HER JOURNEY, HER VOICE … The Evolution of Textured Hair and Beyond “… There are so many different types of curly hair from so many different ethnic backgrounds. I wish there were more products that were specific to not just what texture curls a person has, but the porosity of your hair, the thickness and density of your hair, and the length of your hair.” . SSI Monthly Category & Consumer Insights – Her Journey, Her Voice…The evolution of texture and beyond – March 2019 Table of Contents p.3 • Executive Summary Summary & Purpose of Study p.5 • Methodology SSI Qualitative Research p.6 • Milestones A Timeline of the Evolution p.12 • A Historical Perspective A Look Back at Styles & Trends p.22 • Her Journey, Her Voice Insights into Her Opinions & Preferences p.55 • Her Journey, Her Choice Insights into Her Shopping Behavior p.66 • Impact on Buying Trends Consumer Product Choice Trends p.82 • The Journey Continues How will the Textured Hair Continue to Evolve p.85 • Respondent Profiles Demographics . Executive Summary • Over the past decade the textured hair landscape has shifted dramatically. Where once it was the norm for textured hair to be chemically altered (most commonly straightened using relaxers) today the majority of African American and multi racial women are taking a more natural approach. • This shift is driven by consumers increasingly embracing and celebrating their natural textures, as well as rejecting products containing harmful chemicals and other ingredients which they have learned are damaging to their hair and harmful to their health. • “Beautiful” and “healthy” were commonly used by by women with natural hair to describe their hair, with many indicating that they would not have described their hair the same way 5-10 years ago. • While natural styles have moved in and out of fashion in the past (eg Afros in the 70’s), most consumers believe the current popularity of natural hair is more than a passing trend; textured hair is here to stay and they see it continuing to rise as more women decide to transition away from chemical processing, and the next generation grow up surrounded by the message that all textures are beautiful. • Gen Z women (born since 1996) are less likely to have ever used a relaxer or texturizer compared to their mothers and grandmothers. • However, the shift to natural textures is not a complete abandonment of straight styles; two thirds of women with natural hair said that they sometimes choose to wear straight styles (eg straightened with flat irons) and around one third said that they might consider using relaxer again in the future. For these women style versatility and convenience / ease of styling are considerations. • As natural styles have evolved, the multicultural haircare market has changed considerably, with an abundance of new brands and products aimed at helping women manage their natural hair. For many women there has been a huge learning . curve. as .they . work. out . how . to. care. .for .their . natural. hair,. and . which. products. are . most . .effective for them. 3 Executive Summary, cont.… • Overall, most feel that the currently available product assortment fully addresses textured hair needs now and into the future but some identified gaps including; products containing unnatural or undesirable ingredients, addressing problem areas (eg dryness, frizz) without having to resort to a cocktail of different products, and addressing the specific needs of different textures (and ALL textures). • While brands often seek to maximize their target audience by trying to cater for multiple hair types or textures, consumers are saying that they want products that are specifically designed for their texture. • This is more important than more general claims relating to hair state (eg for natural hair), or ethnicity, particularly for younger consumers. • SSI Consumer Research discovered that Naturalistas believe there is a gap in the current market offerings of products that are customized for their specific hair type and not just “natural vs. non natural” • 2018 IRI results of SSI’s customized Hair Care database reveals that texture focused products are growing 11% in a total marketplace growing only 2%. • Merchandising based on hair care needs and characteristics seems increasingly inevitable. 4 SSI Consumer Research Methodology • SSI conducted consumer research with 600 African American and multi-racial women to gain insight consumer attitudes, perceptions and needs surrounding textured hair. Topics included: • Chemically altered and natural textures and the reasons consumers choose them • Non chemical straightening • Perceptions of beauty • Generational differences in textured hair attitudes and behavior • The evolution of natural hair styles • How texture impacts product choice • SSI Consumer Research is supported, enhanced and complemented by quantitative IRI syndicated results. Milestones in the Evolution of Textured Hair . 