It's no secret that the beauty of black hair hasn't always been celebrated. Even today, many women of color are still ridiculed in the workplace due to their natural hair, while others feel overlooked due to the minimal representation of natural hair in mainstream media. But thankfully, in recent years, major beauty brands have finally taken steps toward becoming more inclusive, and all I can say is, Hallelujah! Finally.

Pantene is the latest beauty giant that's about changing the game and embracing and celebrating diversity. To enforce its stance, the brand's latest video campaign showcases its Gold Series line, formulated specifically for natural and relaxed hair and developed by scientists (who all happen to be black women!).

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The campaign, which aired March 22 during the mid-season premiere of Empire, features powerful statements like, "To think that beauty is only sleek or wavy is crazy, because whether we choose to wear it relaxed or natural, every strand is testimony to our history that makes us stronger, and strong is beautiful." Hell yeah, it is!

"While diversity and inclusion continue to improve in society, there’s still a level of inequality in how African-American hair is represented in pop culture and hair-care advertising," a rep from Pantene said in a statement. "Mass brands, like Pantene, have inadvertently been part of the problem of this pervasive hair bias with a history of advertising showcasing a limited representation of African-American hair styles and textures and promoting long, shiny, smooth hair as the pinnacle of hair health and beauty."

The empowering campaign spotlights models of color rocking an array of curls, cornrows, afros, and breathtaking updos to affirm the beauty of black hair. Model and musician Demi Grace, one of several women cast in the campaign, even made history as the first model of color to appear with dreadlocks in Pantene's ad — which was especially meaningful for her, since her hair hasn't always been accepted with open arms.

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Pantene


"I’ve definitely felt pressure to alter the look of my hair at the beginning of my modeling career," Grace says. "Ultimately, the pressure came from wanting to consistently book [jobs], so I had to match what I was seeing on TV and in print ads. But Pantene is working on something great to change that stereotype, and that's why I'm so excited to be featured in this video. This campaign means more to me than just another commercial — it encourages black women to feel confident wearing their hair in any style they choose."

Like many women of color, Grace believes it's about time beauty brands finally become more accepting of hair that doesn't fall in line with silky, straight, or wavy styles.

"Young black women who'll see this video will feel a sense of empowerment and change," she says. "And that's exactly what we need. It's time to take the pressure off natural hair. Your hair doesn't define you — you define your hair. Take care of it, make sure it's healthy, continue to explore different styles, and embrace it."

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Maya Allen
Fashion and Beauty Assistant
I’m Maya, Cosmpolitan.com’s fashion and beauty assistant. When I’m not home alone dancing in the mirror to my fave song, I’m probs fawning over the latest shoes to add to my online shopping cart or sitting at my makeup vanity (aka the best place on earth) rummaging through my massive lipstick collection. Basically, I think all women are flawless and should believe it. We run the world, duh!