The products is doing wonders for silk presses across the country!
For decades, parabens and phthalates, known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in Black hair care products, have been linked to severe health issues and unhealthy hair. Popular products used by Black women, such as hair relaxers, hair oils, moisturizers, lotions, leave-in conditioners, and gels, have been identified as causes of certain cancers, including breast and uterine, according to research by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
So what is the alternative?
“Climax is intentionally designed to be lightweight so it can penetrate the hair shaft for kinky and coily hair,’ Tavia told Black Enterprise. “They have specific ingredients that have been proven over the years to work magic on people with coarser hair types—like vitamins A, C, E, red algae, and coconut oil. The combination of our products really works wonders.”
Shortly after, Climax was born, starting with two products – Silk Me and Gloss Me Silkening Serum.
Source: Photo Courtesy: Tavia Green, Climax Hair Care
But Tavia’s hair care journey started well before Climax came to light. As a licensed hairstylist and wig maker, Tavia encountered several different textures of hair, with her client base largely being Black and Afro-Latina. It was in the salon that she started questioning the products some of her Black clients were using—specifically their ingredients—and something stood out.
“I noticed a pattern of Black women experiencing dryness and breakage due to often using heat in their hair and not having the resources to prevent that from happening,” she told Black Enterprise.
“Now, of course, there is a huge selection of products for natural hair and caring for your hair in its natural state, but with 73% of Black women in the U.S. using some form of heat on their hair at least once a month, there’s really only a handful of products that speak to that group of women. That’s where we come in.”
Already having a following on social media from her skills as a hairstylist, Tavia decided to put her products to the test for some of her clients. Instantly, Silk Me and Gloss Me became a hit.
“The girls went crazy,” Tavia expressed. “We got some really good feedback, great reviews and we were continuing to sell out. At that point, I had to make a decision because I wasn’t even able to manage both at that point – which is a blessing.”
Leaving the business element of the salon behind, a little over two years later, Climax has expanded to six best-selling products – adding Clean Me Shampoo, Smooth Me Conditioner, Mold Me Styling Foam and Style Me Styling Spray.
Major retailers, including everyone’s favorite, Target, noticed the company’s popularity. The team was invited to participate in the Target Forward Founders Program for early-stage consumer packaged goods companies to “learn and understand how to prepare for retail shelves.” While Tavia and her team were excited to graduate from the popular program, she ran into what the late Sen. John Lewis would call “good trouble.”
“Personally, I like to move slowly when I do things, so I’m very strategic,” Tavia explained.
However, the sky’s the limit for this booming brand, and Tavia says that’s not the last stop. When asked what her dream retail collaborator is, Ulta Beauty has the top spot.
“I feel like Ulta is so diverse and has something for everybody,” she said with a huge smile. “I would love to do something with them in the future. I just manifested that.”
Source: Black Enterprise
