Madam C. J. Walker, Annie Turnbo Malone, and the Early Black Beauty Industry
Madam C. J. Walker and Annie Turnbo Malone built two of the most significant Black-owned beauty enterprises in the United States during the early twentieth century. Their businesses were primarily centered on hair care, scalp treatments, cosmetics, and beauty education , rather than the commercial chemical-relaxer industry that developed more fully later in the century. Their histories, however, are more complicated than either the claim that they sold “poison” to Black women or the opposite claim that their products were entirely harmless. Their documented formulas included ingredients that were common in the medical and cosmetic products of their era but that can present health risks under certain conditions. What Walker's Products Contained Madam C. J. Walker's best-known products included Wonderful Hair Grower , a preparation marketed for hair and scalp care. A documented formulation contained ingredients including: Precipitated sulfur Copper sulfate Petrolatum Coconut oil ...