The FORHALLE Promise

We Make It the Way Great-Grandma Would, If She Had Modern Tools

Small Batches Only

We never mass-produce. Each jar is whipped fresh in small batches.

Why? Because quality matters more than quantity, and we can monitor every single jar for consistency.

Handmade with Care

Real human hands touch every jar.

Clean, Safe Ingredients

✅ Natural shea butter and oils
✅ Real blueberry extract
✅ No sulfates, parabens, or harsh chemicals
✅ Safe for children 3years and older
✅ Gentle enough for sensitive scalps

Family-First Philosophy

Great-Grandma made one mixture for everyone, daughters, granddaughters, herself. We do the same. One butter, whole family.

What Great-Grandma Would Say

If she could see FORHALLE today, I think she'd smile.

She'd approve of the small batches, the careful attention to ingredients, the way we prioritize people over profit.

She'd love that we're teaching a new generation to embrace their natural hair, to see their curls as beautiful, not problematic.

She'd probably laugh at our pretty jars and modern branding, but she'd understand the heart behind it, the desire to help families, to ease the stress of hair care, to bring back the joy that should come with caring for the hair we were born with.

And she'd be proud that her recipe, created in 1905 in a small kitchen, is now helping families across the UK in 2025.

The Legacy Continues

From 1905 to Today: Four Generations, One Mission

Every jar of FORHALLE contains:

Great-Grandma's wisdom (the base recipe)
Grandma's innovation (whipping technique)
Mum's perseverance (keeping traditions alive)
Frey's modern touch (blueberry infusion)
Love for the next generation (Halle and all the children who deserve gentle, effective curl care)

When you open a jar of FORHALLE, you're not just getting a hair product. You're getting 120 years of curl care wisdom, adapted for modern life, made with the same love that Great-Grandma put into every batch she made.

Join the FORHALLE Family

Become Part of Our Story

We're building more than a brand, we're building a community of families who believe that hair care should be gentle, natural, and filled with love rather than struggle.

When you choose FORHALLE, you're choosing:

Tradition over trends
Quality over convenience
Natural over chemical
Family over corporate
Love over profit

You're also choosing to teach the next generation that their natural hair is beautiful, worthy of care, and something to celebrate, not hide or change.

Share Your Story

We Want to Hear From You

Do you have curl care memories from your childhood? A grandmother who made her own hair treatments? A moment when your child first loved their natural hair?

Share your story with us at help@forhalle.co.uk or tag us on Instagram @forhall.e. We read every message, and we feature family stories on our blog.

Because at the end of the day, we're all part of the same story—families trying to care for the hair we love, passing down wisdom, creating new traditions.

Just like Great-Grandma did, all those years ago, in her kitchen.

Shop the Legacy

Try the Recipe That's Been 120 Years in the Making

Shop Whipped Blueberry Curl Butter →

Every jar is:

Handmade
Whipped fresh in small batches
Made with clean, natural ingredients
Safe for kids and parents
Infused with real blueberry extract
Created with love, just like Great-Grandma's original

Free UK shipping on orders over £50

The Recipe Card

A Tribute to Great-Grandma

In honour of the woman who started it all, we've recreated her original recipe card. While we've modernized and enhanced the formula, the spirit remains the same.

Download Great-Grandma's Original Recipe Card (decorative PDF - not the actual commercial formula)

Frame it, save it, share it, a reminder that the best beauty secrets often come from the kitchen, not the laboratory.

"Before there were beauty shelves, there was Grandma's kitchen, a place of soft hands, warm scents, and magic mixtures. We've taken that same magic and brought it to your home."

— Frey, Founder of FORHALLE