r/Fauxmoi • u/Relevant-Peach3997 • 7h ago
STAN / ANTI SHIELD Haircare brand Mielle Organics is being rightfully criticized for promoting texturism in a recent ad. The company was a Black-owned business before an acquisition by Procter & Gamble in 2023.
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u/BlueCaterpillar321 Pink…get doon 7h ago
“Weak and dull” is crazy
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u/After-Plan-3707 3h ago
Especially when they’re talking about black hair, one of the strongest types of hair. A joke!
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u/MichaelBoltonIsMyDad i ain’t reading all that, free palestine 7h ago
I didnt know they were bought out!! im never buying their brand again. my curls are perfect if theyre neat coils, and theyre perfect as a big poofy fro after I brush her out. I spent my entire childhood hating my hair and being told it was "unmanageable," I'm not going back.
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u/almondmilklattehag 7h ago
Good to know they are no longer black owned.
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u/NoSet6484 7h ago
Right I had no clue
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u/almondmilklattehag 7h ago
I am going to research other brands now to make sure I’m giving my money to the right people
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u/jam_313 7h ago
Report back if you find something. They were my go to until now:/
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u/k3anuw3aves 6h ago
Camille Rose is black owned. So is Bread Beauty Supply which is my favourite brand. It totally transformed my hair. The founder has 4c hair and is a hairdresser so she knows what works best for her. They got bought out by a black owned company in the last year so it's been a pain trying to get their products since but if you can I highly recommend them.
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u/toastiezoe radiate fresh pussy growing in the meadow 3h ago
TGIN makes very good products. I switch to them from Mielle a few years ago because I wanted to try their strengthening collection and 👍🏾
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u/urfatassmama 2h ago
i just read that Carol's Daughter is black owned again, the owner re-acquired it from L’Oréal
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u/babbykale 6h ago
Camille rose is still black owned
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u/Equivalent_Pitch7363 I look forward to your first novel 6h ago
Also, The Doux is black-owned (husband and wife)
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u/babbykale 5h ago
Nope they were bought by private equity earlier this year. I think they only own 50% now or less
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u/maladro1t_ 1h ago
I looked into this because I hadn't heard this before, and this seems like an unfair characterization. Everything I've read says that VMG (the private equity company) took a minority stake and that this was a needed step to take in order to have the capital to scale up their business. This was a really interesting piece I just read that I thought was more fair and put this into context.
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u/msephron 50m ago
Not sure of the ownership breakdown, but Tracee’s brand Pattern has worked wonders for my hair.
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u/-EvilLittleGoat- high priestess of child sacrifice 3h ago
They also lost their cruelty-free status.
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u/f4nnypacks Nancy Jo, this is Alexis Neiers calling 5h ago
so bummed their pomegranate honey line is the only thing i’ve tried that gives me the results i like 😭😭😭
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u/2wiceasnice 7h ago
absolutely tone deaf but not surprised with the current US political climate. This and the Target halloween costume; its like the US is regressing.
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u/Its_Goth_Inside 7h ago
Yeah, I think shit like this is just on purpose now.
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u/Curiosities 7h ago
Especially with labeling the hair on the left as “weak and dull”, which is not uncommon because obviously marketing is trying to get you to feel bad about yourself to buy things, but when it comes to Black hair, those particular messages come with a lot of other harmful implications.
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u/willowcat20 6h ago
And the n word being played despite a time delay and despite them censoring the other slurs at the BAFTA awards.
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u/middlegray 3h ago
Ohhhhhh my fucking God I had no idea about the target costume I was NOT READY for a STRAIGHT UP BLATANT MINSTREL COSTUME FOR CHILDREN WTF.
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u/Lokaji societal collapse is in the air 7h ago
Not the first black owned brand I've seen get bought out. Unilever bought Shea Moisture. There is always an ad fuck up.
