Whether short, long, natural, relaxed, transitioning, red, purple, green, twisted, loc’d or braided; one fact remains: Black women don’t play when it comes to hair. We’ll wait in salons for hours to achieve the perfect ‘do, unapologetically switch up styles like underwear and spend an enormous amount of time, energy and coin to get the right cocktail of products for our beloved tresses.
In recent years, Black women in Hollywood have diversified their portfolios to create haircare lines catering to our manes in ways too long overlooked by the mainstream beauty industry. Here are our three fave products from four amazing celeb-led haircare brands and the creative talents behind them.
Flawless by Gabrielle Union – Originally launched in 2017 by a best-selling author and actress who has been captivating us on the big and small screen for more than two decades.
Flawless 5 Butter Masque ($9.99; flawlesscurls.com) This hydrating deep conditioner contains five (!) restoring butters: shea, mango, cupuacu, Brazilian bacuri and murumuru plus honey to help increase the shine, softness and overall health of your strands.
Flawless Repairing Edge Control ($6.99, flawlesscurls.com) An oil-enhanced pomade to keep edges laid that is also infused with Biotin to stimulate growth? Jackpot!
Flawless Restoring Exotic Oil Treatment ($9.99; flawlesscurls.com) The expert blend of nourishing oils from passionfruit to acai palm oil helps to seal in moisture and reduce frizz.
Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross This hilarious and stylish actress debuted her haircare collection in 2019.
Hydration Shampoo ($20; patternbeauty.com) Packed with goodness like aloe vera juice, honey and coconut oil, this shampoo thoroughly cleanses without stripping away moisture.
Leave-In Conditioner ($25; patternbeauty.com) This lightweight formula complete with jojoba and tea tree oils is excellent for giving natural curls a spruce while restoring moisture.
Hydrating Mist ($18; patternbeauty.com) Blended with coconut oil, avocado oil and aloe vera, this milky mist helps to protect strands from dirt and pollution while refreshing lackluster curls.
Sienna Naturals by Issa Rae and Hannah Diop The entertainment trailblazer who created her own seat – and table – in Hollywood collaborated with a beauty industry veteran (who launched Sienna Naturals in her Harlem, NY apartment in 2012) for a brand relaunch in 2020.
Plant Power Repair Mask ($22; siennanaturals.com) Dry and damaged strands will soak up this pleasant smelling, protein rich conditioning treatment with blue tansy oil to soothe the scalp.
Dew Magic Leave-In Conditioner ($18; siennanaturals.com) The baobab and coconut oils in this leave-in help make wash day less stressful as the lightweight ingredients revive curl patterns without weighing hair down.
Curl Elixir Conditioning Spray ($20; siennanaturals.com) Created for twist-outs, protective and wash and go styles, this moisture-enriching elixir was dermatologist tested for sensitive scalps and contains grapeseed oil to protect fragile tresses.
TPH by Taraji P. Henson In 2020,the actress and mental-health advocate expanded her territory into the world of haircare.
Ultra Chill Serum ($11.99; tphbytaraji.com) This tri-touch applicator is a game-changer! It uniquely provides direct-to-scalp relief which is essential when rocking protective styles like weaves, wigs, braids or twists. Add to this the caffeine, tea tree oil, aloe and biotin formulation for bona fide star status in any hair care arsenal.
Hustle & Glow Co-Wash ($9.99; tphbytaraji.com) The shea butter, olive and sage oils in this conditioning cleanser give curls, kinks and coils a boost while depositing hydrating goodness.
After Dark Mask ($14.99; tphbytaraji.com) This vegan mask is meant to be used overnight for best results and contains mango seed butter, horsetail extract, grapeseed oil and shea butter to deeply fortify and hydrate strands.