For many families, braid day is a ritual — part bonding time, part battle. For Jalona Falkner and her 10-year-old daughter Addie, it was both.
Like so many mothers, Falkner knew the struggle: dry hair, itchy scalps, tears from painful takedowns and the endless search for products that didn’t quite do the job. What she didn’t know was that those moments would one day spark a business, and a movement.
But the idea didn’t just come from Addie’s experience; it reflected a larger issue Falkner had faced herself. As a Black woman who regularly wore braids, she saw firsthand how what’s marketed as “protective styling” sometimes came at a cost.
“Braids are considered protective styles,” said Falkner. “However, I noticed it made my hair weak and, in some cases, made my hair fall out. I knew from that point something had to change.”
That moment sparked what would become BraidJoy Hair & Scalp Care, a brand born not in a lab, but in a mother’s hands and heart.
Tired of piecing together a routine from multiple brands, Falkner decided to create something better.
“I was using one product for moisture, another to soothe her scalp, another to refresh her braids. It worked, kind of, but it didn’t feel intentional. It didn’t feel made for us,” Falkner remembers.
She poured her savings into extensive research and testing, partnering with lab experts such as Pivotal Products, LLC in Chicago to turn her vision into reality. After two years of development, Braidjoy launched a four-step braid care system created to nourish and protect hair while it’s braided, not just after takedown.
The Braidjoy line is made with organic ingredients like lemongrass, peppermint and citrus. Falkner says the products are formulated to be safe, soothing and effective for everyone in the household, from young kids with sensitive scalps to adults who just want something that works.
Each product is developed in labs certified for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) ensuring cleanliness and consistency. Though hair care products don’t require FDA approval, Falkner says, “If it’s not safe enough for my own children, it’s not going in our bottles,”
The first customers were her kids. Addie is co-creator and now serves as brand ambassador, while her younger brother Boston uses the BraidJoy sprays on his locs (with a little encouragement). Together, they represent what the brand stands for: family, heritage and hair care without the headache.
BraidJoy is currently sold online, directly through the brand’s website and at local pop-up shops where Falkner connects with other families looking for better braid care. Her vision is to place the brand into stores and salons that center on natural and protective hair styling.
But no matter how big it gets, the mission stays the same. “This brand was built out of love for my daughter, for my son, for families like ours,” she says. “I want every mom to know (that) braid day doesn’t have to be painful. It can be joyful.”
For Falkner and Addie, that joy comes full circle every time a customer sends a message that says, “This changed everything.”