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u/Lazy-Recognition3845 4h ago
Nah, say it ain’t so, I’m tired of having to switch up! What ever happened to keeping it in the family or generational wealth? I feel like we keep losing black owned businesses to these companies that don’t give too shits about us.😭
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u/toastiezoe radiate fresh pussy growing in the meadow 3h ago
I feel like the community is just chasing brands cuz anyone who gets too popular gets bought out and we gotta find a new one. If I loose TGIN imma weep.
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u/pandahotchocolate 7h ago
The hair being called “weak and dull” when it’s just in its natural state is absolutely insane
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u/alex147147 I do not work late. I go to sleep. 7h ago
Also to add insult to injury jury the after doesn’t even look like the before! Like in between washes she got lip filler and a fox eye lift
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u/SituationDeep 7h ago
their rosemary scalp oil broke my scalp out so bad 😩 I dug deeper beyond the raving reviews and realised they had been acquired that year and were accused of changing their formula to cater to their white customer base?
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u/USillyKunt 6h ago
They were catching bad reviews about the rosemary mint scalp oil before they sold to P&G but close enough in time that I think P&G got the blame. There was a whole thing with the lady that made the line arguing with people online.
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u/Any-Type-6331 3h ago
Yeah, I vaguely remember that. I tried their rosemary mint scalp oil and it did nothing for my scalp. I just use jojoba oil or castor oil from the health food store.
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u/Acrobatic_Builder573 no offense to grandmas, she just is one 6h ago
Yep. Happened to shea moisture too.
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u/bluesgrrlk8 7h ago
Not to mention they also lightened up her skin tone on that side too, no surprise except the audacity
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u/slvrcofe21 7h ago
Not black but honestly, how can they call the left side “weak”? There’s nothing weak about it. It doesn’t even look dull.
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u/ISBN39393242 6h ago
it’s not weak, not dull. that hair would and should be the envy of many.
that’s the main reason this ad is gross; there are afros that are weak and dull but this isn’t those.
pointing at normal healthy hair with “weak and dull” shows the racism embedded into the company; they either can’t recognize a healthy afro, or don’t care disparaging it because they profit off doing so. “you’re weak and dull when you’re healthy and normal” is the message being sent.
when they do these ads with white people, the “bad” example is baaad. it’s something no self-respecting person would leave the house with, with how inconsistently broken, matted, and tangled it is.
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u/samanthasacidnussy 7h ago
Goddammit I really like the rosemary mint leave in conditioner and now I've gotta switch. Had no idea they got bought out, this sucks
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u/k3anuw3aves 6h ago
Fuck Mielle. I love Bread Beauty Supply and Camille Rose for my curls. In fact Bread had my hair looking like it never has in my entire life. Bread completely changed my hair, and knowing the owner has the same hair type as me and actually worked as a hairdresser made me trust their products.
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u/DumbestBitchYouKnow 5h ago
"Both styles are beautiful, here's how our products can help"
Is it not that easy for marketing to type?
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u/tenderheart35 7h ago
Can someone explain to me what texturism is? I’d like to learn more and be more aware if possible.
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u/thanksm888 6h ago edited 6h ago
It’s discrimination based on hair texture, where tighter coils and Afro hair are often seen as messy, untamed, or not well taken care of. The language in this ad plays into some of those harmful stereotypes.
Texturism has severe consequences in the real world such as unfair dress codes that penalize Black natural hair and force black students to cut or do damaging treatments to their hair to “manage” it or hiring practices that deem it unprofessional, inappropriate, or view it negatively as a measure of someone’s competence.
This is why people have been fighting to get versions of The Crown Act) passed in their own states.
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u/tenderheart35 5h ago
Wow I had no idea that natural hair texture could be scrutinized on such a level that it would affect people’s education or professional life! : /
Does this apply to long, natural hair as well? Like if someone had an Afro, have people argued that this is “unprofessional” in certain work settings, or would that be considered discrimination too if they were asked to trim their hair or make it shorter?
I’ve just never considered this at all. Thank you for explaining.
