ARE OUR WHIPPED BUTTERS JUST FOR BLACK PEOPLE?

Earlier this year we did a marketing audit that found BGLH Marketplace has a lot of work to do when it comes to branding. Like how our unofficial tag line ‘Black is Beautiful’ is on all our labels — even though our actual business name, BGLH Marketplace, isn’t. As a matter of fact, people often type ‘Black is Beautiful Butters’ into Google to find us.

So, why is Black is Beautiful on all our labels?

Back in 2008 I started a natural hair blog called Black Girl with Long Hair. For those unfamiliar, natural hair is a term black women use to describe hair that isn’t straightened or loosened with heat or chemicals.

I was 23 years old at the time and the blog was part documentation of my own hair journey, part community site for inspiration and advice. The tagline was ‘Black is Beautiful.’

The concept for BGLH Marketplace came from Black Girl with Long Hair. I wanted to create clean, fragrant, chemical-free body butters my readers could use on their hair and skin. I launched BGLH Marketplace in 2014 as a companion to my blog and carried over the name (BGLH is short for Black Girl with Long Hair) and tagline. It didn’t occur to me that BGLH Marketplace could be a standalone brand. But that’s exactly what happened.

In 2018 I permanently shuttered Black Girl with Long Hair to focus on BGLH Marketplace full time, as its customer base continued to grow and become more diverse.

People often ask, “Is anyone offended by the Black is Beautiful on your labels?” If they are, I’ve never heard about it. In the 9 years I’ve had this business no one has sent an email, or posted a comment on social media with any concerns about Black is Beautiful.

*However* increasingly we have potential customers who aren’t black, emailing us confused about whether our products will work for them. We assure them that yes, our body butters provide a deep moisture and healing experience for all skin, no matter the color.

The thing is, I absolutely love our labels.

And it’s too soon to tell when they’ll need to be changed. I mean it’s definitely a problem they don’t have our company name on them. But right now we have other, more pressing branding issues to work on, so the labels are staying put for now.

I’ll close off this article with some reviews we’ve gotten from customers who aren’t black, but have come to depend on our products.

“One of my biggest regrets in life is only now using this product. I am Middle Eastern and for the longest time I assumed shea butter was solely used for black hair so I never really considered it. It wasn’t until I was sitting next to one of my friends and I noticed her skin was so soft, and she told me it was from this product. It has been life-changing! I have dry skin and live in a harsh Michigan climate and when I tell you guys this product makes me look so hydrated and supple. I also use it on my face and it provides me wonderful hydration!” — Asma on Vanilla Whipped Shea Butter

“As a 70 year-old European American woman, I have different issues from many of the customers here. That being said, the products are wonderful! The scents are intense and true to what they purport to be… Even though my hair is straight and my scalp is oily, my hair needs oil treatments, especially on the ends. My arms are crepey and these butters work better than creams made for crepe.” — Kathleen on Whipped Butters 2.5 oz Sample Pack

“This Mango Shea butter is amazing for my hair! Especially if you suffer from a dry scalp or dandruff like me. I have noticed a significant difference just after my first time use of applying the Mango Shea butter onto my scalp for about 30-60 minutes right before I washed my hair. This will forever be part of my hair washing routine! I shared this with my best friend and she also saw a big difference in her scalp and hair health.” — Jennifer Huang on Mango Shea Blended Butter 

🌿

Want to stay stocked up on our products? Try our Subscription Box! 

The Subscription Box

1. Can be paused, canceled or edited at any time

2. Is 40% off retail price

3. Is completely customizable. You choose what’s in it, or let us choose!

4. Allows for the purchase of individual 0.9 and 2.5 oz sizes

Here’s why you should consider a subscription. Sign up below or directly from any product page.