Business and Finance
What’s Really Going On With Mielle Organics? Unpacking the Social Media Controversy
Mielle Organics, a preferred Black-owned natural hair care company, recently found itself at the center of a heated social media controversy. What began as a publicized customer concern about their experiences with a few of the brand’s products has escalated right into a full-blown online backlash. Some users are claiming that Mielle Organics products cause hair loss and damage, which has sparked a broader conversation about hair look after Black women, the responsibility of beauty brands, and the integrity of the natural hair care industry.
The Beginnings of Controversy
Recently, increasingly women are reporting share your experiences using Mielle Organics hair care products. Sharing similar complaints of hair loss and damage, these personal stories quickly went viral on social media platforms, resulting in a wave of negative reactions online as other users took to the comments section to echo similar experiences, explaining that they thought they were “going crazy” after they noticed their hair falls out in clumpsWhile some say these negative results are simply user error, others consider the reason for these experiences is the products’ ingredients and the company’s move to mass production after partnering with personal care giant Procter & Gamble.
As a result, various rumors and claims have surfaced online about what is occurring with Mielle Organics. One of the biggest rumors is that Mielle Organics is facing a lawsuit. In addition to an unverified link posted on Redditthere aren’t any records of energetic lawsuits against the company producing natural hair care cosmetics.
Changes in the company
As theGrio previously reported, Mielle Organics is joining P&G Beauty, a division of Proctor & Gamble, in 2023. While Mielle Organics founder Monique Rodriguez described the partnership as a possibility to “further (expand) access to healthy hair care products and services for Black women around the world,” consumers had mixed reviews about the business milestone. At the time, many Black fans of the brand expressed concerns that Mielle Organics would fall into an all-too-familiar pattern of upper prices and different formulas consequently of the partnership.
Today, in light of reports of hair loss and damage, some users wonder if the brand’s collaboration with the cosmetics giant has not resulted in the creation of less secure formulas.
Founder’s Response
In response to the increasingly loud discussion about Mielle Organics products, Rodriguez released Instagram video statement. Sharing the brand’s history, the founder and CEO confirmed that Mielle Organics products are “made with wholesome ingredients and are formulated to deliver safe and effective results,” a lot in order that Rodriguez encouraged users to check the ingredient lists of products before the P&G acquisition and now.
“My entire family and I are passionate Mielle users… because we believe in the power of our products. So when I decided to partner with P&G, it was with a vision to take Mielle to new heights and become a global beauty brand. That vision is stronger than ever today,” she explained. “I am so grateful for the opportunities this partnership has brought us. This partnership has allowed us to expand our reach and make a positive impact on the world.”
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While she emphasized her ongoing commitment and dedication to serving the Mielle community, viewers noticed that the founder didn’t address the current controversy.
“You didn’t address the problem: people are losing their hair, so if the formula hasn’t changed, WHY are the results (changed)?” commented one user. “Check the cleanliness of the factory and collect batch numbers of the products people have. There is a problem and skimming over it is not the solution.”
Online Sections: Customers vs. Mielle Organics
As with many social media controversies, the discourse surrounding Mielle Organics quickly became polarized. On one side were customers who felt the brand had allow them to down, with some sharing personal stories of hair loss and accusing the company of prioritizing profit over their health. On the other side were defenders of the brand, lots of whom had positive experiences with Mielle Organics products and criticized the response as over the top. Proponents identified that hair loss may be attributable to plenty of aspects, including stress, hormonal changes, or improper use of the product, arguing that it was unfair accountable the company for all cases of hair damage.
In addition to Rodriguez’s video response, the hair care brand posted written statement directly addressing some recent claims, from product safety to rumors of lawsuits.
“We understand that recent questions about our brand and products have raised questions… It is important to note that none of the alleged negative experiences have been medically confirmed to be caused by our products,” the statement reads. “There have been false claims made on social media regarding the safety of our products. To clarify, no lawsuit has been filed against Mielle and we are not involved in any active litigation.”
In addition, the brand addressed the discussion on hair loss, citing American Dermatological AssociationStudies have shown that it’s normal to lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day. Noting that aspects corresponding to “hormonal changes, heredity, medications, stress, poor nutrition, and excessive styling can all contribute to increased hair loss,” the brand encouraged users experiencing these issues to hunt skilled help from a physician or certified dermatologist.
What Now? While the online controversy may proceed, the facts reveal three key takeaways:
- There aren’t any energetic lawsuits pending against Mielle Organics.
- The brand says the ingredients in its products haven’t modified since Force merged with P&G Beauty.
- The reason for reports of hair loss and damage stays unconfirmed.