SheaMoisture products “continue to be made in culturally authentic ways to preserve their efficacy, benefits and rich history.” Made with natural ingredients, shea butter is ethically sourced from 15 women's co-ops in Northern Ghana as part of the parent company Sundial Brands' purpose-driven Community Commerce business model.
SheaMoisture's newest collections were recently showcased at their Spring party in Toronto and they didn’t disappoint. SheaMoisture fans were treated to their new low and high porosity line, and two gels formulated without alcohol to avoid flaking, dryness and hair damage.
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The porosity line consists of products for those whose hair either absorbs too much water (high porosity) or can barely absorb water (low porosity). Products include a leave-in detangler, clarifying shampoo, hydrating conditioner, moisture-replenishing mask, and moisture-replenishing shampoo. The two styling gels come in Coconut Hibiscus and Jamaican Black Castor oil.
Maureen Kitheka, Brand Manager of SheaMoisture Canada, tells us they “are already receiving so much good feedback from the market, and we are looking forward to growing that collection some more.”
The launch party featured curly girl illustrations by Saffron Francis, hair touch-ups by stylists Aisha Loobie and Glenna Sandy, “Do You” Tarot readings by Gillian Witter, music by DJ Martina Bosede, shampoo bottle calligraphy by Ayan Bashir, and words of empowerment by Karlyn Percil. The ‘Do You’ mantra repeated throughout the event was also the name of one of the signature cocktails.
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Karlyn shared that her hair empowers her because hair, to her, is the external version of our inner crowns. "It’s creativity; it’s life; it’s love. We can shapeshift as Black women by the way we change our hair. I laugh when people say they don’t recognize me because that is the power of a Black woman. We can do so much with our hair. I think about the depths of our hair, showing us the pain in our lives when it’s frizzing and thinning out. It sends such a powerful message for us to go within and connect with ourselves. If our hair has the power and ability to indicate to us when something is off, then we can also use that hair as a container for more abundance and love.”
When asked what she believes Black women could do if they always felt empowered, “I think we would see truly what it means to centre humanity. We would see many of the social ails that we are struggling with resolved. We would see true leadership. I’m not saying it’s only Black women who can do this, but I know the power of the Black woman and when the Black woman believes in herself and her community, incredible things happen. I think we are in the discovery and awakening of that era, and it is very exciting.”
Maureen and the team at Langton PR ensured that every Black woman in the room felt empowered not only through the activations or Karlyn’s words of encouragement but also in having other inspirational Black female entrepreneurs in the room hand roses to women in the audience, to share that love.
“The purpose of this celebration is twofold,” says Maureen. “We have not had an event connecting with our community or media partners since 2020 due to the pandemic. Of course, we kept in touch with them, but getting everyone in a room and celebrating with them was something we wanted to do. For this year, as a brand, our goal is not only to celebrate the consumer because they are a part of our family but to celebrate who they are and their beauty. In a room like this, when you talk about your product, you see their nods, and you see people who actually understand it and have people experience your product—it makes such a difference. This is why we have stylists here to have people interact with the product, so we will continue to do these types of events moving forward.”
For Maureen, maintaining the belief that our hair is our crown is imperative as a Black woman working in the hair industry. “As a brand that is Black inspired, not only from a product perspective but also in its purpose, we are very aware that we always serve Black women with products for their hair and make sure that we are empowering them and that they understand even if the world is not always on our side, we are a brand that stands with them and for them. That will always be fundamental to us. Tonight we want to celebrate the richness of our hair, the richness of Black beauty, and the richness of our culture. This richness is found at the nexus of our individuality and the power of our collective well-being. You bring that all together in a room full of Black people who love their hair, who show off their hair, this is something our brand loves to do."
You can find all SheaMoisture hair products here.