Should We Stop Using Mielle Hair Products?

By now you have seen the videos on TikTok and Instagram and read some of the opinions on the matter.

When it comes to news and things in the hair industry I tend to not say much if anything about it. I felt that I should weigh in this time because I share a lot about Mielle hair products on my blog and social feeds.

So let’s dig in.

(I am not a hair or legal expert. All opinions are my own and based on my own experience.)

About the Mielle controversy

There have been a lot of posts, videos, and comments from women claiming that Mielle hair products have damaged their hair and caused hair loss.

Not just a little bit of hair, but I have seen them saying clumps of hair.

I’ve found articles on Yahoo, from publications like Marie Claire, and several social media videos sharing personal and expert opinions on what has been and could be happening.

Looking at articles the products at the center of this seem to be the rosemary and mint line—specifically the shampoo and scalp oil.

From what I’ve seen the claims seem to be that the ingredients changed after Mielle partnered with Procter & Gamble and are causing hair loss. There have even been rumors of a lawsuit against Mielle which I couldn’t find any evidence of as of the writing of this. Articles I read about this whole situation also said they couldn’t find proof of any active lawsuits.

Women are saying that Mielle sold out b/c P&G is a “white-owned company” and when those types of companies get their hands on black hair products they change the formula and it no longer works for black hair.

The Mielle response to the controversy

After things really started to heat up with more circulating videos, articles, and comments of others sharing their experiences, the Mielle founder and CEO issued a video statement. This statement came after these allegations had been circulating for a while.

The statement was not great and did not go over well. It felt disingenuous and kind of defensive. Based on my year in the business world, it didn’t sound well written from a legal or business perspective. Plus it took too long to address the customer concerns.

Are Mielle products causing hair loss?

The women saying they are losing hair because of these products is concerning.

But before I could say with confidence it’s because of Mielle products I’d need more hard-core evidence. So I took to the internet to see what I could find third parties were saying. In particular, hair experts and dermatologists.

There are many reasons this could be happening as was outlined by dermatologists in this Marie Claire article.

Some could be due to things on the Mielle side and some on the consumer end.

From the consumer side, it could be due to allergic reactions. Some dermatologists have said some people could have developed an allergy to some of the ingredients over time. That can happen with contact allergies when there is repeated exposure.

Other potential reasons are different products and brands used at the same time not mingling well together, overuse of the products, genetics, medical conditions, or even stress.

I’ve also seen some hair experts say this could be due to protein overload as the rosemary oil and shampoo have biotin in them.

Interestingly, some claims are they've been using the products for months or years, and then all of a sudden their hair started to fall out.

I had that happen but it was due to telogen effluvium - excessive hair fall from having COVID. Not hair products.

I didn’t even think the products were to blame since I knew I had been sick a few months prior and that hair fall could happen afterward.

Now on the Mielle side

• This could be due to changes in ingredients though Mielle said it’s not
• There is a possibility they are using the same ingredients but from a different source which could impact the products
• There could be a bad batch or two floating around out there. That unfortunately happens. When that happens the company tends to have investigated to confirm if that’s the case. If it is they do a recall

My thoughts on the situation

There are several Mielle products in my hair stash. Some I use every week. You can see which ones here on my blog.

Included is the Mielle Rosemary & Mint Scalp Oil which is at the center of the controversy. Use this oil on occasion to pre-poo. I’ll apply some to my scalp and hair for 30 minutes before washing it or leaving it on overnight. I used to use it to oil my scalp after washing my hair.

Until I see some solid proof from doctors like dermatologists or chemists about the products being damaging I'm not concerned but will be cautious.

I haven’t noticed any extra shedding as a result. If I start to I’ll stop using it. But for now, it’s still in my rotation.

I also have some other Mielle shampoos sitting in my hair stash waiting for me to use them. Will I use them? I think so. To be on the safe side I’ll probably do a patch test first before using them on my entire head.

So what now?

For the products I currently use I plan to continue using them as I haven’t noticed any negative effects. Once I use them up I may repurchase or I may look for alternatives. This is something I had been thinking about doing before this whole thing came to light. Now I have a good reason to.

If one of my friends using these products asked me what they should do I would say do what makes you feel most comfortable and you think is best for your hair. 

That could be stopping using the products altogether or using them less, rotating other brands into your regimen. At a minimum, I would probably suggest avoiding the rosemary mint line.

As with any product that is new to you or you’re wary of, it’s a good idea to do a patch test to see how your skin and hair react.