Create to Heal  Transforms Salons Into Spaces for Science-Led Beauty, Healing, and Restoration In Trusted Community Spaces

NEW YORK, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundial Media and Technology Group, a human connections platform and home to ESSENCE, Refinery29, SOMOS, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™, and more, announces a values-aligned partnership with MYAVANA, a Black woman-owned beauty technology company, and Create to Heal, Sundial's community-centered wellness initiative dedicated to supporting the healing, creativity, and well-being of women and their communities.  Designed as a Salon-as-Sanctuary, the initiative transforms salons into calm, private, and affirming spaces where women navigating trauma and transition receive personalized beauty and wellness services rooted in science, care, and cultural understanding.

Create to Heal's service-led community healing framework is applied across varying activation formats and in this partnership with MYAVANA, is using science-led beauty and restorative care to support dignity, confidence, and well-being for communities impacted by trauma, particularly women navigating life transitions, former incarceration, displacement, or economic disruption.  The framework activates salon-based environments as trusted spaces for care, connection, and personal restoration, meeting women where they are and centering their lived experiences. Community implementation is supported by social impact non-profit Don't Forget About Me (DFAM), which recruits and manages licensed practitioners, supports participant trust-building and intake in partnership with trusted community partners, and ensures trauma-informed, culturally competent service delivery. Building on a successful pilot activation in Chicago, Create to Heal will expand intentionally into select cities based on community need and trusted partnerships, including Los Angeles, New Orleans, Atlanta, New York, Boston, and Tulsa. Future activations may be supported by mission-aligned partners whose involvement prioritizes care, dignity, and community benefit.

Each activation integrates MYAVANA's AI-powered hair & scalp diagnostics, personalized hair care and styling regimens, and culturally grounded wellness practices delivered by licensed professionals. MYAVANA's proprietary hair science informs personalized hair health insights and care recommendations, while hands-on services support confidence, self-expression, and restoration. The result is a participant-first experience that balances meaningful service with measurable, data-informed impact.

"Create to Heal lives at the intersection of culture, care, and science," said Varsay Sirleaf, Senior Director of Community and Global Engagement at ESSENCE. "We believe beauty can be a restorative practice when it is grounded in trust, dignity, and real service. Partnering with MYAVANA allows us to move beyond storytelling and into shared action — building care-driven experiences that honor Black women and create impact that's both felt and measurable."

For MYAVANA, Create to Heal represents a high-trust, real-world application of its technology—driving stylist engagement, advancing inclusive beauty innovation, and generating responsible, anonymized insights that can inform future education, product development, community initiatives, and personalized needs.

"This partnership brings our mission to life in the most purposeful way," said Candace V. Mitchell, Founder and CEO of MYAVANA. "By embedding our hair science experience into spaces where we learned to commune and trust, we're able to deliver personalized care that honors dignity, healing, and nurtures communities at a time when we need it the most.

A Salon-as-Sanctuary Experience

Create to Heal's salon activations are intentionally executed as closed, service-first experiences that prioritize dignity, safety, and trust, with no pre-event public promotion and all storytelling captured post-experience with participant consent.  Participants move through a guided, concierge-style flow that includes personalized hair & scalp analysis, restorative beauty and wellness services, and wellness coaching with ongoing touchpoints. Experiences typically take place on Mondays to ensure a calm environment and the participation of volunteer licensed professionals. Select moments are thoughtfully documented through portrait-based and observational storytelling to affirm identity and resilience.

Together, SMTG, MYAVANA, and DFAM are redefining what beauty-led care can look like — centering healing, dignity, and trust while creating a scalable, service-driven model for long-term community impact.

About Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG)
Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections platform powered by culture and scaled by technology. Built to serve and amplify HER—the Chief Influence Officer—SMTG connects storytelling, data, and innovation to expand influence, economic power, and community impact. Through a portfolio of iconic, purpose-driven brands and experiences, SMTG is shaping the future of media, commerce, and community on HER terms.

About MYAVANA
MYAVANA is a trailblazing beauty technology company on a mission to transform the hair care industry through science, technology, and personalized guidance. Powered by its proprietary HairAI™ technology and a team of healthy hair experts, MYAVANA delivers customized hair care recommendations tailored to the unique needs of each individual, helping people confidently navigate their personal hair and life journeys.

About Don't Forget About Me (DFAM)
Don't Forget About Me, Inc. (DFAM) is a non-profit organization that builds a human connection with survivors of traumatic events, such as natural disasters, domestic violence, homelessness, and neighborhood violence, through the provision of wellness and self-care.

Media Contact:

Shirley Dickerson, Global Brand Manager
shirley@myavana.com

pr@essence.com

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SOURCE MYAVANA