Is the care of textured hair finally gaining momentum?
Data from Mintoiro shows that brands specializing in natural and curly hair types are experiencing a rapid rise on Instagram. These include influential newcomers like Rihanna’s Fenty Hair and Beyoncé’s Cécred, as well as OG “Insta-brand” La Belle Bouclé, which started as a curly hair blog in 2017.
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Other brands with strong unique selling points – such as Negin Mirsalehi’s honey-infused “Gisou” and the biotechnologically produced “K18” (presented by Simone Biles since June) – are also seeing strong participation and reach on the platform.
“Compared to the abundance of skincare and makeup products, there is a lot of room in haircare,” said Jennifer Carlsson, founder of Mintoiro. “It’s a market where people are actively looking for new and better products – finding a niche in that is definitely possible.”
In the first quarter of 2024, the premium hair care category, which has seen a sales increase since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, was second only to fragrances in terms of sales growth. The category grew 11 percent during the period, while skin care and makeup saw increases of 10 percent and 5 percent, respectively, according to Circana.
While the current dominance of Fenty Hair and Cécred is indeed due to their newness and cutting-edge founders, the fact that both target underserved consumers with different hair types could be a key to securing the kind of longevity that many celebrity-founded brands lack.
“Whether the momentum continues will depend on how innovative they continue to be,” Carlsson said, pointing to Tracee Ellis Ross’ Pattern Beauty as an example of a celebrity-founded brand that stands out for having both a highly visible founder and a steady stream of solution-focused products. The same goes for Taraji P. Henson’s 2020-founded brand TBH by Taraji, which focuses on scalp care and is positioned more in the masstigious sector.
“These are hair care products tailored to black hair and founded and run by a black woman, not a corporation,” continued Carlsson, who expects the prestige sector “to see further growth under the umbrella of this curly, kinky hair industry in the next year.”
Here are the top 10 haircare brands on Instagram in June, according to Mintoiro.
1. Fenty Hair
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Founded: 2024
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Founder: Rihanna
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Monthly contributions: 75
2. Gisou
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Year of foundation: 2015
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Founder: Negin Mirsalehi
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Monthly contributions: 31
3. Sun of Janeiro
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Founded: 2015
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Founder: Heela Yang
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Monthly contributions: 30
4. Cécred
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Founded: 2024
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Founder: Beyonce
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Monthly contributions: 44
5. The beautiful Bouclé
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Founded: 2017
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Founder: Lauren Schein
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Monthly contributions: 14
6. The Secrets of Loly
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Founded: 20009
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Founder: Kelly Massol
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Monthly contributions: 16
7. Kreyòl Essence
8. Eva NYC
9. K18
10. TPH by Taraji
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