Ethnic Hair Care:
A Healthy Segment
Natural ingredients and healthy tresses take center stage.
Christine Esposito
Associate Editor
E
VERY WOMAN
wants her friends and co-workers to
be envious of her hair, which just might be mod-
eled after an actress, singer or celebrity du jour
(or even the First Lady). The trouble is getting it
there. Women in general devote considerable time
and resources to create locks they love. For many
“ethnic” consumers the task is often more compli-
cated, stemming mainly from texture.
While hair clearly matters to nearly every racial
group, it is much more of a hot button issue for the African-
Photo:
Mixed
Chicks
American community (the core consumers in the U.S. ethnic
hair care market). Case in point: Comedian Chris Rock this
year presented a documentary on the subject at the
Sundance Film Festival. In his film, “Good Hair,” Mr. Rock
uses his wit to explore the culture—and, as the film puts it
a “$9 billion” business—of black hair, by visiting salons,
labs and hair shows and interviewing a bevy of celebrities
(Maya Angelou, Rev. Al Sharpton, Nia Long, Raven Symoné
and others) about the struggles they have had with their
hair. The documentary shines a light on the wide range of
services and products African American women and men
use on a regular basis—relaxers, weaves, wigs and extensions—and delves deep into social and racial issues.
Natural Therapies
“Good Hair” market estimates aside, ethnic hair is a growing
sector within personal care. According to a report released
last summer from Packaged Facts, ethnic-specific hair care
preparation sales were expected to top a record $1.2 billion
in 2008, up 4.6% from 2007. Across the board, natural and
organic ingredients continue to be a big trend, driven by a
focus on maintaining and restoring hair’s health.
“The buzzword around ingredients is ‘healthy’—anything
that can be recognized as a healthy alternative such as
implied plant derivatives or organics answer the call with
today’s ethnic consumer,” said Veronique Morrison, director
of education for Mizani, which was created in 1991 by
SoftSheen and Redken Laboratories, and is now a division of
L’Oréal. “Consumers want visibly shiny viable, healthy looking hair.”
Style experts HAPPI spoke with noted that First Lady
Michelle Obama will most likely keep the spotlight on
healthy hair.
According to Ms. Morrison, consumers are no longer
reaching for heavy sticky spritzes, but are merging to
lighter more flexible hold products. “Environmentally
friendly hairdresses that provide shine and vibrancy, and
sprays that hold and shine simultaneously without eternal buildup will lead this year,” she said.
Playing to the natural/organic trend, Colomer USA is
