Hola Chicas,
Several CN.com members informed me of a recent lawsuit against Garnier…apparently, they don’t like Black folks…or Asians…or Arabs. Dammit Garnier!
Here’s the link: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article6572173.ece
While the entire article is disturbing and unfortunate, this passage stood out:
“That image already suffered a battering when L’Oréal executives were forced to deny claims that they had lightened the singer Beyoncé Knowles’s skin for a campaign last year. The ruling also hinted at widespread prejudice among French shoppers since L’Oréal believed that they were more likely to buy shampoo from white sales staff, the court was told. “
I had a sneaking suspicion that they altered her skin tone for those commercials! At first glance, she looked like a white woman…her skin and hair were nearly the same color. Ridiculous.
Anyway, I’m not sure how I feel at this point. As a child, I remember my parents boycotting Denny’s and Shell Gas stations for similar reasons. Tell me what you think — if S&S gives you fabulous results, would you give it up due to the this recent news?
Later Gators,
Nik
p.s. I picked up the newly formulated Sleek and Shine yesterday at Walgreens. I haven’t tried it yet…I wonder if it works as well as the old one does. This is a henna weekend, so I won’t be able to provide a review until Monday.
Just realized how much of my stash was L'Oreal…. I used to be a real Kiehl's PJ (hair and skin products), bought plenty Body Shop butters, lip glosses and eye shadows, and adored Matrix Biolage. I won't buy any of these products anymore. Thanks for this thread.
Seems Like I remember Garnier having a black girl with curly hair in their commercial. SO it seems they were marketing to black people as well as others. But hey I didn't read the article yet
I would most definitely Boycott all there products, especially when there are so many other products out there. I feel that this generation is too willing to always compromise on things that matter. Like respecting each other and calling each other the "N" word for fun. Loreal is out another customer cause I for one won't be spending my hard earned Black money on them.
There is no way I will be purchasing there products ever again, would you have willingly paid your slave owner money or respect only if forced to never willingly, must think I am crazy!!!
To Anon 10:10
You're so very brave Anonymous, hiding behind your anonymity. You wouldn't have the courage to say that to someone's face would you?
I'm not a L'oreal user currently, and haven't been in the past, and I guess I'll just continue to not use their products. They've never gotten my money anyways. 🙂
At the end of the day money makes the world go round. Who really respect their customers anyway? As long as the dollars are circulating they could care less. Why don't you boycott the drug dealers in your neighborhoods killing your black folks. Boycott that!
I am disappointed at the news of Loreal's discrimination. I have used the Sleek and Shine leave-in conditioner for quite awhile on my natural hair and on my boys' hair as well and have been quite pleased with its performance. I will continue to use it. If I did my shopping based on the discriminatory actions or beliefs of companies my family would be hungry and naked! Racism and discrimnation, both known and hidden, continues to run through the very bedrock of this nation and the world–White on Black, Black on Black, Men on Women, Arab on Jew, Sunni on Shiite. You get the picture. White people in this country have generally gotten more careful about the way they show it. Loreal was just stupid and got busted. But don't fool yourself. Unless you can grow your own cotton and weave your own clothes, grow your own food, and concoct your own hair potions from homegrown ingredients, you are lining the pockets of a racist somewhere. When it comes to the hiring models and spokespersons for their products, aside from a few token people of color thrown in, the overwhwhelming majority of companies prefer to use Whites. As to the "whitening" of Beyonce I'll say this: if that look didn't move more product and make money, it wouldn't have been done. It appeals to the white masses and many, many of our folks, too. Is it possible that some of those honey haired, light skinned sisters on the golden blonde Dark and Lovely boxes have been digitally altered to look more "appealing". Disappointing, yes. Shocking, no. Will it continue? Heck yeah. Loreal was racist in their hirings in France. Is this endemic to their whole company or just a couple of stupid execs making a wicked choice based on a racist aesthetic that was formed by Whites, but is propagated by some of our own people?
Hell naw I ain't buying. Money talks, money is power – if they don't wanna employ folks who look like me, how can they POSSIBLY like the look of my mula?
The company will understand once we keep our dollars to ourselves. I will boycott it for sure.
Great discussion ladies!