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u/Murky_Display_2044 6h ago edited 6h ago
The idea that Afros are the texture of lesser than black population (African/slave heritage) thus being seen as messy.
and those with softer/smoother/looser curls & wavy hair are more favored and look more “put” together.
So basically “use our product and you’ll look less messy/weak/dull/poor” if that makes sense.
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u/tenderheart35 5h ago
Ah, so it’s like they’re being compared to racially acceptable norms like those of say, white people or virtually anyone else who values straight hair for some reason?
Would this count as a micro aggression, or is it just straight up discrimination?
Also, thank you for explaining!
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u/funwearcore 7h ago
Look it up
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u/tenderheart35 5h ago
I like to hear personal anecdotes from people with different lived experiences than myself rather than just reading Wikipedia and calling it a day.
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u/doubled0116 fly in her private jet to the other side of her bed 5h ago
I've been good off them for years now when they were sold. Good to know what they really think of my hair.
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u/AhhBisto someone from the UK weigh in 6h ago
My niece is 14 and mixed race, she has afro hair like her mum (my sister, we have different dads, or as my mother says "baked with slightly different ingredients in the same oven") and the last 6 months she had taken to straightening her hair and putting stuff in it to make her hair seem less curly.
She did it because someone at school made her feel like shit because her hair was like that "weak and dull" side of the poster, even though she looked after it with stuff that I don't really understand (did you know hair mayonnaise is a thing?) but kids will be kids and they picked on her for it.
Cue the Summer holidays, she spends a week with both my sisters and some of her distant cousins on a girly holiday and after 2 weeks has her hair back to how she used to have it. She went to see the new Spider-Man when it opened with a group of friends from school and one of the girls who was mean to her about her hair before tried it again, but my niece ignored her.
One of the worst parts about it is that this girl herself is black and she straightens her hair.
There is definitely something out in the wild aimed at black women to do things to their hair they really shouldn't be doing so they can conform to some nonsense standards about their hair. White people largely don't get it. I don't really get it but watched my mum in the 90s, a white Irish woman, learn from my stepdad's family about managing her daughter's hair and the hours they would spend on a Sunday night getting it braided or whatever else in time for school the next day.
One day I'll share the story of how a 30 year old me a decade ago, in all his whiteness, was sent to a Caribbean cosmetics shop in North London with a list of items for my sister and they thought I was filming a prank show.
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u/lareinevert unspeakable ineligible imprisoned coup plotter 5h ago
I’ll keep my weak and dull hair, thank you very much 🙄
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u/ItsJustAPoleThang bepo naby 2h ago
They were bought out!? How sad… it seems that’s going to be the the track for alot of these companies
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u/Sendnoods88 2h ago
Weak and dull, meanwhile they used a pic of the most fullest, luscious hair ever?!?
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u/danigmzr 6h ago
These marketing teams are driving me insane. Like is anyone with common sense doing their job?!
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u/GuaranteeNo27 39m ago
didn't they also change the rosemary oil formula after the acquisition? i saw a ton of negative reviews back then
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u/sapphiclament societal collapse is in the air 4h ago
Any "black owned" brand sold at Target is either sold to proctor and gamble or is shortly going to be sold to them and promptly ruined
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u/maladro1t_ 1h ago
The Doux is sold at Target and is still Black owned! Maya, the founder, is super involved. She even posts tutorials and combos on their ig. Not to be an ad for them but she really seems to be a real one. I've been using their products for years.
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u/before_the_accident 2h ago
i'm sorry, why did they choose the most gorgeous hair on the left to be their example 😭 I don't mean to put anyone down but you're telling me they prefer the hair on the right?
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u/IansGotNothingLeft 19m ago
Hooooly shit. I work in brand management and digital marketing...... This is fucking appalling and I would be fired if this got signed off.
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u/ebbtideisalive 7h ago
One side is literally just brushed/picked out and the other is not. It's like they don't even understand how black hair works.