Nicole SooJung Callahan first became aware of a rather problematic beauty line when her husband returned home from a recent trip to Hair Cuttery. There he had witnessed a misguided attempt at marketing “Asian themed” products. Grooming products on the shelves donned names such as “Dry Kwon Do,” “Hi-Ya!,” “Washabi,” “Shang High,” “Sticky Rice,” “Spring Roll,” and “Mousse Lee.” Perhaps the most disturbing names were “Miso Knotty Leave-In Detangler” and “Geishalicious” shampoos and conditioners accompanied by Facebook ads featuring a fully nude figure meant to represent a “Geisha.” Callahan discovered soon after that the company responsible for unfurling these reprehensibly named items into the market place is Cibu International. “That’s when I started researching and found out that Cibu is part of the Ratner Companies family, which also includes the Hair Cuttery, Bubbles, Salon Cielo, Salon Plaza, and Colorworks salons,” says Callahan. “Altogether, Ratner Companies has a huge presence, and it’s primarily through their salons that Cibu products are sold.” Callahan first reached out to the company by participating in a post on the Cibu International Facebook page made by a friend, along with other women of color. In a classic PR blunder, Cibu International responded only by deleting the [...]![]()
