Stevantae McCallan returned home with a cosmetology degree but unsure which direction her career was headed.

Ultimately, she started a mobile hair business – friends, family and people in the neighbourhood had been calling on her since she was 13.

A few months in, she decided to take it a step further.

“I was trying to decide what I was going to do- if I wanted to go into corporate or stick to what I was doing,” she said. “I decided to stick to what I’m passionate about, what actually brings me money and what I actually enjoy, which is doing hair.”

Last week, on her 26th birthday, Ms McCallan launched a product line for children. Called Culthair Kids, it is available directly from her and in Hamilton Pharmacy; a range for adults will soon follow.

“It’s all organic, all natural products,” the hair stylist said. “They have no sulfates and no alcohol – [both of] which cause dryness of the hair and scalp – and it’s tear-free so it’s gentle on the skin, the eyes.”

Ms McCallan believes her early interest in hair stems from the “natural born talent” she was gifted from her father’s side of the family.

“I’m thinking it’s hereditary, genetic. I’m not too sure how but I just knew how to do it. I never really took classes to learn I just kind of knew how to do the basics and then taught myself how to do more,” she said.

She got her start as a teenager with requests from friends who wanted natural styles for holidays and special occasions.

“Obviously I was still in school at that time so it was hard to really push it and make a business out of it,” said Ms McCallan, would get to work once classes were over.

At 18 she enrolled at Bermuda College for a semester and then left the island to study in England which she “didn’t like because of the gloom”.

A year later she moved to America where she completed her cosmetology studies before returning home in 2019.

“Within the first month I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do so I went back to the basics, to doing hair.”

Ms McCallan tried working in a salon but didn’t enjoy it. Her mobile business, Culthair, proved a godsend for her and her clients.

“It just seems to work for a lot of parents who are home with their kids,” she said. “They’d prefer mobility services so they can also get other things done in the process.

“When I was in the States I actually became very close with another girl who was in the same cosmetology school as me, it’s just that she did more aesthetician work. We kind of opened up our own studio/salon when we were out there and the response was incredible. It’s the same here. I’m booked every day. If I don’t take a break there would be no break. It’s definitely good.”

Unsurprisingly, the coronavirus pandemic shook up her business a bit.

“Covid has been a challenge because I’m a worker. I like to work hard and with the restrictions, it’s kind of hard to push your limits and really do everything you want to do.

“But one thing I can say, it’s kept me stabilised. It’s helped me to focus solely on my business with no distractions so I can say it’s been good and bad but it’s helped me a lot.”

She started exploring the best way to move forward with her idea of creating products for children and adults sometime last year.

“I researched and I researched. Over and over,” she said.

She eventually found a manufacturer that could make all the products she wanted with all the organic ingredients she felt were necessary. In November she received her first delivery and started testing.

“The response has been amazing,” Ms McCallan said. “It’s a five-product line. It consists of a shampoo which is a two-in-one, so it’s actually a shampoo and body wash; a detangling conditioner. It has an edge control which you can use for laying the hair flat like a gel kind of, it has a hair oil which helps keep the hair moisturised and keeps the scalp clean, and then it has a hair serum which keeps the hair itself moisturised apart from the scalp.”

Equally important to her was that the packaging looked “very professional”. Ms McCallan is thrilled that, aside from the “little Bermudian girl” on her labels, her products look just as impressive as those marketed by larger companies.

“The boxes list the ingredients, give directions on how to use them, just everything’s on it.”

• Follow Culthair on Instagram and Facebook. Purchases may be made by dm, sbmccallan@icloud.com or 777-5991. Hair appointments can be booked on culthair.schedulista.com