What SoftSheen-Carson does

SoftSheen-Carson is a US-based hair care company that develops and markets color, styling, and grooming products specifically formulated for textured, natural, curly, and coily hair. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of L'Oréal USA S/D, Inc., which is part of L'Oréal S.A., and is headquartered at 10 Hudson Yards, New York. Its portfolio is organized around four sub-brands: Dark & Lovely (permanent hair color with Fade Resist, Go Intense, and Immersive Bolds lines plus relaxers and bleach kits for women of color), Dark & Natural (5-minute shampoo-in men's hair color), Let's Jam (flake-free styling gels for textured hair), and Magic (razorless shaving creams, powders, and men's beard care). Formulations incorporate proprietary technologies such as Moisture Seal Technology and Fade Resist Technology, with conditioning ingredients including Argan Oil, Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, and Vitamin E.

The business runs a mass-market consumer packaged goods model, selling individual SKUs at suggested retail prices of approximately $7-$15 through drugstores, major retailers, and beauty supply stores across the United States, supplemented by direct e-commerce via softsheen-carson.com. Digital infrastructure includes a browser-based AI-powered Virtual Try-On tool for previewing over 27 Dark & Lovely shades, a Google Maps-powered store locator, and a marketing stack built on Google Analytics, Glassbox session replay, OneTrust consent, and Enhanced Conversions integrations. The company is US-only and serves women and men of color whose primary unmet need is professional-grade at-home products designed for textured hair rather than generic formulations.

Revenue is generated through one-time unit purchases at mass-market price points across hair color, relaxers, styling, and grooming categories. The brand invests in cause-marketing through the Building Beautiful Futures scholarship program in partnership with NAACP and College Gurl Foundation, and in cultural marketing campaigns such as Play In Color with Ebonix and The Sims 4 to reach multicultural gaming audiences. Strategic direction is set within L'Oréal's Consumer Products Division, with SoftSheen-Carson contributing specialized multicultural hair care expertise to the parent's broader US brand portfolio.

Name

SoftSheen-Carson

Legal name

SoftSheen-Carson

Website

https://softsheen-carson.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SoftSheen-Carson is a US-based hair care subsidiary of L'Oréal USA that formulates and sells permanent hair color, relaxers, styling gels, and men's grooming products specifically designed for textured, natural, curly, and coily hair of women and men of color through mass-market retail and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Hair Care Products

NAICS

Toilet Preparation Manufacturing (325620), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Hair Color & Bleaching (CRABABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beard & Mustache Care (Oils, Balms, Waxes, Wash) (CRABAGAC), Shaving Prep & Post-Shave (Creams, Foams, Gels, Aftershaves) (CRABAGAB), Men’s Haircare (Beard, 2-in-1, Styling) (CRABABAI)

Keywords

• Hair color products
• Textured hair care
• Men's grooming products
• Hair styling gels
• Razorless shaving products

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consumer Hair Care Products: Sale of professional-grade hair color, grooming, and styling products directly to consumers through retail and e-commerce channels. Products include permanent hair color, bleach kits, hair relaxers, styling gels, and men's grooming products. Revenue generated through one-time product purchases at suggested retail prices ranging from approximately $7-15 per unit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SoftSheen-Carson develops, manufactures, and sells hair color, hair styling, and men's grooming products formulated specifically for textured, curly, coily, and natural hair (particularly for consumers of color). Its portfolio includes permanent and demi-permanent hair color, bleach kits, hair relaxers, styling gels, and razorless shaving/grooming products, sold via its own e-commerce site and through mass-market retailers across the United States.

Product overview

SoftSheen-Carson is a hair care company owned by L'Oréal USA, operating multiple sub-brands targeting consumers with textured and curly hair. The portfolio includes Dark & Lovely (permanent hair color with Fade Resist, Go Intense, and Immersive Bolds lines offering 21+ shades for women), Dark & Natural (5-minute shampoo-in hair color for men), Let's Jam (flake-free hydrating styling gels for textured hair), Magic Grooming (razorless hair removal and men's beard care products), and Dark & Lovely relaxers. The company also offers an AI-powered Virtual Try On tool for visualizing hair colors. Products feature naturally-derived ingredients like Argan Oil, Shea Butter, and Vitamin E, with formulations designed specifically for curl patterns 4-8 and textured hair types.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dark & Lovely: Hair color and hair care products for women, featuring permanent hair color, bleach kits, and relaxers with over 28 shades
• Dark & Natural
• Let's Jam
• Magic