Yep, I do not care how long their list of subsidiaries are, I am happy to boycott them all. I look at it this way- I was able to survive before these products were made and I surely will survive without them. NOTHING is worth selling my self-respect and dignity for. Thank goodness there are SO many products to choose from these days, we have so much freedom and buying power, I am thrilled! I have found that certain people will NEVER take you seriously if you do not maintain a firm stance; they will push and push until they realise you value yourself too highly to bend; then they CAPITULATE and start trying to please you. I have had experiences like this in the past so I know it happens. If a significant number of black people make their stand known and put their money where their mouth is, believe me these companies will sit up and do something about it! So, I stand my ground – I will not buy from them, I do not care if they own 50 more companies, LOL!
@"L'Oreal has done more research on black hair than any other company, and if I remember correctly, they were one of the first (large companies) to do so… and they continue; that alone shows that they respect us as consumers."
I see your ponit and i disagree. ita with some comments above, this only shows their interest in the money they can make with ethnic hair care. nothing wrong with it. but it has at LEAST to include respect of all theri customers.
A big "Thank You" to anonymus 7:34 for remembering us that boycotting racist companys and governments is worth the effort.
If our foremothers and forefathers had not done this boycott no one of us would be able to sit on their laptop and join this discussion, because the acess to this form of communication is an exclusive one….many peolpe do not have this opportunity still in this very moment and most of them are not white…..
again, love from berlin,
Monika
wow..hott topic I see..
personally..it bothers me..but really..this company is not the only ones.. I f I post half of the other companies on here a lot of us would not have a phone, lights, clothing.ect…there is a lot of racisims going on..heck..majority of the products and clothes you were are from 'white provilieded' money…(unless you make your own-then you may want to look into the fabric you purchase.)
I say contact the company and express how you feel..if you are going to boycott them then you might as well do it with all 100,000 other companies out here..its sad, but unless there is a heart change people will still be the same…
heck, I am using my products and will still be the beautiful, naturally curly BLACK sister that I am. 🙂 We should not make anyone feel less 'black' because of what they do with their money..I sure hope we fight this hard over some of the music we listen to and will watch many of those performers perform this sunday on BET that degrade BLACK women….lets discuss..
I certainly would not buy from a company that does not like "my kind" or a company that's racist at all. I'm not going to support them with my hard money. That would be rewarding bad behavior, and there are a lot of companies that make quality products and love all their customers.
I also wouldn't buy from companies that tested on animals (if I knew).
"L'Oreal has done more research on black hair than any other company, and if I remember correctly, they were one of the first (large companies) to do so… and they continue; that alone shows that they respect us as consumers."
I disagree here. I think it proves that they are more than happy to exploit us. Everyone knows that ethnic hair care is a multi-billion dollar industry. The purpose of researching our hair has nothing to do with respect, but an attempt to be ahead of the curve and corner the market.
Hi Anon 8:06 All I said was that they respect blacks as CONSUMERS… I did not get into the great racial divide, that was not my angle. My point, perhaps originally belaboured, is simply this… MONEY does not see colour, so I (personally) did not take offense. It is your prerogative to do so if you like. As someone else pointed out, there are equally horrendous offenses that can keep you in fig leaves and thatched roof houses. I am happy that it was found out, but do not bellieve that it's only L'Oreal. I live by 3 quotes… one which you used in your post by Eleanor Roosevelt… and one by Ben Franklin "if you empty your wallet into your head, no one can take it from you". I'm still emptying, and thank God, because I realise that all of this will one day pass away, and behold, all things will be made new!
I'm not sure how I feel about this issue. On one hand, everyone is right to feel that you shouldn't give your hard-earned money to someone who despises our color and doesn't like us…
BUT
Doesn't that make us sink just as low to let them get to us like that? Me as an individual couldn't careless about the way someone thinks of me. I'm spending my money on their products because it works for me. Regardless of the looks, the feedback, the comments, people make, what works WORKS. It's as if majority of good hair caring businesses were races against black? So what? Would you just stop using their products and use water instead?
I say whatever. Life moves on. Life ALWAYS moves on. People are always gonna have opinions and you just can't change it. So if Garnier works, USE IT!!! I don't like Garnier though. Products are way to pricey for my taste. That's the only reason why though.
