What does?or should?the face of natural hair look like" It’s a question I’ve been asking myself for months now. As a black beauty editor, I’m likely more aware than the average woman of diversity and representation not only in ads, but in packaging, products, and the missions and people behind different beauty brands. But lately, consumers are taking more and more companies to task when they fail to represent or serve a fair and realistic variety of skin tones and hair types. This is happening not just within the realm of major, mainstream beauty brands, but even with those that claim to be specifically made by or for women of color.
Last April, SheaMoisture?a Harlem-bred, black-owned company?found itself at the mercy of Twitter when it released an ad titled “Hair Hate,” where women shared the insecurities they’ve had to face because of their hair texture. Despite the fact that a range of different curl patterns and ethnicities were featured, this particular ad was completely devoid of darker-skinned women with kinkier textures?the same women who many felt have supported the brand since its humble beginnings. Some went as far as to accuse the brand of abandoning its loyal core consumer in an effort to appeal to whiter audiences. As expected, SheaMoisture quickly issued an apology and revealed an additional “Hair Hate” video dedicated solely to kinkier textures after the damage had been done. https://twitter.com/girlswitht...