The evolving world of the black beauty industry, and how the internet help shape it
What do you think of when you hear the term black beauty? Do you think of Anna Sewell’s book, “Black Beauty” ? Or do you think of the beauty market that is targeted to and created for the black demographic? If you pick the latter, you are correct. Black beauty is the term used to describe black owned, black operated, and black made beauty products. Black beauty is the black sector of the beauty industry where all beauty products, whether it be hair, skin, or makeup, are created by, design for, and specialize to support, enhance, mimic and match all black skin tones and hair types. If you’re interested in knowing all about the black beauty industry, its start, rise, fall, revival, the future of the industry, and just how much the internet has helped shape, progress, and cultivate it, check out this article below.
10.) Say It Loud! The Start of A Movement
The 1960s/1970s were the most progressive revolutionizing time for Black Americans. Not only was it the time for black liberation and freedom, but it also was the catalyst and early predecessor that started black women and men from all around the world to embrace their beauty.With this new found love and embracement, Black people started to create their own space within the beauty world. Afro Sheen, Softsheen-Carson, Fashion Fair, Zuri Cosmetics (which are all still thriving today) were some of the first and only black owned hair and makeup brands that were created by and design for black skin tones and hair.
Photograph: Courtesy of the artist and Philip Martin Gallery
9.) When The Black Beauty Industry Became Dormant
The late 60s/70s were all about embracing and owning blackness. Black people everywhere no longer submitted to the Eurocentric standards of hair and beauty, trading in their chemical relaxers for their natural kinky curly tress, and finally having make up products that not only matched but catered to their complexions. But by the 1980s/1990s, the beauty industry started to get complacent with the very few and only black owned/created hair and make up products. It became very apparent that these black created spaces, were the only spaces the beauty industry had for black beauty, black beauty had now become stagnant.
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8.)The Revival Of Black Beauty
The turn of the new century not only brought in a new era, but welcomed in the age of the digital world. The digital world drastically increased and impacted the beauty industry. Pre-Internet, the beauty industry and standards were very monolith. They were all based off of homogenous trends and fads, and left no room for diversity. Even in the black owned and created spaces, eurocentrism was still pretty much ubiquitous, and black hair and beauty was still modeled after euro standards. It wasn’t until the 2000s that the beauty world really started embracing diversity and inclusivity.
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7.) The Internet Inspired Natural Hair
By the 2000s, natural hair started to gain traction once again and the beauty industry took notice. With the 2000s being the age of the internet, natural hair once again started to make a name for its self. With the launch and success of online hair companies like, missjessies , carolsdaughter, sheamoisture, natural hair started to gain a cult like following online with black women everywhere, tired of the damaging and hazardous effects that chemical relaxers (which had been a staple product in the black community since 1909) had on their hair. The documentary film, “ Good_Hair ” had also raised awareness and also inspired black women nationwide to go natural and embrace their natural kinky curly tress.
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6.) The Beauty Industry Becomes Diverse
The 2000s also created a new era of beauty standards and trends that were predicated on diversity and inclusivity. Whether it was the groundbreaking moment in 2008 when Italian Vogue had their first ever all black fashion issue, 2014 when Lupita Nyong’o became the first black spokesperson for Lancome, or in 2017 when Pat-Mcgrath was branded the world’s most influential make up artist, one thing was for certain, black beauty had made its mark in the beauty industry and was here to stay.
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5.)The Impact of Social Media
It is without a doubt, social media has played a significant role and greatly impacted, not only the black beauty industry, but the beauty industry as a whole. Since the start of social media, the beauty industry was able to successfully promote and market their products/services online through various social media platforms like Youtube, Instagram,Twitter, Facebook, etc. These platforms connected the beauty industry (specifically black beauty) directly to a global audience and consumers.
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4.) Social Media Created A New Lane In the Beauty Industry
The biggest contribution social media has made, is creating new job fields within the beauty and entertainment industry. Even though the beauty and entertainment industry has always coexist together side by side, they have never been interchangeable with each other. But, because of social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, the beauty and entertainment industry has essentially merged into one. Many people who had worked in the beauty industry behind the scences were now at the forefront of their field, essentially becoming not only the face, but the brand. YouTube and Instagram had now created a space where beauty and hair creators could promote and display their talents and services online. It also created new job titles within the beauty industry, natural hair and make up guru’s became the new sought out job title, which was was given to anyone who had profited off the social media platforms.
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3.) The Internet Became The Driving Force For The Beauty Industry To Promote and Sell Their Products
Statics have shown the decline of brick and mortar stores when it comes to sales in beauty products. Online retailers and beauty/hair brand websites, have far exceeded the demand of in store sales. This is especially true for black beauty brands and products. Black women nationwide are in agreeance that most retail stores fail in their ability to cater to, and just outright acknowledge the black demographic. Instagram has become one of the most used platforms that black beauty brands market off of, becoming the go to promotional tool. With brands like kaleidoscopehairproducts, supa_cent , beautybakeriemakeup, juviasplace, melaninhaircare , Instagram has expanded and turn these brands into multi million dollar businesses.
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2.) The Black Beauty Industry Today
There’s no denying the progress the beauty industry has made in a effort to be more diverse and inclusive. In the past, the black community had to create their own spaces in order to even have beauty and hair products and some form of representation. Even in today’s world with the world becoming more progressive and liberal, the antiquated and outdated European standard of beauty, still for the most part, is still the standard of beauty. But presently, these standards and ideologies are steadily and rapidly changing. With the world growing more inclusive and diverse, euro standards that once dominated the beauty industry have now become a thing of the past. The beauty industry is slowly starting to become one the most diverse and inclusive industries in the market.
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1.) The Future Of The Black Beauty Industry
Whether it’s makeup, skincare, or hair, the beauty industry has seen, heard, and taken note of the black demographic. The black demographic was a demographic that was often over looked, and never really marketed to.With the success of make up brands like Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, which was the first make up line to have a wide range of foundation shades(40 different shades), and mainstream hair brands like L’oreal, Suave, Pantene, and Aussie, creating their own line of natural hair products that are design specifically for black hair, one thing is for certain; The future looks quite bright for the black beauty industry, it has been grounded and cultivated into a billion dollar industry. What does the future hold? Only time can tell. But as of right now, the black beauty industry is no longer looking separatist; force to be separated from mainstream beauty, having to create their own brands and spaces. The beauty world is becoming more and more inclusive, there is a market and space for everyone. Pretty soon the black beauty industry will no longer be the black beauty industry, it will be just the beauty industry.
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