It’s no secret that many of the products we’ve purchased or beauty supply stores we’ve frequented have typically been run by people outside of the Black community. In the same breath, whether it was relaxers, perms, Afrosheen, or any other old-school textured hair product, they were overwhelmingly owned or sold by white and Asian entrepreneurs. For an industry that is so integral to the day-to-day lives of Black individuals it's time to look to a new future, one that puts Black Beauty in Black hands.

In 2021, it was estimated that Black consumers had $1.4 trillion in spending power, but it’s no secret that most of this 1.4 trillion isn’t spent on Black-Owned businesses. Thankfully, the tide is starting to change. As the new wave of the Natural Hair Movement swept across the world in the mid 2010s leaving box perms and relaxers gathering dust on store shelves, more Black people began working to create products that would support natural hair.

Despite making products for such a lucrative consumer base with promises of amazing returns, Black entrepreneurs have a hard time finding the capital they need. On average Black entrepreneurs start with $35,000 in capital while white entrepreneurs start with $107,000. For entrepreneurs like Mahisha Dellinger, owner of the haircare line Curls, that $35,000 came directly from their own savings.

However, independent Black entrepreneurs aren’t the only ones who’ve noticed the cultural shift away from relaxers and towards curl creams. Generational giants like L'Oreal, Cantu, and AfroSheen have also re-entered the ring with renewed interest in the textured hair care market. Though these brands aren’t actually Black-Owned themselves, thanks to their power and longstanding influence in the market, they are making moves that will benefit their mostly Black consumers. The most prominent of these actions include supporting the CROWN act, an anti-discriminatory law that would allow Black people to wear their hair how the want in corporate America. And on the business equity side of things, L’Oreal partnered with the NAACP to start the Inclusive Beauty Fund to help Black small business owners.

While the work these bigger brands are doing is helpful for textured hair people across the nation, an impactful way we can all help put Black Beauty back in Black Hands is not only by buying more Black Owned Beauty products, but by supporting funds and investments that support Black-owned startups. One simple and easy way to help the future of Black Owned Beauty is actually right here with Glimmer 411.

Glimmer 411 and the future of Black hair care

It’s no secret that this is a Glimmer 411 article, but we wouldn’t plug ourselves if we didn’t truly believe our work helps put Black Beauty back in Black Hands.

At Glimmer 411 our main goal is to help people like you get the best hair care possible. We’ve consistently helped our clients cultivate the curls and coils of their dreams by creating groundbreaking technology like Curl Cupid: our online platform that matches you with the products we know will support your hair care goals.

To make sure we’ll give you a match made in heaven, Curl Cupid starts by asking questions that take into account everything from the quality of water in your zip-code to your hair type, and uses this information to match you with products and practices that can help your hair thrive.

By engaging with Glimmer 411you’re not supporting just one Black-Owned Business, you’re often supporting two or three other Black-Owned haircare companies. This is because we strive to recommend you Black Owned hair-care products whenever we discover a match. With Glimmer 411, you can not only help put Black Beauty back in Black Hands, but your beauty back in your hands! Click the Button below to start your next hair care journey!