What’s really going on with Mielle Organics? Unpacking the social media controversy

Popular natural haircare brand Mielle Organics has gone viral after multiple customers report experiencing hair loss from the products.

Mielle Organics, a popular Black-owned natural haircare company, has recently found itself in the center of a heated social media controversy. What began as publicized customer concerns about their experiences with some of the brand’s products has escalated into a full-blown backlash online. Some users allege that Mielle Organics’ products have caused hair loss and damage, sparking a broader discussion about haircare for Black women, the accountability of beauty brands, and the integrity of the natural haircare industry.

The Origins of the Controversy

Recently, more and more women have come forward to share their experiences using Mielle Organics hair care products. Sharing similar complaints of hair loss and damage, these personal stories quickly went viral across social media platforms, leading to a wave of online backlash as other users in the comment section echoed similar experiences, explaining how they thought they were going “crazy” when they noticed their hair coming out in clumps. While some argued that these negative results are simply user error, others believe these experiences were caused by the products’ ingredients and the company’s shift to mass production since partnering with personal care juggernaut Procter & Gamble.

The resulting online discourse has sparked various rumors and claims about what is going on with Mielle Organics. One of the biggest rumors being that Mielle Organics is facing a lawsuit. Besides an unverified link posted to Reddit, there are no records of an active lawsuits against the natural haircare company. 

Company changes 

As previously reported by theGrio, Mielle Organics joined P&G Beauty, a division of Proctor & Gamble, in 2023. Though Mielle Organics founder Monique Rodriguez described this partnership as an opportunity to “further [expand] access to healthy hair products and services for Black women around the world,” consumers had mixed reviews about the business milestone. At the time, many Black fans of the brand expressed concerns that Mielle Organics would fall into the all-too-familiar pattern of higher prices and different formulas as a result of the partnership. 

Today, in light of the claims of hair loss and damage, some users are wondering if the brand’s collaboration with the giant beauty conglomerate resulted in less safeguarded formulations.  

Founder’s response 

Following the growing discourse about Mielle Organics, Rodriguez released a video statement on Instagram. Sharing the brand’s backstory, the founder and CEO affirmed that Mielle Organics products are “created with healthy ingredients and are formulated to deliver safe and effective results.” So much so, that Rodriguez encouraged users to compare product ingredient lists from before the P&G acquisition and now. 

“My whole family and myself are avid users of Mielle […] because we believe in the power of our products. So, when I made the decision to partner with P&G, it was driven by my vision to take Mielle to new heights, and become a global beauty brand. That vision remains as strong as ever today,” she explained. “I am so grateful for the opportunities this partnership has brought us. This partnership has allowed us to expand our reach, and make a positive impact in the world.” 

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While she emphasized her continuous involvement and commitment to serving the Mielle community, viewers noted the founder’s failure to address the current controversy. 

“You didn’t address the issue: people’s hair is falling out, so if the formula hasn’t changed WHY have the results [changed]?” one user commented. “Check the factory cleanliness & gather the batch numbers of the products people have. There is an issue and skating over it isn’t the answer.” 

Online Divisions: Customers vs. Mielle Organics

As with many social media controversies, the discourse surrounding Mielle Organics quickly became polarized. On one side were customers who felt that the brand had failed them, with some sharing personal stories of hair loss and accusing the company of prioritizing profit over their health. On the other were defenders of the brand, many of whom had positive experiences with Mielle Organics’ products and criticized the backlash as an overreaction. Supporters pointed out that hair loss can be caused by a range of factors, including stress, hormonal changes, or incorrect product usage, arguing that it was unfair to blame the company for all cases of hair damage. 

In addition to Rodriguez’s video response, the haircare brand released a written statement directly addressing some of the recent claims, from product safety to lawsuit rumors. 

“We understand that recent questions about our brand and products have caused questions […] It is important to note that none of the negative experiences alleged have been medically confirmed as caused by our products,” the statement read. “There have been inaccurate statements on social media about our product safety. To clarify, no lawsuit has been filed against Mielle, and we are not involved in any active litigation.” 

Additionally, the brand addressed the discourse surrounding hair shedding, citing the American Association of Dermatology Association’s findings, which state that it is normal for people to lose 50 to 100 strands of hair daily. Highlighting that various factors like “hormonal changes, heredity, medications, stress, poor nutrition and excessive styling can contribute to increased hair shedding,” the brand encouraged users experiencing these problems to seek professional help from a doctor or board-certified dermatologist. 

So what now? While the online controversy may continue, the facts reveal three key takeaways:

• Mielle Organics is not undergoing any active lawsuits. 
• The brand claims its products’ ingredients have not changed since joining forced with P&G beauty. 
• The cause behind claims of hair loss and damage remains unconfirmed.

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