The History of Hair Care Products
The earliest hair care products (HCP) used in the world were the brush and comb, to keep the hair tidy. It is said that the inventor was Lydia O Newman, who created the first hairbrush in 1865. The range of HCP has been expanding since the invention of the brush and comb. HCP such as hair spray, products for hair loss (=HL), and hair dye are developed to cater the needs of styling and caring for hair, especially the hair of women, as women care about their HCP more than anyone else. Women also use more HCP than men. Therefore, the HCP market is totally targeted to females.
Another key figure behind the invention of hair care products is Madam C. J. Walker, who was an inventor and entrepreneur. She was the pioneer behind products for HL. The main cause for inventing products for HL started when she experienced HL herself. She suffered a scalp ailment that caused her to lose hair gradually and, naturally, she looked for many products for HL to treat the condition. She experimented with many HCP and products for HL, but alas there was no cure for her then.
Later, she worked as a hair grower sales agent. Later, she realized that there was a potential to market the products for HL, especially among black women, so she started her own line of HCP and marketed the products for HL with the help of her husband. Among the HCP invented by Madam C. J. Walker was the Wonderful Hair Grower. It is a hair conditioner to be used with a hot comb.
To promote her hair care products, especially the products for HL, she talked to people, and gave free demonstrations and samples to women, so they could experience the magic like she did. She had a bigger vision – to expand her HCP to a higher level, so she opened a college dedicated to researching HCP and products for hair loss, known as Lelia College in 1908. The college also served as a platform for educating more young people about the importance of HCP, and developing more products for HL for the market according to the needs of the community.
When passed away she left her legacy of HCP, especially the products for HL, to be improved by the younger generation – so there will be even more effective HCP and products for hair loss.