Luster Products
Luster Products is a 100% Black-owned, family-owned manufacturer of hair and personal care products serving African-American consumers through the Pink®, SCurl®, and ReNutrients™ brands since 1957.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Luster Products does
Luster Products Inc. is a 100% Black-owned, family-owned manufacturer of hair and personal care products, founded in 1957 by Fred Luster, Sr. in Chicago, Illinois. The company develops, formulates, and distributes a multi-brand portfolio targeted at African-American consumers, including Pink® (women's line), SCurl® (men's line), Pink Kids and PCJ (children's lines), Shortlooks, Colorlaxer, and the ReNutrients™ natural and organic sub-brand. Formulations feature ingredients such as Argan oil, Coconut oil, Shea Butter, Buriti oil, plant proteins, and botanical extracts, with a product range spanning moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, texturizers, styling gels, beard oils, masques, treatments, and accessories.
The company operates two manufacturing and distribution facilities: a 17-acre Chicago headquarters site handling production, R&D, and corporate functions, and a Blue Island, Illinois facility dedicated to aerosol production. Family leadership spans three generations, with Jory Luster as President, Fred Luster II as VP of Research and Development, and Sonja Luster-Munis as Vice President. Luster employs over 200 staff worldwide and runs a Shopify-based direct e-commerce channel alongside a retail and trade partner distribution network that reaches international markets.
Luster generates revenue through direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales, wholesale distribution to retailers and salons, and private label manufacturing services via its LPL Manufacturing division. Products are priced from $6.99 to $35.00 with bulk case discounts of approximately 20%, supported by bundle pricing and discount programs; the e-commerce site carries 422+ verified customer reviews. The company has remained privately held since founding, with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or investor participation.
Luster Products firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Luster Products
- Legal name
- Luster Products Inc.
- Website
- https://lusterproducts.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Luster Products is a 100% Black-owned, family-owned manufacturer of hair and personal care products serving African-American consumers through the Pink®, SCurl®, and ReNutrients™ brands since 1957.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Luster Products industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hair Care Products
- NAICS
- Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Health and Personal Care Retailers (4561)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments) (CRADANAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Kids Haircare (Shampoo, Styling, Detanglers) (CRABAJAJ), Professional Hair Styling & Finishing (CRABALAC), Conditioners & Hair Masks (CRABABAB)
Keywords
Where Luster Products is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Luster Products business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: One-time product sales through company e-commerce website and retail partners. Individual products and bulk case quantities available for consumers and professionals.
- Bulk/Wholesale Sales: Case quantities of popular products (12-packs) sold at 20% discount to professionals, salons, and retailers. Products include Pink Moisturizing Hair Lotion and SCurl No Drip Curl Activator.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual retail products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk case purchases (12-piece cases) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Product bundles |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Luster Products product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Luster Products manufactures and sells hair and personal care products under multiple sub-brands—Pink (women and children), SCurl (men), Shortlooks, PCJ, Colorlaxer, and ReNutrients—primarily formulated for African-American consumers with natural and textured hair. Products include moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, texturizers, styling gels, beard oils, and treatments sold via their own e-commerce storefront and through a network of retail outlets and trade partners.
Product overview
Luster Products is a 100% Black-owned family business established in 1957, offering a comprehensive portfolio of hair and personal care products primarily for African-American consumers. The company operates under a multi-brand architecture with distinct sub-brands: Pink® (women's and kids' hair care), SCurl® (men's grooming), Shortlooks (short hair styles), PCJ (girls' hair care), Colorlaxer (color treatments), and ReNutrients™ (premium care). The core products include moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, texturizers, styling gels, beard oils,masques, and treatments. Products are sold directly through their e-commerce platform (powered by Shopify) and through retail distribution nationwide and internationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SCurl: Men's hair care product line including Free Flow collection, beard oils, texturizers, and grooming essentials for men with curly, kinky, or wavy natural hair.
- Pink
- Pink Kids
- ReNutrients
- Shortlooks
- Colorlaxer
- PCJ
- Luster Private Label
Products and services
- Pink®
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 422 customer reviews on products with high satisfaction ratings (e.g., Pink Hold & Shine Perfecting Gel 93% positive, Pink Lush Growth Oil 94% positive)
Companies that use Luster Products
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Luster Products technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Luster Products partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Luster Products competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carol's Daughter: Founded in 1993 by Lisa Price, Carol's Daughter is a direct peer in Black/textured haircare offering moisturizers, oils, and styling products. Acquired by L'Oreal in 2014, making it a direct comparable that has scaled via institutional ownership.
- SheaMoisture: Direct peer in natural and textured hair care, offering shampoos, conditioners, and styling products for textured hair. Acquired by Unilever, it competes in the same core category as Luster with overlapping distribution channels.
- Mielle Organics: Direct peer targeting natural hair care with oils, moisturizers, and styling products. Built on social commerce and influencer marketing, making it a comparable on category and increasingly on distribution, and was acquired by P&G in 2023.
- Camille Rose: Independent Black-owned natural haircare brand offering similar products (moisturizers, hair milks, styling gels). Comparable as a competing independent brand in the same textured hair care category.
- Design Essentials: Professional salon-focused Black haircare brand with strong presence in beauty supply stores. Comparable to Luster in salon/professional distribution channel and core category offering.
- TGIN (Thank God It's Natural): Black-founded natural haircare brand offering moisturizers, treatments, and styling products. Comparable in category positioning and target demographic.
- Aunt Jackie's: Direct peer offering natural hair care products including moisturizers, curl creams, and treatments targeting textured hair. Comparable in product mix and distribution through beauty supply retailers.
- As I Am: Black-founded natural haircare brand specializing in curly, coily, and wavy hair with strong salon/professional channel presence. Comparable in product formulation focus on textured hair and B2B salon distribution.
Emerging players
- Pattern Beauty: Founded by Tracee Ellis Ross and acquired by P&G, focused on natural curly and coily hair care. Comparable as a premium-positioned direct competitor in the natural textured hair category, with stronger digital native positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Dark and Lovely (Softsheen-Carson / L'Oreal): Established mass-market Black haircare brand owned by L'Oreal via Softsheen-Carson. Comparable in product category (relaxers, color, styling) and demographic, but backed by significantly larger institutional resources.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Luster Products social profiles
Digital presenceLuster Products financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Luster Products leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Luster Products funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Luster Products M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Luster Products
What does Luster Products do?
Luster Products manufactures and sells hair and personal care products under multiple sub-brands—Pink (women and children), SCurl (men), Shortlooks, PCJ, Colorlaxer, and ReNutrients—primarily formulated for African-American consumers with natural and textured hair. Products include moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, texturizers, styling gels, beard oils, and treatments sold via their own e-commerce storefront and through a network of retail outlets and trade partners.
Is Luster Products a public or private company?
Luster Products is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Luster Products founded?
Luster Products was founded in 1957. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Luster Products based?
Luster Products is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Luster Products make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are bulk/Wholesale Sales.
Who are Luster Products's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carol's Daughter, SheaMoisture, Mielle Organics, Camille Rose, Design Essentials, TGIN (Thank God It's Natural), Aunt Jackie's and As I Am. Pattern Beauty is listed as an emerging player. Dark and Lovely (Softsheen-Carson / L'Oreal) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Luster Products have an API?
No public API is recorded for Luster Products.
What industry is Luster Products in?
Luster Products's product category is Hair Care Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADANAE, Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments), with a secondary code of CRABAJAJ, Kids Haircare (Shampoo, Styling, Detanglers). Its NAICS code is 32561 and its SIC code is 2844.