Entrepreneur creates eco-friendly hair from banana fiber, expands artisanal production and aims for export

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The idea was born long before the first fiber was unveiled. Marilza remembers that at the age of 12, she tried to straighten her hair with a mixture of soda and banana. The experience hurt her scalp and that of the other girls who agreed to try it, but it also showed how their relationship with their hair has always guided their decisions.

Decades later, the need arose again: now an adult, working as a hairdresser for over 20 years and looking for alternatives that respect her own hair type, which she describes as more “wild”.

It was in the garden, in 2018, cutting a bunch of bananas with a worn knife, that she noticed the natural fraying of the trunk and saw, there, a concrete possibility. Tests begin, attempts at softening, research into color and resistance. The fiber supported the straightener and curling iron, but it still lacked finishing touches.

The pandemic, in 2021, interrupted everything. The restart took place in 2024, when the project began to be accompanied by the Inova Cerrado program, from Sebrae/MS, with the support of Semadesc and Fundect — information confirmed by the Sebrae/MS press office.

Neighborhood, gadgets and production which go from 100 grams to 20 kilos per week

For a long time, the work was almost entirely manual. With a knife and a spoon, Marilza and her husband managed to extract just 100 grams a day – a routine she describes as exhausting. The change happened thanks to the help of a neighbor, who built a wooden structure equipped with three saw blades and a pedal, speeding up the process and opening a new stage: production began to reach up to 20 kilos per week.

After detangling comes detangling, hydration, coloring and modeling. On the table which serves as an improvised loom, braids, ponytails, curls and wigs are created – the latter, depending on the model, require up to 15 days of work. The material does not irritate the skin and Marilza has around ten local women who use the threads for free, as volunteer testers.

The hairdresser also works with a moisturizing cream made from a Cerrado fruit, the identity of which she prefers not to reveal. According to some information, it has already developed 17 products based on this same fruit. Long-lasting appeal is enhanced: plant-based hair breaks down in eight days.

In August, after Sebrae/MS announced the project on social media, the scope of the project increased significantly and orders multiplied. To meet demand, she is looking for a pharmacist to standardize the homemade cream. The forecast for the year is 80 kilos delivered.

The artisanal routine opens the doors to new markets

Lawyer Nyllávia Ramalho confirms that Marilza has a registration for the trademark “Meus Cabelos Meus Fios” and that patent applications have been being processed at the INPI since 2021. Two have already been formally evaluated. The prices – R$16 for the 250 ml shampoo and R$90 for the 150 g moisturizer – can be updated, but without abrupt changes, according to Marilza.

Since 2023, she has participated in the Inova Cerrado stages and has seen her project recognized as the second best of the initial phase, receiving R$10,000 to invest in the company. In the new phase, the Traction module, it is about advice aimed at expansion, scalability and brand strengthening.

In a statement from the program’s advisor, she said: “Inova Cerrado came into my life when I was most stifled. I thought about giving up several times, but the mentors wouldn’t let me.”

Future expectations are not limited to the domestic market. Marilza has already participated in business tours to Amapá and claims to have received proposals from foreign businessmen. “I see that my product is not only intended for the domestic market,” he explains to G1.