6 Evolution of Textured Hair…. EARLY PIONEERS 1909 - Garret A. Morgan invents the Relaxer 1919 - Sarah Spencer Washington 1902 - Annie Turnbo Malone Cosmetic entrepreneur, Sarah Spencer began with a salon before Garrett A. Morgan, creates the relaxer started The Apex Beauty Products Company that encompassed a The Mother of the Black Hair Care Industry and from a solution he invented to reduce st variety of products, from pressing oils, hot combs, 1 Female Millionaire founded Poro Beauty needle friction on wool in 1909. He Products. Featured Product: “The Great and pomades for hair to perfumes, beauty creams, and lipsticks. Wonderful Hair Grower” (a sage and egg rinse), immediately founded the G.A. Morgan The Apex empire included eleven Apex Beauty Colleges in the distributed through door to door sales. Hair Refining Company, United States, with schools in foreign countries training 45,000 plus students to sell her products 1900 1920 1906 - Madam CJ Walker 1917 – Annie Malone Poro College Madam CJ Walker began her career as an Annie Malone founded and opened Poro agent for Poro Beauty Products but then College in St. Louis. The first educational developed her own hair-care line, selling institution in the United States dedicated to the The Walker System door-to-door with a study and teaching of black cosmetology. The sales force of 45,000 agents. school reportedly graduated over 75,000 agents . .world . -wide,. .including . the .Caribbean. Evolution of Textured Hair…. ENDURING LEGACY 1957 - The Luster’s Products Company Fred Luster Sr. Founded the company 1947 - Bronner Bros. from his profession as a hairstylist Dr. Nathaniel H. Bronner, Sr. and his and creating products for his clients. brother, Arthur E. Bronner, Sr. The ‘Luster’s Style Cream’, hair founded the Bronner Bros. Company straightening cream, was one of the and the first Bronner Bros. Trade first products. Today, Luster Products Show. is the largest Black owned hair care company in the U.S. 1940 1960 1960 - Supreme Beauty Products 1954 – The Johnson Products Company George E. Johnson Sr. founded the John H. Johnson, the founder of company with his wife Joan. Its first product was Ultra Wave, a hair relaxer for Johnson Publishing Company and men. In 1957, Ultra Sheen was introduced Ebony Magazine, also owns as a revolutionary in-home hair Supreme Beauty and uses the straightener for women along with hair magazine to introduce and and scalp maintenance . consistently promote Duke – the first greaseless men’s pomade. Evolution of Textured Hair…. THE ERA OF AFROS & WIGS Late 1964 – Duke and Raveen Koreans Enter the Market 1973 – Sta Sof Fro Supreme Beauty Koreans got their start in the black Products successfully hair care business through wig sales Cornell McBride & promoted Duke for and manufacturing. YH Trade and Therman McKenzie, men and Raveen for Wig Manufacturing was successful registered women in Ebony & Jet between 1965-1978, in exporting pharmacists, magazine throughout more than $100 Million in wig established M&M the Afro Era. sales. The business structure Products Company helped set up many Korean and launched the entrepreneurs in the sale of wigs product they created and over the past five decades, wig to address the stores have evolved to become full natural tendency of fledged beauty supply stores where combed out Afros to hair for weaves and extensions shrink after two 1960 represent the top selling products. hours. 1975 Late 1965 – Afro Sheen One of Johnson 1967 – The Luster Natural 5 Product’s best-known product lines, was Luster Products released in the late launches a line of 1960s, at a time when products designed to the "Afro" became a soften and give sheen popular hairstyle for to afros. One of the African Americans products lives on to become Luster’s Pink Oil Lotion. Evolution of Textured Hair…. A NEW FOCUS 1981– Soft Sheen launched Care Free Curl Soft Sheen capitalized on the popularity of the Jheri Curl by creating a curl styling process that allowed salon owners to finish in two hours (rather than eight), increasing customer turnover and creating a need for a broad line of maintenance products. 1977 – Creation of the Jheri Curl Robert William Redding was a chemist and hairstylist. He created a permanent wave solution named The Jheri Curl. 1975 1985 Late 70’s-Early 80’s – No-Lye Relaxers Launched To address the harshness associated with Lye 1979 - Pro-line Curly Kit Launched based relaxer, No-Lye Relaxer were introduced Pro-Line, founded in 1970 by Comer Cottrell, to the marketplace by top manufacturers. launched the "Curly Kit“. The “Jheri Curl” cost $75 in salons. The Pro-Line team developed a method that allowed “Jheri Curls” to be produced at home from their $7.50 kit. Evolution of Textured Hair…. MULTI-CULTURAL LEANS TO MULTI-TEXTURED Bone Straight Relaxers In the 1990s, were choosing straight 2012 MultiCultural Endcap in Target styles more often than they are now. Target conducted a test with Multi-Cultural hair Some better hair straighteners today care brands specifically created to address have ceramic coated heating parts, texture management.