Gwen Jimmere, CEO and founder of NATURALICIOUS, is the first black woman to receive a patent for a natural hair product. The patent is for her company’s bestselling Moroccan Rhassoul 5-and-1 Clay Treatment—a natural clay-based product that does the work of a cleanser, conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner and detangler all at once.

Jimmere joins Madame CJ Walker as an African-American woman to own a patent for a black haircare product.

This is a major win for Jimmere, but even more significantly, this patent is a historic triumph for the natural hair community as a whole, and signals the onset of black women taking back the reigns of ownership when it comes to our beauty. For decades we have complained about other cultures stealing and profiting off of beauty trends that we create.

Especially with there being such a large spotlight on cultural appropriation right now, Jimmere being granted this patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a huge, symbolic win and a major first step toward black women beginning to quite literally, own (the legal rights to) our beauty and keep the financial gain of our creations within our own communities.

This huge accomplishment in the beauty industry is a win for black girls everywhere, and ever further proof that we most certainly do rock.

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