Cécred (pronounced 'sacred') is a

privately held A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...

American

hair care Hair care is an overall term for hygiene and cosmetology involving the hair which grows from the human scalp, and to a lesser extent facial, pubic and other body hair. Hair care routines differ according to an individual's culture and the phy ...

brand founded in 2024 by American singer-songwriter

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

. It is self-funded and made for all hair types. After six years in development, Cécred launched in February 2024 to positive reception from critics. Cécred became a rapid success, amassing 2 million paying customers in its first six months on the market.

Background and development

Cécred is a hair care brand developed and launched in 2024 by American singer-songwriter

. The brand was developed over six years prior to its launch, which included product development and

clinical Clinical may refer to: Healthcare * Of or about a clinic, a healthcare facility * Of or about the practice of medicine Other uses * ''Clinical'' (film), a 2017 American horror thriller See also * * * Clinical chemistry, the analysis of bodily flu ...

, lab and salon trials. The products were initially hinted at in May 2023, when Beyoncé shared an

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

post of her tending to her natural hair with a curling iron surrounded by unlabeled sample bottles. In December 2023, fans noticed Cécred product designs were silently revealed in '' Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé'' in a scene

backstage Backstage most commonly refers to backstage (theatre), also in motion picture and television production. Backstage may also refer to: Film and television * ''Back Stage'' (1969 film), a silent film starring Oliver Hardy * ''Back Stage'' (1942 fil ...

. On February 6, 2024, Beyoncé posted a video to social media announcing the name of the brand and the launch date, February 20. Captioned "hair is sacred", the video featured clips of a younger Beyoncé in her mother's (

Tina Knowles Tina may refer to: People *Tina (given name), people and fictional characters with the given name ''Tina'' Places * Tina, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran * Tina, Tunisia, a town in Sfax Governorate, Tunisia *Tina, Guadalcanal, Solomo ...

) hair salon, as well as women with a variety of hair textures (including Beyoncé) having their hair, tended to. Tina Knowles serves as the vice chairperson of the brand.

Launch and beyond

Cécred launched on February 20, 2024, with a foundation collection of eight products "inspired by hair rituals from global cultures ..featur ngan array of

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food), spread, melted a ...

oils An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturat ...

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

, and fermented

rice water Rice water is a suspension of starch obtained by draining boiled rice or by boiling rice until it completely dissolves into the water. It may be used as a weak gruel for invalids. It is especially effective in the treatment of diarrhea such as ...

to nourish hair that cleanse condition and visibly repair " On the day of launch, Cécred established an annual

grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom * Castle Grant United States *Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

in collaboration with Beyoncé's charity foundation BeyGood, to provide financial support to

cosmetology Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, non-permanent hair removal such as ...

students and professional

hair stylists A hairdresser is a person whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques. A Hairdresser may also be ref ...

within the

beauty industry The cosmetic industry describes the industry that manufactures and distributes cosmetic products. These include colour cosmetics, like foundation and mascara, skincare such as moisturisers and cleansers, haircare such as shampoos, conditioners a ...

. $500,000 is allocated annually to fund

cosmetology school Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, non-permanent hair removal such as ...

scholarships and salon business grants across five cities chosen for their large, diverse community of hair stylists:

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

and Clementon. The Cécred launch event took place in the evening on February 20, with Beyoncé and her mother Tina talking about how " écred wassomething we spoke about — a dream — since

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limite ...

first started out with the '

Bills, Bills, Bills "Bills, Bills, Bills" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, '' The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, Kelly Rowland, Kandi Burruss of Xscape, and Kevin "Sh ...

' video. We talked about creating a sacred space." On April 21, 2024, Beyoncé shared a video using the products to tend to her own hair to her social media, saying that "maintaining 25 years of

blonde Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...

on natural hair, through all the experimenting I do, has played a huge part in developing écredproducts. It’s the hardest to keep color-treated hair healthy and strong, but écredis here. All quality, with no shortcuts. ..I’m proud of the ingredients, I'm proud of the way it's making people feel. I’m proud that it’s not one-dimensional and that it’s for multiple textures.” On August 1, 2024, Cécred began post-launch products. A scented candle was released on October 15, 2024 alongside two new kits. On November 29, 2024, Cécred-themed hoodies were released. To commemorate the brand's one year anniversary, Beyoncé announced that Cécred had partnered with

Ulta Beauty Ulta Beauty, Inc., formerly known as Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. and before 2000 as Ulta3, is an American chain of beauty stores headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Ulta Beauty carries both high-end and low-end cosmetics, fragr ...

to bring the collection to its 1400 locations, beginning April 6, 2025.

