State of Black Beauty: 2024 Year in Review

Consumers are beginning to experiment more with their hairstyles. During and post-pandemic there was a drop-off in experimentation, but this is beginning to pick back up with the highest figure of AA women stating they are experimenting more since 2020.

Braids were the go-to hairstyle of 2024 for African American and multiracial women. While wash and go was the predominant style over the previous two years, its popularity is waning slightly while braids are surging. Straightened hair rounds out the three, the same spot it held in 2023. 

The long-term shift away from relaxers and chemical texture alteration continues, with a significant drop-off in 2024. There is still a small proportion of AA/MR women reporting using relaxers for the first time, or returning to relaxers (6% in 2024), however this proportion is outweighed by the number going (or going back) to natural hair.

Inflation and the economy continue to be common themes impacting shopping behavior, priorities, and spending patterns. Overall slightly more consumers reported spending less in 2024 than the proportion spending more, but inflation and the rising living costs were a factor either way, with some reporting spending more due to this. Encouragingly however, many of the consumers who increased their spending did so because of renewed engagement with the category; focussing more on taking care of their skin/hair, trying new brands, and doing more styling.

A majority of AA/MR women believe that the beauty industry is generally meeting the needs of Black and multicultural consumers. However, there are numerous suggestions for how the industry could better serve these consumers including research and product development, affordability, range, and availability.