Carol’s Daughter Ditches L’Oréal and Returns to its Independent Roots. Here’s What You Need to Know

After more than a decade under the L’Oréal umbrella, Carol’s Daughter is heading back to its roots as an independently owned brand. The beloved natural hair care company, founded by Lisa Price in 1993, has announced that it will once again operate independently.

Going Home

Carol’s Daughter, known for natural ingredient-based products, became a game-changer for the Black community and for textured hair care. With cult favorites like the Hair Milk Collection and deeply nourishing conditioners, the brand grew into a household name, boasting a loyal following that includes A-list fans like Jada Pinkett Smith, Mary J. Blige, and Erykah Badu.

The company’s initial rise began in Price’s Brooklyn kitchen, where she hand-crafted products with a focus on meeting the needs of textured hair. In 2014, Price sold Carol’s Daughter to L’Oréal for an undisclosed amount, which helped the brand gain widespread distribution and resources to further innovate. Despite the success, Price’s decision to sell sparked backlash from some of her loyal customers, who felt the sale of the Black-owned brand to a multinational corporation was a betrayal.

“Being called a sellout was tough. There was one message that said, ‘What kind of values are you teaching your children by showing them that if there are enough zeros on the check, you can sell your soul?’” recalled Prince in an interview with Touré for The Grio on July 29, 2024. “I felt we had conveyed this in the press, but it was not communicated well. People were concerned that the project would be destroyed, that it would no longer be for us, but for white people instead. But that was not the case. I told everyone, ‘I am not leaving; I am still going to be part of the brand, and the products will not change,’” she said, but still her consumers felt betrayed.

Reflecting on the brand’s past and its future, Price recently shared the news of Carol’s Daughter’s, which had revenue of $17.1 million, according to Zoom, departure from L’Oréal in an emotional Instagram video. “My dreams are not finished. Today I begin a new chapter and reclaim the indie spirit of my brand as its forever founder and newly appointed President,” Price said to Essence.

As Lisa Price steps into her new role as president, fans and beauty enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting what’s next for the iconic brand.