Redefining Beauty Through Empowerment, Inclusivity, and Cultural Connection
Eunice Opoku discusses viemaa’s mission to empower through inclusive, sustainable hair care, celebrating identity and emotional connections worldwide hair rituals.
Eunice Opoku is a name that resonates with vision, innovation, and unwavering purpose. A true trailblazer in the health and beauty aids industry, she has dedicated over two decades to creating products that are as meaningful as they are revolutionary. As someone who has not only built brands but also redefined what modern beauty can stand for, Opoku has made it her mission to ensure that every product she touches empowers individuals, celebrates diversity, and honours the deeply personal rituals tied to self-care.
From her remarkable tenure leading high-performing consumer product strategies in global markets to her transformative work as founder of WAMHJO Group LLC, Eunice has consistently exemplified the power of combining strategy with soul. Her latest venture, viemaa, is no exception. This premium hair care brand is far more than a collection of products—it’s a powerful movement rooted in empowerment, inclusivity, and giving back. Built on the pillars of innovation and cultural authenticity, viemaa addresses the often overlooked emotional and identity-driven connection to hair while pioneering high-performance, sustainable beauty.
What sets Opoku apart is the profound intentionality with which she approaches her work. Whether developing products for underserved communities, giving back through the “Save A Strand, Save A Soul™” initiative, or challenging Eurocentric norms within the beauty industry, Eunice leads with empathy and cultural fluency. Her inspiring philosophy, “beauty shouldn’t ask you to change who you are; it should help you become more of who you’ve always been,” encapsulates the ethos of viemaa and the heart of its groundbreaking work.
Eunice Opoku is a visionary leader, revolutionising beauty with transformative, inclusive products that celebrate cultural identity and empowerment.
Eunice’s ability to transform personal pain points and global observations into a brand that uplifts and inspires is nothing short of extraordinary. In this exclusive interview, Beauty Prime has the privilege of delving into Eunice Opoku’s world—a world where hair is celebrated as a powerful symbol of identity and transformation, and where meaningful, scalable change begins one strand at a time. We are honoured to share her insights, passion, and vision in this issue, and we hope you find her story as empowering and transformative as we have.
What personal experiences or challenges in your global travels most directly inspired you to create viemaa?
“I saw women around the world trying to care for their hair with love and tradition—yet feeling unseen by modern beauty.” – Eunice Opoku
viemaa was born from a simple but powerful truth: hair isn’t just hair. It’s identity. It’s expression. It’s power. It’s you.
During my travels across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Latin America, I saw firsthand how personal and sacred hair care is for women around the world. Despite vastly different cultures, one thing remained constant women were deeply connected to their hair. Many were using time-honored traditions and natural remedies passed down through generations, even as they struggled to find modern products that supported their unique hair needs.
What struck me most was the emotional disconnect between those rituals and the products available in the market. So many women—especially those with textured, curly, or coily hair—were adapting their routines to fit beauty systems that didn’t include them. The global beauty industry was still pushing formulas designed around Eurocentric standards, offering harsh, drying products that prioritized aesthetics over actual hair health.
I understood the frustration intimately. For years, I used mainstream products that were not made for my hair. I dealt with dryness, breakage, and damage, constantly chasing solutions that didn’t exist. It took time—and a lot of unlearning—to realize the problem wasn’t my hair. It was the products.
But what truly inspired viemaa were the women I met who, despite these challenges, were still finding ways to care for themselves. Women who blended oils in their kitchens, who treated wash day like a sacred ritual, who turned hair care into self-care. Their resilience, creativity, and connection to heritage moved me deeply.
That’s when I envisioned viemaa: a brand rooted in science, powered by innovation and driven by impact. A brand that doesn’t just make hair care—but makes space for identity, self-love, and empowerment.
At viemaa, we believe that when you care for your hair with intention, you’re not just following a routine—you’re practicing a ritual. A moment of self-connection. A form of self-respect. Every element of our brand—from our ingredients to our packaging to our product names—is designed to uplift, affirm, and inspire.
Each product is named with purpose. We call them “Affirmations for Your Strands.” Names like “Self-Esteemed Strengthener BOND SHAMPOO” and “Confidence Cocktail DAILY STYLING SERUM” turn your daily routine into a personal mantra—a quiet moment of power at the start or end of your day. It’s about giving women the confidence to show up as their boldest, most authentic selves.
This is self-love, strand by strand.
This is viemaa.
What started as a personal pain point and a global observation turned into a movement—one that honors the emotional and cultural significance of hair while delivering innovative, high-performance care for every texture.In a world where so many still feel pressured to conform, viemaa invites you to connect. To embrace. To rise.
Because beauty shouldn’t ask you to change who you are. It should help you become more of who you’ve always been.
How did you ensure that viemaa’s products would be truly inclusive and meet the diverse hair care needs you observed around the world?
“True inclusivity isn’t just about who’s in the campaign—it’s about who’s in the lab and on the testing panel.” – Eunice Opoku
We built viemaa with diversity at the core. That meant starting with a global testing community—across all hair types, climates, and routines—and partnering with experts in textured and multicultural hair care. Our products are pH-balanced, silicone-free, and formulated with nutrient-rich, plant-powered ingredients that cater to a wide range of needs.
Inclusivity, for us, is not about fitting everyone into the same mold. It’s about offering flexible, science-backed products that support each person’s unique hair journey—whether natural, treated, curly, or straight.
viemaa emphasizes both high performance and sustainability—what were some of the biggest challenges you faced balancing these two priorities during product development?
