(CBS DETROIT) – In honor of Black History Month, CBS News Detroit is celebrating Black businesses every Monday in February, starting with hair care.
The natural hair movement continues to thrive in the Black community. Natural hair products brought in more than $10 billion globally last year, and there are a lot of products to choose from.
Purchasing locally can mean big bucks to Michigan’s economy.
CBS News Detroit’s Amyre Makupson takes us to Southfield to meet the woman behind Moy Hair Essentials.
Ten years ago, Moy made a big decision.
“So I actually big-chopped my hair. That’s how I started this natural journey,” said Moy, the owner of Moy Hair Essentials.
The journey at the time wasn’t easy.
“Immediately, I found that there were not a lot of hair products on the market and on the shelves that offer what I wanted to offer,” Moy said.
So, she created what she needed.
“I had to figure out which kind of products to put in my hair that would moisturize my hair and make my hair thrive,” Moy said. “I have aloe vera in there. I have vitamin E, I have castor oil, I have peppermint oil. So a lot of those natural ingredients that you can find like in your home or our products.”
The transition took about a decade, but Miranda says while she was on this journey, getting back to her roots elevated her spirit.
“Hair is a big part of our identity and how we see ourselves and how other people view and see ourselves,” Moy said. “I think being able to embrace your hair helps you just embrace yourself overall. And I think that is really important to be able to identify with when it comes to your hair.”
Since then, Moy has bottled her creations under the name Moy Hair Essentials, no longer with just herself in mind.
“I think just being able to support women, specifically Black women, is what keeps me going and just always is what inspires me,” she said.
Hoping to make the next woman’s journey back to the basics much easier.
“Black hair is very versatile,” Moy said. “It should be able to straighten, and it should be able to be curly like that is the beauty in our hair that our hair can do both. So I think having the right products that is going to be able to protect your curls while being able to be versatile with your hair is very important as well.”
