Mr. B emphasizes the necessity of natural, organic ingredients
There are plenty of brands that use natural ingredients, that promise luxurious, bouncy curls or glowing skin. But most of those brands are for white women.
That’s why Marc “Mr. B” Belle decided to make his own brand, Mr. Blackman’s. Even with no background experience in business or beauty, he identified a need in the market for hair solutions for Black men with curly hair; he is, by his own assertion, “Just a man who set out to solve a problem.” Drawing on his upbringing in Barbados, Mr. B created a solution that incorporated Caribbean culture and natural ingredients to help curly-haired men worldwide. Here is what he had to say about his journey.
How did Mr. Blackman’s get started?
For too long, there weren’t solutions for men with curly hair. Most products that were aimed at women would be sweet and floral-smelling, or [they would be] products that were really designed for Caucasian hair. So, we set out to change that. I knew a little about plants and have always believed that mother nature provides much of what we need. When we launched, beards were big, so it was a natural place to start, but we’ve started to venture into other areas now, like skincare.
Your ethos seems to be about ease and simplicity, as well as nature. How do your products reflect that?
Our products use ingredients that are around us. In the Caribbean, things like aloe vera, coconut and mangoes are everywhere. We are surrounded by the sea too. And when you live on an island, you need to be resourceful, so we use those ingredients, and they have huge benefits too.
We try not to over-complicate what we make, either. Often, companies will pack many different ingredients into a product just to say it contains this or that, but we stay clear of that. We formulate products based on the problem we are trying to solve and don’t include anything unless it serves a genuine purpose.
Men, too, don’t like — or rather tend not to have — time for using 10 and 20 different products, so we try to formulate multipurpose ones where we can. Why more when one will do?
Tell me about some of the natural ingredients you use in your products. Why is it important to you to stick to what nature offers?
Synthetic ingredients have become a big thing — sometimes for good reasons, like to improve sustainability — but in other cases, they have caused more problems. For us, we just tried to take a step back. We are as much a part of nature as it is of us, and it’s important to remember that. Often, there are natural solutions to many issues we face; it’s about knowing what to use and when. It doesn’t mean that we won’t use synthetics, but I think it’s about being conscious about what goes into and on your body, and if you can do without something, then maybe you should.
What is your sourcing/development process like, and how do you work to make your products as eco-friendly and healthy as possible?
We try to work with companies who embrace or values. We use recyclable packaging and don’t use any more of it than to store and get products to you safely. We try to go direct where we can too. For example, our Shea butter is sourced directly from producers in Uganda, which is a vital source of income for the women and communities there. It’s all about creating circular economies and environments. That’s what keeps things sustainable.
What are your most popular products?
Bergamot & Spice is the most popular fragrance, whether it is the Beard & Shave Oil or the Beard & Aftershave Balm. The Cleansing Brick, too, is a very popular product, so much so that we often run out before the next batch is ready!
How do you hope your products make your
customers feel?
We hope people enjoy them and that they were everything they were looking for. We hope that by making a more conscious choice, it might even reflect in other areas of their life too. We also love it when customers comment on the smell or how something feels. Knowing that a product has put a smile on someone’s face is the best thing.
Your company also keeps up a blog on self-care and other related topics (Bare Talk). What was the inspiration behind that platform, and why do you think it’s important to create discussion to supplement your products?
Bare Talk is just the name of our website blog — it has had various names. We use it to communicate what things are going on here, news or discuss topics, such as mental health or even grooming tips. But it’s important for us to talk because men, especially Afro-Caribbean men, have a tendency not to talk about feelings and feel they must be “hard men.” And that can be disruptive to mental health. It is time for us to talk, share things and know it “isn’t no bad ting” to need help. But we called it Bare Talk because that is exactly what it all is — whether it is us in the news or us talking about men’s issues, it’s all openly talking about things. If we can’t do it, why would we expect anyone else to?
What is coming up next for Mr. Blackman’s?
We love that more people are finding out about us and joining the community. But it’s a discovery, and I think that when you discover us and learn a bit about what we do, it becomes a conscious choice. Hopefully, there will be more conscious choices, some of which include us.
