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Taraji P. Henson is a skilled Black actress who has been a mainstay on television for almost two decades. Her breakthrough came when she appeared in the 2001 film “Baby Boy.” She hasn’t looked back since.
She went on to star in notable films and television shows such as Hidden Fingers, in which she played NASA scientist Katherine Johnson, and in Fox’s “Empire.” While acting was Henson’s love, she also had an eye for entrepreneurship, notably in the hair care market, which is estimated to be worth $77.15 billion.
She is the creator of the beauty line TPH by Taraji. She reportedly began with scalp-nourishing hair care products before expanding into a sophisticated body care line. According to her, a pal in her bathroom cabinet introduced her to the business idea.
She had devised her own mixture to wash and protect her scalp and had given it to a friend, who fell in love with it right away. And it was then that she understood she might make a fortune by using her expertise to help others. She began creating her handmade product for consumers all over the world from her bathroom cabinet.
The company was founded as a result of the American haircare industry’s failure to pay attention to Black individuals who wear their hair in natural styles. Although the situation has improved in the last decade as a result of the proliferation of Black-owned haircare products, she entered the sector to provide something different.
“I had to figure out an entry point—something that set me apart from all the other products on the shelf. And that’s when I started to deal with scalps. I knew exactly my entry point because no one was talking about scalp care,” she told Attentive.
TPH was also informed by Henson’s personal experience with how her hair was preserved while she was preparing to be cast in a movie. As a result, she began to wear wigs to protect her real hair from hairdressers who were unfamiliar with Black hair care.
“When I got to Hollywood, I kept hearing horror stories about women losing their edges from all the heat and stuff on set,” she said.
Despite facing many challenges, Henson credits her success to tenacity. “I have a fight in me—the will to survive, the will to live, the will to inspire. As people, that’s why we’re here—to inspire each other. Somebody inspired me, that’s why I’m here, so I gotta turn around and inspire, turn around and inspire. Be an inspiration,” she told USA Today.
