Woman warns against Mielle products after experience with hair growth oil

Photo byPormezz/ShutterStock @annaaliciaaa/TikTok progressman/Shutterstock

'My hair has been coming out in clumps, ‘I ran to Walmart and returned it.’ Once touted as a viral hair growth oil, this product is now being accused of causing severe hair loss.

What is Mielle Organics?

Mielle Organics is a Black-owned haircare company that specializes in products for naturally curly, coily, and textured hair. Founded a decade ago by Monique Rodriguez, the brand is known for its high-quality, organic ingredients.

In 2022, the company experienced a significant surge on various social media platforms. Users were highly impressed with the effectiveness of the Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil. The majority of these users were Black women, who reported that the oil accelerated hair growth and made their hair thicker.

Then, a prominent influencer, Alix Earle, began endorsing the product, which ignited a debate.

Firstly, Earle, being a white woman, was promoting a product for Black hair care. This led to discussions on cultural appropriation and raised worries that, similar to Shea Moisture (a previously popular Black hair care brand), the company might shift its focus to a more white-centric audience, neglecting the original Black women who had contributed to the brand's success.

What are the accusations?

Lately, Mielle has been making headlines for a rather unfortunate reason—and it's not for the positive.

The very item once celebrated as a divine elixir is now facing backlash from buyers who claim it causes scalp redness, dryness, and hair fall.

Several people across the internet—from TikTok to Reddit—have made this claim.

Curly girly Anna Alicia’s (@annaaliciaaa) video talking about her bad experience gained nearly 3 million views in a week.

“Mielle. Count your days. Cause lemme know you’re the reason why my hair has been coming out in clumps in the shower,” Anna Alicia said.

She added that she’s been using the viral hair oil to grow out her hair but is now worried that the “whole time, it was doing the exact opposite.”

“Is Mielle cancelled?” she asked.

She added that at least in her household they are since she’ll be throwing their products in the trash.

Can a hair product cause hair loss?

In simple terms, it's highly improbable that just one hair care item could cause such significant hair loss.

To put it into perspective, the American Academy of Dermatology states that it's normal to lose between 50 to 100 hairs daily.

Robert Finney, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist, told Marie Claire that no ingredient should cause clumps of hair to fall out.

“It’s unlikely they cause severe hair loss—it’s usually multi-factorial,” hair expert and chemist Alexandra Arriaga explained to Marie Claire. “Things like genetics, stress, and medical conditions can play a role, so evaluating all possibilities is essential before attributing them solely to the products.”

Certain components in Mielle's offerings, particularly the vital and seed oils, might be triggering scalp reactions, swelling, or allergic responses that result in contact dermatitis. If you're experiencing intense itching and an inflamed scalp, this could result in hair falling out.

Although there have been claims that the brand altered its recipe following its acquisition by the major cosmetics company Proctor and Gamble, there's no proof to support this, since the list of ingredients has stayed consistent.

CEO’s response

In a statement on Instagram, the company’s founder said the following:

“When I made the decision to partner with P&G, it was driven by my vision to take Mielle to new heights and become a global beauty brand. Our products are created with healthy ingredients and formulated to deliver safe and healthy results.”

“That commitment has never wavered. If you have any doubts, I encourage you to explore our labels. There have been no changes…Since the P&G acquisition, nothing has changed.”

Viewers react

“People forgetting everyone’s hair is different mielle might just be the wrong brand for you works perfrct for me tho,” a top comment read.

“Mielle makes my scalp soooo itchy especially the rosemary oil,” a person said.

“YESS I have lost so much hair and my hair is so thin,” another wrote.