Haircare company Shea Moisture is under fire after releasing a promo video about women hating their hair who, thanks to their products, have learned to love their natural tresses. But its the use of white women in the ad that has customers of theย black-owned business pretty vexed.
The ad begins with a black woman opening up about the bullying she experienced due to her natural, curly hair.
โI hated my hair because itโs like oh I have this. And likeโฆpeople make fun of me for it,โ she said.
The video quickly transitions to a white woman admitting she โdidnโt know what to doโ with her long sandy blonde hair, andย another red-haired white woman expressing that she used to dye her hair โplatinum blonde.โ
SheaMoisture is CANCELLED pic.twitter.com/T4Dru1JgAq
โ NANA JIBRIL
๏ธโ
(@girlswithtoys) April 24, 2017
While the video campaign was supposed advocate loving your hair โย and generating more consumer interest โย it did quite the opposite, judging from reactions online. On Twitter, many users slammed Shea Moisture for attempting to โdiversifyโ its clientele, but in the process alienating what many argue is the companyโs core consumer base: black women.
Check out some of the feedback below.
Ok @SheaMoisture I can see that you are trying to diversify but youโve just alienated your main demographic. https://t.co/nCMCP3wp8T
โ LaChouett
(@ChouettBlog) April 24, 2017
Did they just All Lives Matter hair? RT @girlswithtoys SheaMoisture is CANCELLED pic.twitter.com/L7QQrUDtsE
โ Your Yoruba Husband (@O_Tunj) April 24, 2017
I get #SheaMoisture wanting to diversify the product line. But fam, if a core, high-spending demographic made you, develop an adjacent line.
โ Youโre Welcome (@meredithclark) April 24, 2017
This Shea Moisture situationโฆ. pic.twitter.com/XVwvddYENx
โ Thick James (@rud_kel) April 24, 2017
โHEY! We want to use Shea Moisture too!โ pic.twitter.com/9qfoGBKZAf
โ Ira Madison III (@ira) April 24, 2017
When Target announces a buy two Shea Moisture bottles get a free Pepsi sale pic.twitter.com/9CRhNN79sV
โ Ira Madison III (@ira) April 24, 2017
Black women built SheaMoisture. And not the โI was teased for having good hairโ Black women. Black women will take it right on down too.
โ Kimberly N. Foster (@KimberlyNFoster) April 24, 2017
Iโm sorry but since when did white people use Shea Moisture pic.twitter.com/nw5bOWPr9W
โ k (@trashfave) April 24, 2017
@girlswithtoys What on earth? Did they just gentrify Shea Moisture? Well itโs been nice knowing them pic.twitter.com/ymvCi0ohe1
โ rosechocglam (@MBApioneerz) April 24, 2017
SheaMoisture said
to Black women that have been supporting them just to appeal to Beckys. They gon learn the value of Black buying power.
โ NANA JIBRIL
๏ธโ
(@girlswithtoys) April 24, 2017


๏ธโ
(@girlswithtoys) 
(@ChouettBlog) 
to Black women that have been supporting them just to appeal to Beckys. They gon learn the value of Black buying power.