According to Euromonitor International’s Beauty Survey, greying hair ranked as the leading concern among total respondents, but only seventh among black and African descent respondents.
The top hair concerns among respondents of all races and ethnicities in 2021 were greying hair, dandruff-prone hair, thinning hair, split ends and greasy or oily hair.
However, among respondents identifying as black or African descent, the top five concerns in 2021 were itchy scalp, dandruff-prone, dry or rough hair, hard to comb through and split ends. Hair that was hard to comb through ranked ninth as a top hair concern among total respondents, but fourth among black and African descent respondents.
States the Euromonitor study: “Although identifying the unique needs of black consumers is a crucial first step for companies to better understand and cater for specific consumer segments, empowered consumers are demanding more, strengthened in particular by social media platforms. The debut of beauty brands in recent years owned by BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of colour) and BAME (black, Asian, minority, ethnic) entrepreneurs has also created a culturally significant space for innovation that comes directly from the community of target consumers.
“The momentum for inclusivity has also driven beauty and personal care players to widen their product offerings for different hair types, regardless of consumers’ racial or ethnic origin.
“Ingredients companies are further looking to expand their expertise in ‘textured hair’, a broad term to which the beauty industry has gravitated that better captures the wide spectrum of hair types than other terms such as ‘ethnic hair’, which indicates a sense of otherness.
“Brands are expected to further their inclusive efforts in other areas, such as hijab hair care, with hijab wearers often seeing hair care needs such as dandruff, oily scalp and loss of freshness rarely catered for.”
To read the Euromonitor study click here