Treasure Tress, founded by beauty entrepreneur Jamelia Donaldson, is a platform designed to help Black women and girls find the hair products that are right for them. First came an online subscription service - customers could sign up to monthly product deliveries tailored to their haircare needs, and then came an editorial arm, which has nurtured a community that's passionate about kinks and curls. This October, Treasure Tress has gone one step further by publishing a first of its kind, in-depth report, titled The Untapped Opportunity in the UK Afro Hair Market, in an effort to draw attention to the lack of provision for those with naturally textured hair in the UK market. The findings of the report exposed the fact that textured hair products are disproportionately expensive compared to those in the mainstream categories.
Furthermore, the report found that Black adult women in the UK account for 10% of haircare spending, despite making up just 2% of the UK adult population. That figure represents serious spending power. Nevertheless, findings from the Black Pound Report in 2022 showed that 36% of Black women feel they can only find their essential health and beauty products in specialist shops. 'There is a perception in the mainstream hair industry that "hair is just hair" and what differentiates us as Black women is merely our hair texture,' says presenter, producer, speaker and creator of @coiledpodcast Leanne Alie, 'but once you understand the deep-rooted history of Afro hair as well as the cultural nuances of Afro hair, there is so much more to unpack.' Alie continues, 'hair is a marker of race, gender, culture and identity for Black women. Our hair is unique, you can do so many things with it; Afro hair should be celebrated and protected.' And yet, according to Treasure Tress's latest report, Afro hair is not even being catered for adequately in the current UK hair market. Not only that, but, having researched the UK haircare market to granular levels, Treasure Tress's report uncovers a lack of equity that manifests as a hidden tax for women with naturally textured hair.
A Back woman aged 18-25 is quoted in the Black Pound Report 2022: 'I've noticed that the hair products that are catered to the Black communities re quite pricey. For example, you can probably find a general shampoo or conditioner like Herbal Essences for £1-£2 but products like As I Am or Black Castor Oil Shampoo that help Afro or kinky hair are like £8-£10 for a bottle half the size'.
Frequency of use must also be taken into account. The report states that consumers with textured hair use products like leave-in conditioners every 2-3 days, while consumers with straight hair do so on average 1-2 times per month, making the monthly haircare spend of consumers with textured hair significantly higher.