Los Angeles, CA – February 20: (Exclusive Coverage) (Editorial Use Only) Beyoncé celebrates the launch of her hair care line CÉCRED at an intimate gathering at The Reverie LA on February 20, 2024 in Los Angeles. Angeles, California. (Photo by Julian Dakdouk/Parkwood Media/WireImage via Parkwood)
WireImage via Parkwood
Beyoncé has released a new hair care brand, Cécred. The eight-piece collection includes clarifying shampoos and scalp scrubs, moisturizing shampoos, moisturizing deep conditioners, and even a “fermented rice and rose ritual treatment.” In the lead-up to the launch, Beyoncé’s fans, affectionately known as the “Beyhive”, shared their thoughts about the new brand online. This hair care product line has received mixed reviews from BeyHive and the general public.
Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles, who was a hairdresser and ran her own salon, said in an interview with Beyoncé for Essence magazine that when she was a salon owner, she “combined high-tech hair care with nourishing moisturizers. There wasn’t a single product.” And because oil is so important for textured and colored hair, I mixed the two together. ”
“It was a dream of mine to create these hair products and make my mother’s teachings a reality,” Beyoncé explained on the Secred website. We started by prioritizing the needs of textured hair that lacks moisture and strength, like mine and others. “If it’s important to create a hair care line centered around the needs of people with textured hair, some consumers wonder why this line wasn’t marketed specifically towards the same demographic.” I think so.
Hair is a highly controversial subject, especially for Black people and Black women. Hair can be a source of pride and power, but for many Black women, girls, and femmes, hair has been a source of pain and prejudice. In 1786, New Orleans Governor Don Estevan Miró implemented the Tignon Law, which required African women to cover their hair with a scarf or handkerchief to designate their slave class. Racist policies and practices in schools and workplaces have led to discrimination faced by people of African descent, and various states in the United States have introduced Crown Acts that provide protection against this type of discrimination. did.
Racist policies and practices in schools and workplaces have led to… (+) discrimination faced by people with Afro-textured hair.
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In the 1900s, eugenicist Eugen Fischer developed a racist hair typing system that designated a person’s proximity to whiteness based on their hair texture. Today, remnants of this hair classification system remain through the marginalization and discrimination of people with kinkier or textured hair. Until recent years, there were few hair care lines that specifically catered to kinky or African-textured hair. In the 2000s, companies began to take notice of the movement towards natural hair acceptance within the black community and capitalized on the moment.
Currently, many Black-owned hair care companies designed to prioritize African-textured hair have since been acquired or acquired by larger white-led companies, only to find that many Black-owned hair care companies that were designed to prioritize African-textured hair have since been bought out or bought out by larger white-led companies, only to find that many Black-owned hair care companies that were designed to prioritize hair with African textures have since been bought out or bought out by larger white-led companies, only to find that many Black-owned hair care companies have been dissatisfied with the changes in their formulations. Existing customers were very disappointed. What comes with acquiring white. With a distinct lack of hair products designed for curvier hair types, consumers are finding that people like Beyoncé, who loudly and proudly celebrate Black people in her music and art, are the ones for those with Afro hair. You might expect them to develop a product specifically designed for you. Many brands often pander to Black consumers because of their purchasing power. McKinsey reports that Black economic power will exceed $1 trillion by 2030. For black buyers, it’s not enough for a big star to simply promote their name on a product. Customers want to know that products are designed by brands promoted by their favorite celebrities. Especially catering to their specific needs.
When examining the success of celebrity-backed brands, many look at Rihanna’s successful brand, Fenty Beauty, and the fact that Rihanna frequently shares tutorials and videos using products sold in her beauty line. people have pointed out. Fenty Beauty was unique at the time in that it offered 40 shades that were inclusively designed for people of all skin tones, including darker skin tones, which was often overlooked by traditional makeup brands. It was a first for the brand. For many companies, the key to success is creating quality products that embrace people who have historically been marginalized and excluded.
In this day and age, discerning consumers demand more from the products being sold. The bar is even higher for celebrity-backed brands, with customers wanting to see their favorite stars involved with the products and brands that bear their name. The verdict on Secred is not yet out. In today’s day and age, the determining factor for a brand’s success seems to be creating niche products that consumers, particularly underserved populations, can relate to and address their specific needs.