When did Mielle sell their company? Lawsuit claim emerges amid backlash over alleged cancer-causing chemical

Mielle Organics founder Monique Rodriquez took to Instagram on September 5, 2024, to address claims of the products causing hair loss and changes in customers’ hair texture. This comes after several TikTok users stated that they lost clumps of hair after using the product, with platform user and licensed cosmetologist @laura_beauticoach also expressing weariness over the product. The cosmetologist also claimed that the brand is facing a lawsuit for the same.

TikToker @laura_beautycoach shared on the video-sharing platform:

“The number of people who have reached out to me personally, either in DMs or in comment sections, saying they experienced scalp irritation, hair loss, or breakage after using Mielle is insane.”

In another TikTok video, Laura Beautycoach also said that the product that came under criticism was Mielle’s Strengthening Shampoo. It was alleged that the product contained a “cancer-causing chemical.” She also said:

“You thought that you was going to sell us a product right? Turn around, sell that company to a larger company, let them tweak it, have our hair fallen out and thought that you were really going to get away with it? Oh no, come to the front.”

The cosmetologist also claimed that Mielle Organics is allegedly violating Proposition 65, which requires companies to explicitly disclose that a product can cause cancer. It is worth noting that the TikToker was speaking about the brand’s Rosemary & Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil product while bringing forth the allegations.

The platform user alleged that the company is likely changing the aforementioned product’s ingredients following the company’s acquisition from Procter & Gamble in January 2023. The TikToker claimed that a “light” version of the aforementioned product was released following the brand’s acquisition, inferring that Monique Rodriguez “hear us.”

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Mielle Organics owner Monique Rodriguez took to Instagram to address the allegations

On September 5, 2024, a video from the CEO of the company, Monique Rodriguez, appeared on the brand’s Instagram page. She shared how the company had grown large enough to be acquired by a Fortune 500 company.

She also revealed that the company was able to partner with the WNBA and support HBCUs. Rodriguez also clarified that she was very much involved with the brand despite its acquisition.

Speaking about allegations of the brand changing its formula, Rodriguez stated that there were “no formula changes” from the time the brand was created in 2019.

According to Baller Alert, Mielle also stated in a now-deleted Instagram post that the “fear of growth and success” within the Black community can occasionally trigger “survival instincts, leading to the creation of false narratives.” She also reportedly claimed that she “faced persecution, often from those who looked like me.” Rodriguez then reportedly said:

“There have been individuals who have attempted to bring my brand down.”

However, it seems like Mielle continues to face backlash across multiple social media platforms as X user @missodessa acquired over five million views in an X thread that highlighted Amazon customer reviews for the Rosemary hair oil product. Some reviews read:

“This product does not work to reduce hair loss. I lost more hair each time I used this product for the entire month it said it would take to work.”

“This has cause some serious damage to my hair image of how much hair I lost.”

“THIS PRODUCT MADE MY HAIR FALL OFF. IT ALSO GAVE ME HORRIBLE DANDRUFF. NOT WORTH IT, IT HAS MADE ME INSECURE& REGRET USING THIS BS JUST BECAUSE IT’S HYPED UP A LOT. DO NOT BUY UNLESS YOU WANT BALD SPOTS & DANDRUFF.”

Monique Rodriguez is not the first Black brand owner to face backlash over her brand being acquired by another company. In 2017, Richelieu Dennis garnered hate online after selling Shea Moisture to Unilever for an estimated $1.6 billion.