Shea Moisture is an American personal care company that focuses on shampoo, conditioner and body wash. It is owned by

Unilever Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy dri ...

History

The company was founded in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

in 1991 by Liberians Nyema Tubman and Richelieu Dennis (and his mother Mary Dennis), who were part of the Liberian Diaspora to the United States. The company was inspired by Dennis'

Sierra Leonean Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

grandmother, Sofi Tucker, who sold shea butter at a village market in

Bonthe Bonthe is a coastal town located on Sherbro Island in Bonthe District in the southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies on the eastern shore of Sherbro Island, on the Sherbro River estuary. Bonthe is about 60 miles south-west of Bo and 1 ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

in 1912. In 2017,

announced its intent to acquire Shea Moisture. In 2018, Davina Bennett ( Miss Jamaica Universe 2017) was contracted as "the face of Shea Moisture", representing the company's Black Castor Oil product line.

Campaigns

In April 2016, the company launched the "#BreaktheWalls" campaign, which promoted more ethnic inclusion and empowerment. The next year, the company released another commercial with the message "Break free from hair hate", featuring mostly white women and one racially ambiguous woman. The commercial generated controversy for barely featuring the brand's original customer base, which were black women with diverse hair textures, including kinky and curly. The company issued an apology, saying that they "really f-ed this one up".

Awards

In 2015 and 2016, Shea Moisture was voted Overall Favorite Brand in Naturally Curly's annual Best of the Best survey. For the company's national and international experience in sustainable development, and eco-friendly products, the Environment Possibility Award conferred the "Award of Earth Defender" to Shea Moisture in 2020.

References

External links

* Personal care brands Shampoo brands Products introduced in 1991 1991 establishments in New York City {{product-stub