Mielle Hair Care Products was established in 2014 by Monique and Melvin Rodriguez. This multi-million-dollar company was launched from their basement, where Monique tried to correct her color and heat-damaged hair. Due to its cutting-edge, technologically advanced products, all-natural ingredients, and inspiring and instructive content, Mielle Organics has established itself as a top brand for those with textured hair. Often times it is difficult for black women specifically to find products that will help maintain, nurture, and protect their curls. When Black women realize that someone who was in their position and struggled to find helpful products decided to make her own products, they are more inclined to purchase these.
Mielle: Organic and Natural Hair Care Products consist of a range of products including dry styling lotion, dry styler gel, refreshing spray, and most infamously their Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil. Although these products have been on the shelves since 2014, TikTok has made plagued consumers buy the product. Black women who are considered influencers began raving about this product by saying how it promotes hair growth and displays before and after pictures during their usage. When the white side of TikTok caught wind of this trending hair care product, they also began purchasing the oil. After about two weeks of trending on TikTok, the infamous oil was sold out and rising in price. Although this oil was not meant to and has not been proven to promote hair growth for white people with fine hair, they still purchased this product because of its trendy nature. This happens very often and although it helps promote the business and sells more products for a black founder, it also takes away useful products from black men and women who truly need those products because there are minimal options.
When the products began to fly off the shelves, the company gained traction from white consumers and potential white buyers. According to a press release, Mielle Organics is being purchased by Procter & Gamble to increase public access to its product lineup. In an Instagram post, Mielle stated that the brand would continue to function as a stand-alone division of P&G Beauty and that there are no plans to alter the formula of its products. Although we will always root for Black women stepping into their bags and being placed in a position to have a larger platform, we have seen too often the product alteration once a white company buys a Black beauty brand. As seen on the shelves, the product packaging for Mielle has already changed, and with this, the Black consumer may assume that the formula is also altered. The sad truth is that white users continue trying to popularize black products, they fly off the shelves, are bought by white companies, and are no longer meant for the Black user.