Mielle’s CEO accuses the competition of playing unfairly and refutes claims that the products cause hair loss

Monique Rodriguez, founder of hair care brand Mielle Organics, is not letting the once Black-owned brand fall out of favor with out a fight.

On Saturday, November 23, Rodriguez posted “very important news” on her Instagram, condemning influencers who’ve made what the founder calls defamatory claims that Mielle products have caused damage to their hair.

After thanking all the “explorers and mavericks” who stuck with the brand during difficult times, she revealed something about the original TikTok creator who began a hair care “witch hunt.”

“This creator was paid by one of our competitors,” she said of the creator, who Rodriguez said “falsely” claimed that the brand’s Rosemary Mint Oil formula had modified, causing her hair to fall out.

She claimed that the creator was “earning commission” by running a smear campaign against Mielle products while promoting one other brand’s products. Rodriguez then said the creator’s videos were “removed because people deserve to know the truth” and whether there have been “ulterior motives” behind spreading misinformation.

“Yes, this creator received a commission to promote a competitor’s product, spreading misinformation about our products for his own benefit,” she explained, noting that she tried to handle the matter “quietly” before being transparent with fans online.

The 39-year-old entrepreneur assured her followers that Mielle products were made with due care and asked them to spread the message of this discovery.

After adding thoughts on acting truthfully and telling the truth, Rodriguez concluded the video by emphasizing the importance of “standing by your business.”

Her comments section video proved that the brand owner has solid supporters of the multi-million brand.

“I said this at the beginning because I am a publicist and crisis manager. It was easy to tell it was a calculated smear campaign,” one person said.

One person commented: “I wish you would have gone lower and named the tik toker and competitor. Some people don’t deserve grace,” in response to Rodriguez’s statement in her film, “when they fall, we rise high.”

This one person provided an important testimonial about the product. “Your mint rosemary line is the reason my hair is healthy and growing. People are unfortunately petty. However, I am glad that the issue has been raised.”

And this follower, one other said: “This is so nasty!!! Ugh! There is room for victory for everyone. This is so low. I hate it. I’m sorry, Mo!”

While there have been outcries of support for these products, some commenters claimed that Mielle’s had torn off the edges reasonably than put them in place.

One disgruntled user said: “No…. I even have experienced this personally with my daughter using peppermint oil. Her hair fell out. Now she has stopped taking it and is simply taking castor oil and her hairline is back to normal. This is near, if not gaslighting. Something is occurring and I, my daughter, are loyal customers, but after this I don’t need to return back. I feel betrayed by the brand and product. As a black woman in tech, I realize it’s vital to advocate for one another, but when something fails or goes fallacious, black or white people will step up and come clean with it. I won’t come back.”

Another wrote the same review: “My hair has definitely fallen out and thinned. I still have leftover products that I don’t want to touch.”

One person wasn’t convinced the videos contained any malice. “There is no sabotage, I have first-hand experience. Your product made my hair fall out. When I complained, I was told it was due to a formula change. Something is wrong @mielleorganics.”

Reactions to Rodriguez’s latest video seemed significantly better than her September post.

In the video, Rodriguez addressed these allegations, emphasizing that the formulas of Mielle products haven’t modified since the brand was acquired by Procter & Gamble. She assured consumers that these products are made of healthy ingredients and formulated to supply protected and effective results.

Apart from the claims of hair thinning and hair clumps falling out, many individuals weren’t satisfied with the owner’s attitude and lack of transparency.

“You said nothing in response to these allegations as someone who has purchased your products for years. It’s time for transparency. We don’t need a story,” one person said regarding the alleged change in ingredients since the merger.

This comment echoed the same sentiment: “I used these products before she sold the company to Proctor & Gamble (P&G), which owns many products in most of the United States…Disappointed to no longer be Black Owned.”

Despite the fallout from quite a few videos from creators claiming Mielle’s is behind their hair disasters, the Black Hair community stays divided on whether or not they need to proceed supporting the brand.