=]
To Anon 5:51. White people kept us "employed" as slaves for hundreads of years and I'm sure invested lots of money to do so. So should we have kept supporting them? Investing money and time to get OUR money is business and should not be mistaken as giving a damn about black people. Do not disrepect yourself by buying products from people who discrimate against us.
I've never used any of their products but now I never will. I'll just stick with my Oyin.
I JUST BOUGHT THIS CONDITIONER YESTERDAY. I WILL NOT BUY IT AGAIN. I WILL NOT GIVE MY MONEY TO COMPANIES THAT DONT LIKE MY RACE! IF I DONT KNOW ABOUT IT THATS A DIFFERENT STORY!
Hello Anon 6:14 PM I am a bit troubled by your logic. It seems as if you have fallen prey to the converse error (those annoying if then statements from math class). Just because L’Oreal invests money in researching the cosmetic needs of the black community does not mean that they respect the African diaspora. It means that they are well aware of the 4 billion dollars that the African-American female community spends. Furthermore, L’Oreal is a French based company so to say that it is a symptom of the French people and not the company itself does not take into account the Board of Directors, CEOs, EVPs, Presidents etc…they are all French. Finally, I have tried their products and this is why I am so saddened that I will no longer be using them. Remember “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
I don't buy Garnier and now you just gave me a bigger reason not to.
Being an older hair diva,
I can remember when blacks could not use beaches in Biloxi and their tax dollars supported those beaches. I can remember being told to go through side doors. I WILL not spend MY hard earned God provided money any where I'm not respected. I'm in the beauty field and you should really SEE and HEAR what the Koreans are saying about us and how they laugh at how much money they make off us.
Please be wise and be better consumers. A SIMPLE well planned boycott in Selma, AL crippled the bus transportation.
I read this article earlier and I've seen previous posts on nc.com and here … If I were to go to France right now I'd probably never find a job no matter how good my French is due to the color of my skin. I have heard stories of other black women going into fashion and marketing interviews in France being seen for the first time and basically being told that they would never be considered because they're black and they don't think customers would trust them… even if these people are well qualified. IF it IS a marketing tactic to have French white people only sell French white people products due to trust issues, or what have you, what would that tell you about the people that create and purchase these products? It's a scary sub system of racism that just isn't right. I hold nothing against French people and to read things like this make me feel like they simply have something against me. Period. I won't be paying for anything related to L'Oreal.
I agree with Naturally Leslie. It can range from clothes, to many different things we use in our everyday lives as well. It's very unfortunate. It's odd that this is going on with Loreal because I remember seeing YaYa (the runner up for america's next top model) endorse Garnier Fructis' shampoo/conditioner in a few commercials. THey were really nice commercials too. Anyway, this is just too much bad news today. I can't even focus right now.
RIP Michael Jackson
We also have to remember the products we use that disproportionately affect poor peoples around the world due to poor labor conditions, almost nonexistent wages, etc etc. It can get really deep ya'll so how far can you take it?
Here's the full list:
L'Oréal Professionnel
L'Oréal Technique
Kérastase
Redken
Matrix
Mizani
Shu Uemura Art of Hair
L'Oréal Paris
Garnier
Maybelline New York
SoftSheen-Carson
CCB Paris
Lancôme
Biotherm
Kiehl's
Helena Rubinstein
Shu Uemura
YSL Beauté
Giorgio Armani Parfums and Cosmetics
Cacharel cosmetics
Ralph Lauren Fragrances
Diesel Fragrances
Paloma Picasso fragrances
Victor & Rolf parfums
Vichy Laboratoires
La Roche-Posay
SkinCeuticals
Innéov
Sanoflore
Ombrelle
The Body Shop
thanks anon @5:51!!!
I'm a first time poster and semi-follower of the CN blog.
Just because the Fructis Style Promoters wanted white hostesses doesn't mean that the entire organization discriminates.
L'Oreal has done more research on black hair than any other company, and if I remember correctly, they were one of the first (large companies) to do so… and they continue; that alone shows that they respect us as consumers.
We should look at the fact that they felt they needed to hire whites to sell to whites as an indictment of the French people! (as noted in the article). These companies are into profits; I'm sure you all have an idea of what goes into marketing… choosing whites was a marketing scheme that they knew would work with that particular product… I'm not offended, and I'll continue to use L'Oreal because their products for curly hair work beautifully for black hair… you should try them! :-).