Products and services

• Dark & Lovely Permanent Hair Color (Fade Resist line) Permanent hair color kit formulated for textured/dark hair. Provides up to 8 weeks of vibrant color and 100% gray coverage with Moisture Seal Technology (Argan Oil, Vitamin E) for double conditioning power during the coloring process. Kit includes colorant, developer, moisture mask, applicator bottle, instructions, and protective gloves.
• Dark & Lovely Go Intense Permanent Hair Color Ultra-vibrant permanent hair color line for dark hair with intense shades and shine. Formulated to deliver vivid color payoff on natural dark hair bases.
• Dark & Lovely Immersive Bolds Permanent Hair Color Bold fashion permanent hair color collection in trend-forward shades such as Poppin Pink, Reality Red, and Virtual Violet. Designed for self-expression and visible color transformation on textured hair.
• Dark & Lovely Uplift Bleach Kit Ammonia-free at-home hair bleach kit. Powder-and-cream developer system that delivers up to 8 levels of lift to prepare dark hair for vibrant or lighter color applications while preserving curly hair texture integrity.
• Dark & Lovely Triple Nourished Relaxers No-lye moisturizing chemical hair relaxers formulated with shea butter, avocado oil, and jojoba oil. Available in Regular and Super strength variants for smoothing and straightening textured hair strands.
• Dark & Natural Men's Hair Color Ammonia-free shampoo-in permanent men's hair color in Jet Black and Natural Black shades with honey and aloe vera. Works in 5 minutes for gray coverage lasting up to 6 weeks.
• Let's Jam Spiraling Curl Gel Flake-free hair styling gel for textured hair types providing 48-hour hydration and curl definition. 6.8 oz size.
• Let's Jam Condition & Shine Gel Flake-free styling gel for textured hair in Regular Hold (4.4 oz and 14 oz) and Extra Hold (4.4 oz) variants. Used for braiding, smoothing edges, and everyday styling.
• Magic Razorless Shave Cream Depilatory razorless shave cream for face and body hair removal. Available in Regular Strength (6 oz), Extra Strength for coarse hair, and Sensitive Skin variants, designed to reduce razor bumps.
• Magic Razorless Shaving Powder Depilatory razorless shaving powder in Regular Strength (5 oz), Extra Strength (5 oz), Fragrant (4.5 oz), and Skin Conditioning (4.5 oz) variants for razor-free hair removal.
• Magic Men's Grooming Products (Beard Butter, Wash, Scrub, Filler) Men's beard and facial grooming line including Sculpting Beard Butter (3.4 oz with cocoa butter and cedarwood oil), 3-in-1 Grooming Wash (6.8 oz), Exfoliating Scrub (6.7 oz), and Beard Filler for patchy beards and gray coverage.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% gray coverage
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Beautiful Futures scholarship partnership offering $10,000 scholarships for Black women enrolled in 4-year undergraduate institutions. NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) founded in 1909 is the largest civil rights organization in the nation with over 2,200 units and branches and 2M+ activists. The partnership aims to close the opportunity gap through education and mentoring.
• College Gurl FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Beautiful Futures book scholarship partnership providing $750 book scholarships for students. The program is part of Dark & Lovely's broader initiative to empower, support, and provide resources to Black women through mentoring experiences, networking opportunities, and scholarships for undergraduate degrees.
• EbonixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlay In Color campaign partnership with Ebonix (gaming content creator/influencer) to champion diversity and inclusion in the gaming industry. The campaign spotlights game-changers redefining rules in gaming while promoting Dark & Lovely's Immersive Bolds hair color collection.
• EA/Maxis (The Sims 4)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlay In Color campaign partnership featuring The Sims 4 gaming platform to reach diverse gaming audiences. Campaign links gaming community with beauty expression through Dark & Lovely's vibrant hair color products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pattern Beauty: Pattern Beauty, founded by Tracee Ellis Ross, is a DTC-focused textured-hair brand with strong cultural credibility among Black women. It competes directly with Dark & Lovely for prestige and natural-hair positioning.
• Design Essentials: Design Essentials is a professional and consumer textured-hair care brand selling shampoos, conditioners, and styling products through beauty supply stores. It overlaps with Let's Jam and Dark & Lovely across salon and retail channels.
• SheaMoisture: SheaMoisture (Unilever) sells naturally-derived haircare, skincare, and body care products targeting textured, curly, and multicultural consumers. It is a direct competitor in the same retail aisles as Dark & Lovely and Let's Jam.
• Mielle Organics: Mielle Organics is a leading textured-hair care brand selling shampoos, conditioners, and styling products through mass, beauty supply, and DTC channels. It is one of SoftSheen-Carson's most disruptive direct competitors in the multicultural haircare segment.
• Carol's Daughter: Carol's Daughter is a textured-hair and body care brand, also owned by L'Oréal. Targets the same multicultural consumer with hair care, skincare, and styling products and is the closest direct peer within the L'Oréal family.
• Cantu Beauty: Cantu sells haircare products specifically formulated for textured, curly, and coily hair types at mass-market price points, directly competing with Let's Jam styling gels and Dark & Lovely moisturizing lines at drugstores and beauty supply stores.

Emerging players

• Bevel: Bevel is a men's grooming brand founded by Tristan Walker, focused on razors, shave products, and beard care for men of color. It competes directly with Magic Grooming in the textured men's grooming niche.

Broad incumbents

• Clairol (Professional & Consumer): Clairol, part of Wella/Coty, is a broad incumbent in at-home hair color with mass-market positioning. Its Nice'n Easy and Beautiful Collection lines compete with Fade Resist across mainstream and multicultural segments.
• L'Oréal Paris Excellence Creme: L'Oréal Paris is the parent company's mass-market flagship hair color brand. Excellence and Preference lines compete with Dark & Lovely on retail shelves, though L'Oréal Paris is positioned more broadly rather than specifically for textured hair.

Regional players

• Dark and Lovely (international) / Strength of Nature: Strength of Nature markets multicultural hair care brands (African Pride, Elasta QP, Dark and Lovely international) primarily outside the US. It competes with SoftSheen-Carson in the global textured-hair market where SoftSheen-Carson is not present.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SoftSheenCarson
• Facebookfacebook.com/softsheencarsonfans
• Instagraminstagram.com/darkandlovely

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SoftSheen-Carson