A TiKToker went viral after calling out the apparent difference in prices for Black haircare products compared to products for non-textured hair.
According to The Daily Dot, content creator Arrington Allen (@arrington171) posted a video to his account, sharing his grievances after pointing out the inequality in haircare product pricing for Black consumers.
“Why every time I come to the store to buy products for my hair, I come to the cash register and it’s a thousand dollars for four products?” Arrington said in the 21-second clip, which he recorded while he was at Target. “But if I had straighter, or coarse or the other type of hair, I would pay six dollars?”
@arrington171
The video amassed over 2.1M views, with other users sharing their thoughts and similar experiences while shopping for haircare products.
“LIKE ITS SO EXPENSIVE FOR WHAT!?!?” one user said.
“I have a mental breakdown when i run out of a mielle product cuz i know i’m bout to be broke after,” another said.
“Fr like especially Mielle like my bank is dying,” a third user said.
Mielle Organics, a Black-owned haircare company, is one of many brands with products for Afro-textured hair. However, one user addressed how the products are priced differently on the website compared to retail stores like Target and Walmart.
“If you get the Mielle products from their website it’s normally cheaper than in store. (Depending on the store) some stores over price the products,” the user wrote.
Black women have had to deal with the issue of overpriced products for some time. According to a report from Black-owned hair subscription company Treasure Tress, Black women in the United Kingdom and the United States spend more money on hair products. Yet, they only comprise a small percentage of the adult population, Refinery 29 reported.
The company also found a “hidden texture tax” was applied to products for Black women. The organization’s findings also concluded these products are higher because they’re frequently used compared to women with naturally straight hair.
“It cost so much just to take care of our hair,” another user said on Arrington’s video. “I always have to do a protective style that requires little with product.”
