Black Women Make Waves in Hair Care
The New York Times
A new crop of businesses is claiming a growing share of a billion-dollar industry.
For more than a decade, Whitney White, a.k.a. @naptural85, has posted hair tutorials on YouTube for Black women, like herself, with natural, coily hair. A self-described natural hair OG, Ms. White, 35, mastered the art of the wash and go (the signature, curl-defining look for ‘naturalistas’), the pineapple (a way to gather hair at the crown to maintain hairstyles for sleeping) and the twist-out (a twisted, dried, then untwisted hairdo). She also taught viewers how to create nourishing shampoos, deep conditioners and hair masks for optimal hair health and growth.
Eventually many of her more than two million followers encouraged her to produce her own line of hair products. Now, as the co-founder of Melanin Haircare, she joins the ranks of Black, female-owned companies that sell products that cater to the needs of Black hair.
“I am a Black woman, so I know what we want,” Ms. White said. “It’s kind of our FUBU moment.”
