Beyoncé’s haircare brand Cécred is finally here and she’s sharing deets about it in ESSENCE.
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
With so many stars stepping into the beauty industry with their own brands, fans have been waiting for Beyoncé to make her way into the space for years now.
She first teased the brand back in May 2023, posting to Instagram to let the BeyHive know she “created something special” she couldn’t wait to share with the world. Now, nine months later, her brand Cécred is finally out.
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
The haircare brand launches with the Foundation Collection, which includes eight products that cleanse, condition and visibly repair hair.
In a press release following the launch, Beyoncé said she was “so proud to finally reveal what we’ve been working on.”
“As a Black founder, it was important to me to concentrate on where I saw the greatest need for healthy haircare and to place scientific innovation and product performance above all else,” she continued. “My vision is to be an inclusive force of excellence in the haircare industry while celebrating hair rituals across global cultures and helping dispel hair myths and misconceptions on all sides.”
The “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” singer’s passion for haircare was born while sweeping hair in her mother’s salon growing up, so it’s only right she be a part of the project, too. Tina Knowles joins Cécred as vice chairwoman, bringing along 40 years of experience as a hairstylist, salon owner and entrepreneur.
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
“I have personally witnessed how these products have stopped breakage in its tracks,” Knowles said of Cécred’s products. “I’ve seen the transformations from using these products on all different hair types and textures and the results have been amazing.”
Beyoncé echoed that thought while gracing the cover of ESSENCE for the magazine’s March/April issue, where she opens up even more about her latest venture.
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
During her cover story, she emphasizes just how important growing up in her mother’s salon was to her development as a person and as an artist. She also posed for stunning shots taken by photographer Andre D. Wagner, one of which featured herself, her mom Ms. Tina, and daughters Blue and Rumi.
“So much of the fabric of who I am came from her salon,” she explained. “That’s my foundation—and I think as an artist, so much of my bold experimentation with hair comes from being inspired by art and sculptures.”
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
Beyoncé continued, “Getting creative with braids; figuring out new techniques; and exploring ways to maintain hair growth with protective styles and wigs, while still feeling fabulous. It all stems from my experiences growing up in my mother’s salon.”
See more from her ESSENCE cover story on the flip.
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
While chatting with writer Brooklyn White-Grier for ESSENCE, Beyoncé reflected on Cécred being a “legacy project” considering her mother’s career as a hairstylist.
“My priorities are quality and intention. It was important to decide where we invested in our formulations. I knew what I wanted to do, with technology that works for all women and all textures, because I had not been able to find it. I built this from the ground up and funded it myself. First, I had to find the right team with the best experience who also shared my beliefs. This business was led by heart and passion, not by a business plan. We went above and beyond to make decisions based on results and the absolute best science. And better results meant more investment in quality products. Every hair texture deserves testing, research and development. Black women in general are the last to be included in testing. We are often prescribed things based on studies we were not included in. It’s bigger than me, or hair. Now we have created something that celebrates healthy hair for all women, including us. I’m always honored to invest in us.
Cécred is a legacy project for me, one that’s probably the most rooted in my ancestry. It’s so far beyond business. Hair is our lineage; it’s our family story. Having access to proven ingredients, and creating our own technology that is patent-pending—we now have a line that works universally.”
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
See more ESSENCE x Beyoncé excerpts below.
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
On cutting her hair into a pixie in 2013 and it reflecting a life change:
“I love how we associate a certain hairstyle with moments in our lives, like that short-hair moment. I remember the day I decided to just cut all my hair off. I didn’t have a particular style in mind. It wasn’t an aesthetic choice, but it was a very big emotional transformation and metamorphosis that I was going through. So much of my identity as a performer has been connected to flowing hair. Cutting my hair off was me rebelling against being this woman that society thinks I’m supposed to be. I was a new mother, and something about the liberation of becoming a mother made me want to just shed all of that. It was a physical representation of me shedding the expectations put upon me. I just wanted it off. Neal Farinah, my hairstylist and friend, was freaking out because it was really long, really thick and really healthy. I just got the scissors and chopped it off. It was very intentional. And it was what I needed to do. And after that, I became super brave. It was the first step to many more audacious decisions I made in my life and my career that have led to who I am now.”
On her nightly hair routine:
“It’s all about moisture for me—adding oil to my scalp and covering my hair at night so the oils could penetrate. It brings back such great memories of my rituals as a child to maintain a healthy scalp. I wrap my hair up and sometimes sleep in some cute rollers with a net or bonnet, depending on how I am wearing my hair. I try to avoid friction, my hair reverting and using unnecessary heat.
Black women’s sense of self is so often connected to their hair. How do we allow it to bring us joy and accentuate who we are, without it completely defining our personhood?
We can wear our hair natural, straight, braids, weaves and wigs. There’s power in self-expression and in feeling free to show up as we choose, in whatever hair we choose. For me, joy comes from making myself a priority and making my hair a priority. It is really important for me to make time for the sacred rituals of self-care.One hair ritual I always used was fermented rice water. We put our own spin on it and figured out how to turn it into a powder. All you need to do is add water, so it’s much easier and instant— plus we added rose, so it smells beautiful. I do this when my hair needs it, after I color my hair, after a tour. It’s healing for my hair but also for me. I think one of the beautiful things that inspired this line was respecting these ancient traditions and mixing them with technology and science.”
Source: Andre D. Wagner / Essence
Beyoncé’s Cécred haircare line is available at cecred.com.
ESSENCE CREDITS
Photographed by Andre D. Wagner Written by Brooklyn White-Grier
Styled by Shiona Turini
Hair Stylist: Neal Farinah at Draped Collective using Cécred Hair Collection Makeup: Rokael using Rokael Beauty at Opus Beauty
Nail Technician: Miho Okawara (MiHONAiLS)
Set Design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists
Photography Assistants: Tyler Woodford and Juliet Wolf
Lighting Director: Tutu Lee
Lighting Team: Zack Bartlett, Jake Reardon, Hisham Abahusayn, and Jason Capistrano Digital Technician: Maria Toncoso Gibbs
Wardrobe Supervisor: Ryan Dodson at Parkwood
Stylist Assistants: Milton Dixon, EJ Ellison, and Jaiin Kang
Hair Team: Nakia Rachon at Parkwood, Ziff Anthony
Makeup Assistant: Sarah Thacker
Nail Assistant: Ayumi Namaizawa
Set Assistants: Nicky Buzzerio, Christian Senrud, George Deacon, M Czerwinski, Graham Law, and David Rose
Tailors: Tim White and Shirlee Idzakovich
Production by The Morrison Group
Assistant Directors: Ryan Bremond and Myeka Williams
Production Managers: Alaura Wong and Christina Najar
Production Assistants: Jordan Mack, Dion O’Joe, Danica Morrison, and Frankie Benkovic
Shot at Milk Studios
Special Thanks to Cécred and Parkwood Entertainment creative teams, Blond, L’Ermitage Beverly Hills & Love Catering