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P&G Beauty acquired Mielle Organics, a Black-based, textured hair care brand, for an undisclosed sum, and the founders stressed that the deal will increase the availability of products and have no plans to change formulas.
Founded in 2014 by husband and wife duo Monique and Melvin Rodriguez, Mielle signed a major investment deal with Berkshire Partners in 2021 after achieving sales of nearly $40 million in 2020. The brand manufactures hair care and skin care products that are sold at major mass retailers, including Walmart, Target, and CVS. Bestsellers include Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil and Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing & Detangling Shampoo.
“This partnership really means we can better serve Black women in our community by combining Mielle’s expertise and knowledge in textured hair care and our innovative approach to textured hair with access to P&G Beauty resources, their research capabilities and Black scientists.” Rodriguez talked about the deal in an interview.
P&G Beauty has been ramping up its hair care offerings for people of color for the past few years. In 2019, she launched My Black Is Beautiful, a collection of five products designed specifically for Black women, infused with a proprietary formula called Golden Milk, which consists of natural ingredients like coconut milk, turmeric, ginger, honey, and coconut oil. . Last year it acquired two brands, Walker & Co. – Bevel, a men’s shaving brand designed specifically for men with thick hair, and Form, a women’s hair care company focused on curly hair.
“It’s actually about access and availability of our products for our consumers,” Monique Rodriguez continued. “We understand that black women have limited access to textured hair care products, and we wanted to be able to serve our community better by making sure they can find Mielle products in their local stores.”
Alex Keith, CEO of P&G Beauty, described the brand as a “love brand” as it is “loved by millions of Black women”.
“As part of this partnership, our role at P&G Beauty will be to support the Mielle Organics team with what they need to achieve their vision, including product expansion and investment in research and innovation in the Black and brown communities,” he said.
After the deal is approved by the regulators, Mielle will continue to be led by Monique and Melvin Rodriguez as CEO and COO, respectively, and will operate as an independent subsidiary of P&G Beauty, according to the statement.
As part of the deal, Mielle and P&G each committed $10 million to Mielle Cares, a nonprofit that aims to provide resources and support to advance education and economic opportunities in Black and brown communities.
“Mielle is determined to lead with purpose and impact and to serve as a beacon in historically underserved communities. “Expanding our influence in black and brown communities will become an even greater focus in the years to come,” Melvin Rodriguez said in a statement.
Mielle made headlines recently when some white influencers recommended Rosemary Peppermint Scalp and Hair Strengthening Oil in their posts, including TikTok star Alix Earle, who has over 3 million followers on the platform. This sparked an online discussion that the product popular with Black women would be sold, and concerns that the company might change the formula.
Speaking to WWD, Monique Rodriguez said: “All I can say is I truly understand the frustration consumers are experiencing at the lack of access to our products.” “I can also say that I really appreciate the new customers coming into the Mielle ecosystem and discovering our amazing products, especially oil, one of our bestsellers. But this is another reason why this partnership with P&G is so important. It allows us to create greater reach and availability so they don’t have to travel 30 miles to buy the product they love.”
He also ensured that the formulas remained the same. “The only thing I can guarantee to our customers is Mielle, we have no plans to change formulas. Joining P&G means our loyal customers can expect the same high-quality products tomorrow as they have today.”
