Our story
How a henna artist from Africa became a Minneapolis stylist, and why she started making her own hair care.
Zia starts as a henna artist in Africa at fourteen, later doing bridal henna in Egypt while waiting for U.S. immigration.
Graduates from Paul Mitchell the School in Nashville with a Texture Honor from the advanced Phase Two program.
Opens her own salon in Minneapolis's Karmel Mall, specializing in color, keratin and textured hair.
After years of testing, the first Zia Hair Care products ship in April. Clients start recommending them to friends.
Meet Zia
Zia is a hair stylist in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She specializes in color, color correction, keratin treatments and textured hairstyles. Her professional journey began in April 2014 when she graduated from Paul Mitchell the School in Nashville, Tennessee, where she stood out in the advanced Phase Two program and earned a Texture Honor. She had two job offers before she even finished school, and soon after graduating she spent nearly two years assisting a celebrity hair stylist.
“Her love for making people feel beautiful is what led her to cosmetology school in the first place.”
But the story starts much earlier. Zia's passion for beauty began in Africa, where she started as a henna artist at just fourteen. While waiting for U.S. immigration processing in Egypt, she kept practicing her craft, offering bridal henna as a side business. After moving to America in 2006 she spent eight years working in manufacturing and home care, still drawing henna for brides on the side, until she finally enrolled in cosmetology school.
The salon
In 2015 Zia moved to Minnesota and opened her salon in Minneapolis's Karmel Mall. Her mission from day one was to teach clients how to care for their hair properly, especially the concerns African American women deal with every day. Having struggled with her own curly hair since she was fourteen, Zia knows first-hand how hard it is to find the right products and techniques. That years-long trial and error is what shaped her focus on professional care for textured hair: coloring, trimming and choosing high-end products that actually work on curls and coils.
Why she made her own products
After years of saving and working with clients who have curly, coarse hair, Zia felt a responsibility to create truly inclusive hair care. She chose the ingredients carefully and partnered with a manufacturer to produce the first samples. She refined the formulas with her clients, and the finished products launched in April 2022. They quickly became a favorite in the salon, and her clients eagerly recommended them to friends and family.
Zia's products are designed to make hair care easier and more enjoyable. The gentle sulfate-free Moisturizing Shampoo, the silicone-free Hair Conditioner, the Leave-In Conditioner and the Elixir Hair Serum detangle curls and give hydration with minimal effort. The Hair Treatment Mask, used once or twice a week, reduces breakage, controls frizz and supports healthy growth.
Now ZiaGlobe
What started as Zia Products in a Minneapolis salon is now reaching people far beyond Minnesota. The name changed to ZiaGlobe, but the goal is the same: help everyone find a way to love their hair, whether it's wavy, curly or coarse. Thanks to Zia's dedication and the support of her clients, the dream became real.