“We had to resist the industry’s shortcuts—because great hair shouldn’t come at the planet’s expense.” – Eunice Opoku
The hardest part was refusing to compromise on either value. Many high-performance ingredients are petroleum-based or environmentally harmful. So, we sourced cleaner, plant-based alternatives and partnered with ethical suppliers—even when it cost more or took longer.
Our bottles are recyclable, and we’ve removed silicones and parabens from our formulations. We also had to reeducate consumers true product performance is about long-term hair health and environmental care.
Can you share more about the philosophy behind “Save A Strand, Save A Soul” and how viemaa connects beauty with social impact?
Absolutely. “Save A Strand, Save A Soul” is more than a mission statement—it’s the heart of everything we do at viemaa. We believe that hair care is emotional, not just cosmetic. Hair holds weight. It’s a thread that ties us to our identity, our culture, our memories—and sometimes, even our pain.
We’ve met women who lost their hair due to illness or trauma, and the moment they begin to nurture it again, you can see something awaken in them.
“When someone reclaims their hair, they often reclaim a piece of themselves.” – Eunice Opoku
Beauty, for us, isn’t about perfection—it’s about restoration. It’s a pathway to dignity, resilience, and meaningful change. That’s why a portion of every viemaa purchase supports women and children in underprivileged communities. We provide free hair care products, self-care resources, and emotional support to help them reconnect with themselves—starting from the roots, quite literally.
We like to say we’re making a difference one strand at a time. And we truly believe that when you heal the person in the mirror, you begin to heal so much more than what’s visible.
As a women-owned, minority-owned brand, what unique perspectives do you think viemaa brings to the beauty industry?
“We build differently—because we’ve had to live in a system that wasn’t built for us.” – Eunice Opoku
Our perspective is shaped by exclusion, resilience, and the determination to create something better—not just for ourselves, but for everyone who’s ever felt unseen in the beauty space.
We bring the lived experiences of those historically left out—not only from boardrooms, but from product shelves and marketing campaigns. viemaa reflects the voices, textures, and stories that mainstream beauty has often overlooked. We lead with empathy, intentionality, and cultural fluency—not because it’s trendy, but because it’s who we are. We prioritize science, innovation, community, and equity—not just trends.
Being a minority- and women-owned brand means we’re not here to fill a market gap—we’re here to ask why that gap existed in the first place.
We’re not replicating old systems. We’re reshaping them. We’re redefining what luxury, innovation, and representation look like. And representation is not performative—it’s deeply personal.
We’re proud to be reforming what beauty looks like, what power sounds like, and most importantly, who gets to be centered in the conversation.
Looking ahead, how do you envision viemaa continuing to evolve and expand its mission of empowering individuals through hair care and self-expression?
“Hair is our medium—but empowerment is our mission.” – Eunice Opoku
The future of viemaa is more than product collections or market share—it’s about shaping a beauty landscape that reflects real people, real needs, and real stories. That’s why we launched the viemaa tribe, a growing community dedicated to connection, education, and self-expression.
We see viemaa growing in both size and influence. That means expanding our reach—but also expanding our impact. As a brand rooted in empowerment, we don’t just want to participate in the beauty industry—we want to help lead it. We want to set trends, elevate standards, and be a voice in shaping the future of beauty, especially for underrepresented communities.
A major focus for us moving forward is deeper personalization. Everyone’s hair journey is unique, and the one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work. That’s why we’re investing in innovation—developing tools and technology that allow users to build custom routines based on their hair type, lifestyle, and even environment. Our goal is to make smart, tailored hair care both accessible and inclusive.
We’re also expanding our product offerings—starting with scalp health. Healthy hair begins at the root, so we’re creating solutions that support the scalp microbiome, address stress-related conditions, and nourish from within. This new category allows us to take a more holistic approach, bridging beauty with overall wellness.
As we grow, we’re staying deeply committed to our values. viemaa is proud to be a women-owned, minority-owned, and WBENC-certified brand. That certification isn’t just symbolic—it’s a tool for creating access. It helps us build supplier diversity, foster meaningful corporate partnerships, and support other women and minority entrepreneurs along the way.
But growth for us isn’t just external. Education will continue to be central to our mission—especially when it comes to reshaping the cultural narrative around hair. For too long, hair care has been framed as maintenance or control. We want to rewrite that narrative and reframe hair care as celebration.
Through workshops, digital content, and community activations, we aim to empower the next generation with knowledge, pride, and the confidence to embrace their natural texture and heritage. Whether it’s a tween learning their first twist-out or a woman reconnecting with her roots after years of chemical treatments, we want to be there—offering guidance, encouragement, and real solutions.
As viemaa evolves, so does our storytelling. We’re committed to showing the real, diverse, beautiful spectrum of identity—across cultures, genders, generations, and textures. Hair is a language of self-expression, and our job is to make sure everyone has the tools and freedom to speak fluently in that language.
At its core, viemaa has always been about more than beautiful hair. Our mission is to empower individuals through intentional rituals and affirming products that help them reconnect—with themselves, their roots, and their communities.
So, as we scale, we’ll stay grounded in purpose:
- To create beauty that’s clean, conscious, and culturally relevant.
- To innovate boldly, while honoring tradition.
- To empower, strand by strand.
Because hair is our medium—but empowerment is our mission.