Technology

Beyoncé stated that she could not find hair technology that works for all hair textures, so she funded the development of a custom bioactive

keratin Keratin () is one of a family of structural fibrous proteins also known as ''scleroproteins''. Alpha-keratin (α-keratin) is a type of keratin found in vertebrates. It is the key structural material making up scales, hair, nails, feathers, ...

ferment technology for Cécred. Ethically sourced natural

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

protein is made

bioavailable In pharmacology, bioavailability is a subcategory of absorption and is the fraction (%) of an administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation. By definition, when a medication is administered intravenously, its bioavailability is 100%. ...

and

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioch ...

in size, mimicking keratin in human hair to repair and reinforce weak or damaged hair of the user, and to penetrate the cortex of individual hair strands. The ferment is activated by infused

and probiotic lactobacillus which also act as a

humectant A humectant is a hygroscopic (water-absorbing) substance used to keep things moist. They are used in many products, including food, cosmetics, medicines and pesticides. When used as a food additive, a humectant has the effect of keeping moisture ...

. As of launch, Cécred formulas were infused with a Temple Oud

fragrance An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently vol ...

, including notes of

oud , image=File:oud2.jpg , image_capt=Syrian oud made by Abdo Nahat in 1921 , background= , classification= *String instruments * Necked bowl lutes , hornbostel_sachs=321.321-6 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded with a plectrum ...

Australian sandalwood ''Santalum spicatum'', the Australian sandalwood, also Waang and other names (Noongar) and Dutjahn ( Martu), is a tree native to semi-arid areas at the edge of Southwest Australia, in the state of Western Australia. It is also found in South A ...

, warm

musk Musk ( Persian: مشک, ''Mushk'') is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial s ...

, night-blooming

jasmine Jasmine ( taxonomic name: ''Jasminum''; , ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family ( Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cult ...

, Haitian

vetiver ''Chrysopogon zizanioides'', commonly known as vetiver and khus, is a perennial bunchgrass of the family Poaceae. Vetiver is most closely related to ''Sorghum'' but shares many morphological characteristics with other fragrant grasses, such a ...

and violet leaves.

Critical reception

Cécred received positive reviews from critics on launch. Sarah Jossel of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'' described it as "outrageously good." Carol Lee of ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the ...

'' said that "the products worked their magic" and that "after just one Cécred session, my scalp and strands felt transformed." Julee Wilson of ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' was "impressed" at the launch line products' results, describing her strands as "beautifully conditioned" and claiming her silk press lasted for a week. Jessica Cruel of '' Allure'' described her hair as "transformed." ''

Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...

'' tested the launch products on two editors with opposite hair textures, Jordan Murray and Olivia Rose Rushing. By the end, both had integrated the products into their own personal hair routines.

