The big tubs of gel and mists I typically use on wash day are not exactly TSA-compliant.
No matter: I strolled into the Publix and went directly to the ethnic hair section.
If my story seems anticlimactic, its because it is.
Getty Images / Dan Dalton
I needed hair stuff.
I found it easily because I knew just where to look.
I appreciate all of that.
But if its up to me, Ill keep my segregated beauty aisle, thanks.
Is my hair throw in included when a bottle says its forfrizzy, textured, orcurly hair?
Is pomade the same thing as edge control?
Will the darkest foundation shade be dark enough for my skin tone?
Were these formulas even tested on black women like me?
I like knowing where to look.
(There have been recentreportsof some stores cordoning off ethnic beauty products behind lock and key.
These brands spoke my language.
They were speaking to me the way I speak about myself.
They knew what I needed and they delivered.
Meanwhile, I always knew where to find them.
These were the brands I could trust wouldnt come out ashy or too light.
Shopping niche brands in the ethnic section is also a way for me to support minority-owned businesses.
Research firm Mintel reports that the black hair-care market is expected to reach $2.86 billion by 2022.
Black women spend 80 percent more on cosmetics and twice as much on skin-care as their non-black counterparts.
The opportunity is obvious and big companies are tossing their hats in the ring in a meaningful way.
Fenty Beauty, which launched in September 2017, is a prime example of this.
The makeup line was a collaboration between Kendo Brands, a LVMH-owned beauty developer, and Rihanna.
(Kendo has worked with brands like Kat Von D Beauty and Marc Jacobs Beauty in the past.)
Other brands are also getting the memo.
Last year drugstore-favorite Maybelline expanded its Fit Me line of foundations, adding 16 shades for a total 40.
But reaching black women is not an easy task.
Think about the old model of FUBUfor us, by us, says Warner.
This was an important element in Pantenes development of the Gold Series line of products.
P&G also collaborated with black stylists to round out their approach.
With wise consumersconsumers that are wokethe expectation is more than just selling to me.
Connect with me, support me, support my community.
But authenticity is not a commodity easily bought and sold.
The acquisition was plagued with criticism from the black community.
Fans of SheaMoisture were already wary of the direction Sundial was heading in.
Black Twitter was quick to call them out, decrying the brand for betraying its base.
Invideos announcing the partnership, Sundial CEO Richelieu Dennis addressed these questions head on.
This is not about changing, its about getting better, he said.
Weve had to scale up on our own without that infrastructure.
We now have that infrastructure.
We can take it global.
I hope shes right.
Its about time that women of color are adequately represented in retail.
Put simply: I want selection, and I want to keep it separate.
The ethnic hair section and makeup brands targeting women of color never made me feel ostracized.
Its a place full of hidden gems created for us, by us.
In my littlebut growingcorner of the beauty aisle, I feel understood and, dare I say, special.
