Of course Beyoncé is selling shampoo and conditioner: The Grammy winner’s golden waves are iconic, and her entrepreneurial spirit is nearly as impressive as her musical talent. It’s also no surprise that Cécred, her highly anticipated new hair care line, is an inspired venture—motivated, in part, by her experience with scalp psoriasis.
“The relationship we have with our hair is such a deeply personal journey,” the “Break My Soul” singer said in an Essence interview published Saturday. “From spending my childhood in my mother’s salon to my father applying oil on my scalp to treat my psoriasis—these moments have been sacred to me.”
Scalp psoriasis isn’t officially considered a subtype of psoriasis (an autoimmune disease that causes skin cells to multiply rapidly), and the condition commonly affects the scalp: It can lead to itchy, scaly patches that are pink to red with silvery scales in lighter complexions, and violet to dark brown with grayish scales in deeper skin tones, as SELF previously reported. People with scalp psoriasis may also notice dandruff-like flaking, excessive dryness, occasional bleeding, and even temporary hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
While Beyoncé didn’t go into detail about her specific symptoms, she did open up about the experience of growing up around hair salons—which she considered a safe space for relaxation and camaraderie. “It’s a place to feel beautiful and vent, laugh, share secrets, and pass down wisdom,” she told Essence. “That connection of community, mother and child, father and child, and respect—and allowing yourself to be taken care of, especially for Black women, who are always taking care of everyone else—it’s all sacred.”
That’s why, she added, she hopes her brand will reflect a similarly sacred (or Cécred) experience: “I took the end of my name, Cé, and made it the beginning of the word sacred to create Cécred,” she said. “From my mother’s salon, daily rituals with my father, and years of experience in developing a hair care line, the journey has been just that: Cécred.”
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