Awards

* ''Allure'' Best of Beauty Awards 2024 - Reconstructing Treatment Mask: Best Strengthening Hair Mask * ''BeautyMatter'' Next Awards 2024 - Best Product Packaging Design (Brands) * ''BeautyMatter'' Next Awards 2024 - Best Breakthrough Beauty Brand * ''Bustle's'' Most Wanted Awards 2024 - Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub: Best Scalp Remedy * Byrdie Beauty Awards 2024 - Moisturizing Deep Conditioner: Best Hydrating Conditioner * Byrdie Breakthrough Beauty Award 2024 - Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual: Hair Health Breakthrough * ''Communication Arts'' Design Awards 2024 - Best Packaging * ''Cosmopolitan'' Holy Grail Beauty Awards 2024 - Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual: Best Hair Care Game Changer * ''Cosmopolitan'' Summer Beauty Awards 2024 - Hydrating Shampoo & Moisturizing Deep Conditioner: Best Moisturising Hair Wash Duo * ''Ebony'' Beauty & Grooming Awards 2024 - Hydrating Shampoo: Best Hydrating Shampoo * ''Elle UK'' Future OF Beauty Awards 2024 - Moisture Sealing Lotion: Winner * ''Elle UK'' Future OF Beauty Awards 2024, The Most Cutting Edge Products of the Year- Nourishing Hair Oil: Winner * ''Glamour Magazine'' Beauty & Wellness Power List Awards 2024 - Hydrating Shampoo & Moisturizing Deep Conditioner: Best Shampoo & Conditioner For Afro Hair * ''Glamour Magazine'' Beauty & Wellness Awards, The Best Curly and Coily Hair Products of 2024 - Reconstructing Treatment Mask: Best Luxury Hair Mask for Curls and Coil * ''Glamour Magazine'' Beauty & Wellness Awards, The Best Curly and Coily Hair Products of 2024 - Nourishing Hair Oil: Best Hair Oil * ''GQ'' Grooming Awards 2024 - Nourishing Hair Oil: The Best Hair Stylers * ''Harper’s Bazaar's'' Beauty Best of the Best Awards 2024 - Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual: Best For Damaged Hair * Hypebae Beauty Awards 2024 - Nourishing Hair Oil: Winner * ''Marie Claire'' Skin and Hair Awards 2024 - Reconstructing Treatment Mask: Best New Black-Owned Hair Brand * Melanin Beauty Awards 2024 - Top Black Owned Hair Brand/Best Haircare Collection * Refinery29 Beauty Innovator Awards 2024 - Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub: Winner * ''SELF'' Healthy Beauty Awards 2024 - Hydrating Shampoo: Best Shampoo for Curly Hair * ''SELF'' Healthy Beauty Awards 2024 - Moisturizing Deep Conditioner: Best Deep Conditioner * ''Tatler'' Beauty Awards 2024 - Hydrating Shampoo: Best For Hydration * ''Vogue'' Beauty Awards 2024 - Moisture Sealing Lotion: The Textured Hair Hero, Runner Up * ''Women's Health'' Beauty Awards 2024 - Reconstructing Treatment Mask: Best Hair Mask

Other accolades

* ''Elle'' 10 Best Shampoos For Straight Hair 2024 - Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub: Best Scalp Scrub * ''Elle 1''3 Best Clarifying Shampoos In 2024 - Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub: Best for All Hair Types * ''Elle'' 12 Best Shampoos For Oily Hair 2024 - Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub: Best Clarifying Shampoo * ''Financial Times'' Best New Beauty Products For Summer 2024 - Moisturizing Deep Conditioner * ''Forbes'' 42 Top Hair Launches From Winter 2024 - Reconstructing Treatment Mask * ''Glamour Magazine'' Best Hair Oils For Growth And Shine 2024 - Nourishing Hair Oil: Best Hair Oil For Intense Hydration * ''Glamour Magazine'' Best Products For Afro And Textured Hair 2024 - Reconstructing Treatment Mask: Best For Reconstructing Afro Hair * ''Good Housekeeping'' Best Conditioners That Will Leave Your Hair Soft And Shiny 2024 - Moisturizing Deep Conditioner: Best For Hydration * ''Harper's Bazaar'' Best Protein Treatments 2024 - Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual: Best Treatment For Freshly Coloured Hair * ''Hello Magazine'', The Hair Masks, Makeup And Skincare Our Editors Loved Most in 2024 - Cecréd: The Celebrity Hair Care Brand * ''InStyle,'' The Best Hair-Care Products of 2024 - Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual: Best Strengthening Treatment * ''Nuvo Magazine'' Best Products for Curly Hair Care 2024- Hydrating Shampoo * ONE37pm Best Curly Hair Products For Men 2024 - Reconstructing Treatment Mask: Best Hair Mask * ''SELF,'' The Best Deep Conditioners for Showing Your Hair Some TLC 2024 - Moisturizing Deep Conditioner: Best For Thick Hair * ''The Standard'' Best Argan Oil For Hair That’s Soft, Smooth And Frizz-Free 2025 - Nourishing Hair Oil * ''The Cut'' 26 Best Hair Masks for the Softest Hair 2024 - Reconstructing Treatment Mask * ''US Weekly'' 19 Best New Launches of 2025 - Nourishing Hair Oil * ''Vogue'' 2024 - Clarifying Shampoo & Exfoliating Scalp Scrub: Best Scalp Scrub * ''Vogue'' 2024 - Moisture Sealing Lotion: Best Lotion For 3A Hair * ''Woman & Home Magazine'' Best Shampoos For Afro Hair 2024 - Hydrating Shampoo: Best Shampoo For Porous Afro-Textured Hair

References

External links

* {{Beyoncé Hair care products Beyoncé Shampoo brands Products introduced in 2024