Ethnic Hair Market Embraces Natural Look

As US Black consumers continue to embrace the natural hair movement, its impact is greatly shaping the US Black hair care market. New research from Mintel reveals that sales of styling products have increased 26.8 percent from 2013 to estimated 2015, reaching $946 million, now comprising 35 percent of Black haircare sales, a significant increase from the 16 percent it represents in the total haircare market.
 
The move to natural has negatively affected sales of relaxers, which dropped 18.6 percent from 2013-2015. Furthermore, the segment is projected to lose its spot as the second-largest in the Black haircare market – which also includes shampoo, conditioner and home hair color – to the smallest segment of the market by 2020. Sales of the overall Black haircare market in 2015 are an estimated $2.7 billion.*
 
Over half (51 percent) of Black consumers report using styling products compared to one third (34 percent) of consumers overall, with demand for these products showing no signs of slowing in the coming years as sales are projected to reach $1.4 billion by 2020.
 
Similarly, 27 percent of Black consumers agree that they like to experiment with different hair and fashion styles, and 50 percent agree their hair is an important part of their identity, leading to growth within the shampoo and conditioner segments, with shampoo showing market gains of 18.3 percent from 2013-2015 and conditioner sales increasing by 9.8 percent over the same span.
 
“The Black haircare industry has undergone quite a transformation over the past five years and that should continue heading into the next decade. As more and more Black consumers are embracing their natural self and walking away from relaxers, it is presenting opportunities for natural brands to enter the market. Our research indicates that wearing their natural hair makes Black women feel liberated, confident and different from others, giving them a tremendous sense of pride in being Black while displaying their natural beauty,” said Tonya Roberts, Multicultural Analyst at Mintel. “The prominence of the market reflects the high price tag of many natural haircare products, but consumers appear willing to pay the price for a natural look.”
 
Mintel research shows that the natural hair movement comes at a time when image is everything to Blacks, as half (49 percent) of Black consumers agree it’s important to always look their best, regardless of the circumstances. Another 38 percent agree that they do whatever they can to look as attractive as possible. The drive to not just keep up appearances, but continuously improve points to the one third (32 percent) of Black consumers who agree that many of the beauty and grooming products they use help them look their best and the 30 percent who enjoy trying new hair care and beauty/grooming products.