A 30-year-old influencer became the talk of the town after she generated $4 million ( ₹36.1 crore) in sales with her hair oil brand, which is rooted in ancient Indian traditions.

Erim Kaur, a London based entrepreneur founded ByErim in 2019 — a luxury haircare brand known for its flagship hair growth oil containing eight pure oils, including Amla, Argan, Coconut, and Castor oil.

Six years since its launch, the luxury hair oil brand has earned $4.2 million ( ₹361,552,182.60) CNBC Make It reported.

How the brand became popular

Erim Kaur pinned the popularity of her hair growth oil on her ‘emotionally invested’ followers. As per CNBC Make It, she has over 700,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok combined.

After gaining 100,000 followers in 2019, Kaur decided to turn her social media presence into a business opportunity. She launched ByErim as a tribute to both her mother and grandmother, while also tapping into the rising popularity of beauty and wellness trends on social media.

“Influencers cast a very wide net, but the problem is when you’re trying to reach people who don’t already follow you, you’re alienating the people that do. So, I was very focused on my followers. They’re focused on me,” Kaur told CNBC Make It.

What made the entrepreneur built the brand

In her  interview with CNBC Make It, Erim Kaur recalled how her mother’s hair inspired her to craft the hair oil. She was only eight when her mother died of breast cancer, and a memory she always cherished was her mother’s long hair.

“I really wanted to emulate the way that my mother looked. It was scary to see her lose the identifying part of what people saw as something that contributes so heavily to her beauty,” the London based entrepreneur told CNBC Make It.

The entrepreneur’s turning point

Kaur shared a heartfelt memory of her father, who was just 29 when he took her to the barber for a haircut after her mother passed away. “I didn’t even know how to tie my hair. She died before she taught me,” Kaur recalled.

Seeking comfort and care, Kaur turned to her paternal grandmother, who experimented with various oils and natural ingredients on Kaur’s hair throughout her early teens. Eventually, they discovered a formula that not only worked wonders but became the very foundation of the ByErim hair oil Kaur now uses and sells.