TRENTON, N.J. — A few years ago, a husband and wife team began an initiative called, “operation take our hair back,” which is not only concerned about wealth, but more about the holistic health of their customers.
— Photo by Michelle Dryden
This effort by owners, Donna and Andrew Paris, has evolved into Paris Hair and Beauty Supplies store in Trenton.
“Five years ago, we sat and watched a horrific film based on the atrocities of black hair, and we were blown away by what we learned about the amount of money they make from our hair,” said Donna Paris.
“We are less than two per cent of business owners in this trillion dollar industry,” she explained.
Paris went on to say that “operation take our hair back” is about taking back the black hair industry from other ethnicities, such as the Koreans, and utilizing black entrepreneurs to create, develop, and feature their “all-natural” ingredients hair and skin products at Paris Hair store.
She says the idea is about investing money into the black community while relying on holistic doctors and chemists to educate the black community.
The premise is that traditional, or mainstream hair and skin products that are widely available on the shelves of most stores are not ideal for hair and skin of color.
She mentions adverse effects of chemical infusion in the products that cause fibroids, eczema, psoriasis, alopecia, and other illnesses in the black hair and skin community.
But, Paris Hair and Beauty Supplies store offers something different from other hair stores in the area, says Paris.
“When (customers) come in, we get involved in their health, diets, and lifestyles,” she said.
Paris explains that not only does her store cater to the black hair and skin community, but they also empathize and sympathize with them.
She said unlike other stores, they understand why black hair and skin behave the way they do, and they educate their customers about it.
Thus, they have an all-natural ingredients products section in their store, where they feature products developed by black entrepreneurs, holistic doctors, and chemists.
These chemists list all the natural ingredients in their products, which they promise have been tested and are safer and better for blacks than the more common products.
“When you take a product to use, just like your food, you should know what the ingredients are,” said Paris.
“And the names should be familiar and make sense,” she said.
She states that anything people add on to their hair or skin becomes a part of the body by potentially seeping into their bloodstreams, and so it is important to choose products wisely.