Sample of what I sent them and yes I am a PJ!!
I am disappointed to learn of your discriminatory hiring practices. As a result of this I am forced to boycott your products namely the Mizani line of hair products, Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine conditioner, Maybelline Greatest Lash Mascara, The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter & Body Scrub, SkinCeuticals Simply Clean Pore-Refining Gel Cleanser & Clarifying Clay Masque, Lancome Color Fever Gloss Intense, and the various Soft Sheen Carson Products that I have used. I find it shameful and disrespectful that you believe that it is okay in this day and age to engage in these practices. I hope that the findings of La Cour de Cassation will bring forth a new era in responsible practices for L’Oreal.
thanks anon @5:26 for providing that link. i'll be sure to let them know they no longer have this pj as a customer.
It is not enough to simply boycott don't forget to contact them and tell them exactly what you will no longer be purchasing. http://www.loreal.com/_en/_ww/tools/contact/consumer/form_usa.aspx
It's just horrible. @Natakus and anon 5:06, I'm going to have to give up my fav mascara, and my long time butter from Body Shop 🙁 So sad.
Ya'll know how I breeze through products anyway…back to the drawing board…but not before I use what I have!
I would NEVER support a company that has been proven to discriminate in its hiring practices—but here's the problem for us principle-minded folks. Loreal is the parent company for Maybelline, SoftSheen, Redken, Matrix, Mizani, Lancome, Kieh's, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Diesel, The Body Shop, SkinCeuticals, and more! It gets tricky trying to avoid all its subsidiaries. Something to think about.
Not one thin dime of my money will they see.
i read this article earlier today and immediately thought, "uh oh, nikki just put a rave review for their product! i wonder what she's going to do?" there are other fish in the sea. i have no problem using another conditioner since, over the years, i've found many that work well for me. i'll spend my hard-earned money elsewhere, thank you very much. i'm just annoyed that i will have to find a new favorite mascara.
I too would never support a company that hates and has no respect for people like me. I look at it this way – would I hand my money over to someone who calls me racist slurs, disrespects my race and holds me in contempt? Heck no! There has to be a point at which black people take a stand; we do have consumer power – we should use it wisely always. They will never take us seriously if we continue to hold ourselves in such low esteem. I recall the incident between french store Hermes and Oprah Winfrey a few years back – basically they refused her entry because of her colour. I made up my mind then NEVER to purchase any of their products ever again ( I used to love their perfumes and coveted many of their bags eg the "kelly", "birkin") etc. Personally I am not interested in anyone who does not have my best interests at heart – or at the very least acknowlegdes that I am human and worthy of respect.
I won't be buying anything from them. Their products don't work for my hair anyway. I hear France can be a pretty prejudice place in general.
I wouldn't support a company who doesn't support people who look like me. Im sure there is something else out there that will give you even for fabulous results without the "insults". I say move on to something better.
If the product works for you, keep using it. There is no reason to not use it if it provides everything that you are looking for in a product. You and your hair seem to really like the product, don't discontinue using it because of JUST that!
J.
Thanks for this important piece of information! I will NEVER buy a L`Oreal product again. It is definitely not worth it. Shame on them. I work too hard for my money to give it to a racist, ignorant, dumb company. Oyin, here i come!
love from Berlin,
Monika
btw, amazon germany still sells right-wing, nazi books. guess which book lover is not buying there? We as customers/consumers are extremly powerful and especially in these recession days we have to bear hs in mnd and make conscious decisions,
If it were possible still under allegations I would potentially keep using the products. However, in this situation they have been found guilty and based on being found guilty I won't be supporting L'oreal 🙁
Hey Nikki! First time posting…
No, I won't purchase anything NEW from them, HOWEVER, I will use what I have already! *No use wasting money already spent!!
ditto. i don't give my money to companies who don't like me. if that means i have to search longer and harder to find a product that works for me. so be it.
tnt
I wouldn't buy any of it. No matter how good it works for my hair. I mean I use to loooovvvveee Cracker Barrel's pancakes, but when I found out about their discrimination against people I stopped going.