Monique Rodriguez founded Mielle Organics in 2014 and has since created highly sought-after products for natural, healthy hair.
As reported by AfroTech, Mielle Organics is now worth over $100 million, and Rodriguez has been able to grow her successful business on her own terms.
“I’m able to do it my way because I maintain the majority ownership,” Rodriguez shared with AfroTech in a 2022 interview. “I’ve built my company thus far to where it is,” she shared. “If it’s not broke, you don’t have to fix it and so I just wanted help accessing resources to really take my brand globally and for us to do something so historic, it sets the tone for the next Black woman that’s sitting at the table of a private equity firm. She can demand more because of what Mielle has been able to accomplish.”
While Rodriguez’s mission behind Mielle Organics is to cater to “multicultural” hair, it appears that one of its products has been introduced to new consumers.
In December 2022, TikToker Alix Earle posted a video where she shared that Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil was one of her top Amazon purchases of 2022.
“I’ve only been using this for like a little over a month and I’ve already seen tremendous hair growth,” she said.
Since then, the post has created an uproar from the natural hair community. Being that the oil was designed for Black and brown people, they are coming forward with their frustration on TikTok about how the hype around Earle’s video is causing white people to sell out a product that isn’t intended for them.
“What made you think that walking through an ethnic hair care aisle to buy a $20 oil that was not made for you was going to work?… The product doesn’t work for you, but you keep selling the oil out so that the people who actually need it can’t get to the oil,” TikToker @kita.io said in a post.
@kita.io #stitch with @ronelle__ ♬ original sound – Kita iOWithin the online controversy, many have been advising white people to not purchase the product because of the concern that Mielle Organics hair oil may change due to the surge in demand.
In the midst of multiple concerns, Rodriguez recently set the record straight.
“There have been a few recent comments posted on this topic but I can personally guarantee you that we are not making any ingredient changes,” Rodriguez confirmed in an Instagram post.
“I also wanted to come here first to assure you directly that we have no plans to change the formula for Rosemary Mint Oil or any of our products,” the founder added.
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