Now, I’ll admit there are more and more Black Owned Businesses popping up overnight with custom shea butter* mixes and hair elixir’s waiting to be tried.
Among these are: Eden Body Works, Miss Jessie’s, Shea Moisture*, and Bronner Bros. just to name a few. To add conflict to measure check out the following list of products that are made for “Black Hair” but are not black owned.
Dax
African Pride
Hawaiian Silky
Doo Gro
KeraCare
Motions
Creme of Nature
Mizani
African Best
Marketing
So why is it that certain products are geared towards your race? It makes more sense to me that you should market your product to the masses, increasing your sales.
Then again, from a business standpoint it is good to narrow down your target market. I use to be afraid of trying products such as Herbal Essences and Aussie with the thought that it was pretty much guaranteed not to work for my hair.
I mean why try something when you have always been told it does not work anyway? Companies figure, you put a black woman on a box with long, flowing, beautiful hair, then the product will sell itself. Are they right?
Can it be called deceptive advertising? I have found that some so called “white products” have worked better for my hair than those that have been marketed towards me.
Although, it may be the furthest thing from our mind when at the checkout, marketing plays a huge role in the things that we buy. No doubt about it, that it does influence our decision, but should it be the ultimate deciding factor on what should work for our hair?
Does it really make a difference
For those who have tried a vast array of products on their hair journey, did you notice a big difference in whether it was a “black product” or “white product” you used? For, some the answer may be yes.
I know when I was a relaxed diva, I was a die hard fan for Motions everything! Not because it was marketed towards my skin tone but for the mere fact that it freaking worked for my hair.
Besides whose business is it to tell you what products you can and can’t use in your hair? If it is working for you, then that is all that matters.
A mentality that you should use products made for black people is an idea that is extremely flawed. Especially since it has been proven, that many of these companies are not even black owned.
It is all in the marketing that you are feeding into. In my opinion there is no such thing as white and black products. Just good product vs bad product.
If it works for you, great, if not, don’t knock another person’s choice with a blatantly incorrect comment as you exchange hair advice. Your hair may be missing out on the best moisturizing conditioner*. To each their own though,, as long as it’s healthy, we should all be celebrating.
Iam Katnonymous says
thanks for the article and yes Softsheen and Lusters were formerly black owned ( I think I saw these as sponsors on some of those vintage Soul Train episodes!) Whatever works is what is best
Nubiyan Queene says
I had the best hair growth and healthiest hair when I used Pantene shampoo and conditioner along with a VO5 hot oil treatment.
Shamieka Wilson says
Pantene used to be my best friend til they changed the formula….
Markisha Walmack says
Pantene broke my hair off real bad
Monica Thornton-Anderson says
That VO5! Wht did we stop using that liquid GOLD?? Lol!
Yolanda Hill says
Ask them why they get a degree in ignorant questions! ✌
Shareta Caldwell-Rippatoe says
When I was relaxed, I looked at the picture on the box. Now that I am natural, I just want to know what your claim is! Don’t even want to see a picture. I am looking for ‘tame frizz’ and ‘moisture’. And I do gravitate towards the ethnic hair section because those are the products I like. I love my Shea Butter and that is where it is.
I think of hair differences by texture and not race. What works for a curly girl may not work on my kinks and coils. I really just go with what my hair likes. If I see a recommendation, I will give it a try no matter whose hair it was meant for. What I don’t understand is why hair products that are geared towards us are so dang expensive. I bought 5 products and spent $60 at Target! The good part is that I have been trying products for years and nothing moisturized my hair. I sat on the floor in Target and read all the labels and chose these 5 things and wow, it worked! Hair is moisturized like never before. Now the hard part is going to be finding out which really is the product working because I used a little of all of them. On another note, marketing people know black folks spend money on their hair and that is why all of these companies have jumped on the “natural hair” bandwagon.
Sherelle Leedsfashionshow Davidson says
For a period of time I only had limited access to black products so had to use what I thought was appropriate as per the ingredients and my desired results, and I found they worked better than half of the products I have on my dresser.
Trudi Redway says
I don’t necessarily disagree with this point of view, however I do believe the article should be supported with facts and references. It will take more than your shock and dismay at black people to sway my opinion.
Stephanie S says
I just always figured that hair products geared towards Blacks were heavier and contained more oils, which is why they’re supposedly more suited for us. I recall a white classmate back in high school saying she tried Dark and Lovely shampoo and complained it made her hair sticky lol
Ajah says
I’m so glad that you wrote this because I never understood why people would ask me the same thing. Sure I’ll support black owned products as long as they work. I never saw products other than relaxers as a white black type of product. It wasn’t until I literally 4 years ago that it was so in my face. Just give me something that tames frizz, helps to detangle and moisturizes; I’m good to go after that.
Michelle Nicole Charley says
Aussie moist conditioner is the BEST! I’ve used it for 3 years and have amazing results (I mix it with baking soda and coconut oil). I save a ton of money because it’s cheap and comes in larger bottle sizes. I would rather pocket my savings than pay more and lose money just because some other product is supposedly for “black hair”.
Chrissy D says
I like this Article, whether generated by “shock or facts”. On a side note I like being natural for more than one reason, one being education. I know more about hair and product ingredients than I thought possible.
I like supporting black owned businesses, For Us By US. But I never knew that a lot of these brands I was supporting from my relaxer days were not black owned until i went back to being natural. Also, I used to stay away from brands like L’Oréal and bought only black hair marketed products. I end up with dryer hair than I started with when I used my $12 conditioner versus one bought for $3. And mind you, cheap doesn’t equal bad.
As the article said, even if marketed for a monkey’s uncle but has the right ingredients and works, why not?