103 Collection Founder Melinda Herron On Making Waves In The Male Grooming Industry

If you thought the rise in green personal care products was exclusive to women, you’d be highly mistaken. Recent reports project the male grooming market, which was valued at around $55B in 2021, to reach more than $81.2 by 2024.  

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As demand increases, brands are expanding the number and quality of their products catering specifically to men’s hygiene and personal care needs. Melinda Herron, founder of 103 Collection, stands as one of the few Black woman trailblazers making waves in this growing industry.

After personal struggles with skin conditions she attributes to toxic chemicals in many skincare products, she vowed to start a healthier lifestyle. Herron used her experience as a licensed cosmetologist to start mixing clean products at home and 103 Collection was born. Since 2015, her brand has offered affordable, yet high-quality, vegan and plant-based skin and haircare products. 

The brand also provides “transparency with a full ingredient list,” said Herron. “[We] share with our customers if we replace any ingredients with more sustainable options.”

Getting Into The Male Grooming Game

As Herron found success in the brand, she saw a need to explore beard care with her husband and business partner, Delfondo Herron. 

“I looked at it from the same perspective as why women want thick healthy hair,” said Melinda Herron. “We all want to look good and feel good. Having a healthy beard makes you feel confident inside and out.”

For Black men, specifically, 103 Collection sits at the epicenter of a historically untapped consumer base, helping to fill the void with science-backed ingredients and solutions that address their challenges. 

“My focus…was not only to develop a product that smelled great but also focus on… sensitive skin, soothing, and sealing in moisture,” Herron explained. “Men need a product to remedy all these issues and check all the boxes of clean beauty.”

The brand now offers up such beard washes and oils infused with nutrient-rich ingredients and essential oils like juniper berry, tea tree, and jojoba designed to purify, nourish and hydrate.

With the firm belief that “women can do anything if they just believe in themselves,” Herron has grown 103 Collection from a mere vision to one of the major contenders in the men’s grooming industry today.

And her innovations are paying off. Just this year, 103 Collection made beauty history as the first Black women-owned vegan beard care line to line the shelves of Target.

As Herron continues to expand her reach, she does admit that breaking into a male-dominated industry was no easy feat. However, she takes her challenges in stride and has managed to pioneer her way through.

“My ambition calls for me to walk into a room and be confident about who I am and what this means to women in an industry dominated by men,” said Herron. “I’m not intimidated being the only woman in the men’s grooming industry. It empowers me when I think about it.”

Learn more about 103 Collection at 103collection.com.

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