Is Cantu Black Owned? The Truth & History Revealed

Cantu is a brand that has become very popular. Cantu’s History is something that people often have questions about though.

The company has a very interesting story that is worth getting to know. People also wonder whether or not the company is black owned.

Which is why in this article, we will dive into everything you need to know about this brand and answer these questions.

Who Is The Owner Of Cantu?

In order to understand Cantu’s history as a black haircare company, we need to know a little bit about its management.

At the core of the company’s leadership is the Chief Executive Officer, otherwise known as the person who owns the company.

The present CEO of Cantu is a man named Alex Tosolini. Tosolini is not only the CEO of Cantu, but also of PDC Brands.

PDC Brands is the bigger parent company that owns Cantu. Along with Cantu, PDC Brands also owns a series of other wellness and personal care brands of a wide variety.

Alex Tosolini is very experienced in the industry of consumer goods and has previously held high positions at other influential consumer goods companies.

He got his degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan. He is also currently a professor of Strategy at Miami University’s Executive MBA program.

Tosolini’s work at Cantu over the last few years of his appointment as CEO has been to provide quality haircare products for black hair.

Before Tosolini was appointed as CEO, the position was held by James Stammer.

What is interesting about both of these CEO’s to many is that they are both white men.

Which makes some wonder about how the haircare company for black hair started and the transitions in leadership that has led it to where it is currently.

How Did The Company Start?

Taking a look into Cantu’s history will reveal that the company has been running for almost a couple of decades now.

What is interesting however is how little information there is to the public about the details of Cantu’s beginnings.

The company website doesn’t really provide a detailed story of the company’s conception and evolution.

But what we do know is that Cantu was founded in the UK in 2003 by the entrepreneur Rick Cantu.

The company was founded and built in the industry of personal products. But not just any kind of personal products.

The company’s mission was to provide haircare products that empowered and benefitted black people. Especially black women.

The company grew its business model under the leadership of the founder Rick Cantu for about twelve years.

Then it was acquired by PDC Brands and had a change of leadership.

Cantu started very small but would go on to become one of the biggest brands in the market for black haircare products by the time it was acquired by PDC Brands.

In fact, Cantu remains a top contender in this market to this day.

The company has since expanded its business model to include other products for black people that aren’t just focused on haircare.

The company also provides products for skincare as well.

Who Does Cantu Employ?

Cantu’s history having been established, one thing that many wonder about it who the company employs and what its employee make up is.

While there aren’t many statistics on the specifics of Cantu’s top employees, we do know a few things about its parent company PDC Brands.

The company has about 10 executive level employees who manage the business and decisions that are made for its brands.

Key employees at this level involve the CEO Alex Tosolini and other figures in areas such as finance and brand management.

At lower levels of the company however, PDC Brands has an estimated over 350 employees. This makes it quite a big company.

PDC Brands actually has a reach of over 80 countries in the world and many employees spread out across multiple divisions to cater to these regions.

The company has headquarters in the United States which are its worldwide headquarters. And it also has European headquarters in the UK.

How many of these employees and how much of this reach translates to the Cantu brand is not so clear.

But what we do know is that there are a lot of people involved in the making Cantu products when it trace it back to the parent company.

Which is only reasonable given how their range of products has expanded.

What Kind Of Products Does Cantu Make?

Cantu’s history of producing haircare products for textured hair has paved the way for it to expand over time.

At present, Cantu provides a diverse collection of products not just for hair but for skincare too.

When it comes to their haircare products, Cantu provides collections based on different ingredients.

For instance, you can find a wide range of products made from black castor oil, acai berry, avocado, grapeseed or flaxseed.

They have everything from shampoos, conditioners, gels, stylers and more.

But even within products such as shampoos and conditioners, they have a variety.

With shampoos, they have regular shampoos as well as shampoo-like alternative products.

For instance, dry co-wash as well as detangling primer products.

With conditioner you can find rinse out or leave-in conditioners. You can also find detangling products, conditioning creams as well as frizz fighting products.

And the variety when it comes to ingredients is also impressive. There are conditioners which contain grapeseed, flaxseed and acai berry.

And you can also expect to get other rich nutrients such as vitamins and other natural extracts from these products.

When it comes to products like the gels and holds you can also expect to be spoilt for choice.

There are ones that are hydrating, some that style frizzy hair, some strengthen your hair and more.

The range with this company is truly phenomenal.

Who Does Cantu Cater To?

As much as Cantu’s history in the industry and range of products are extensive, there is still something to wonder about.

A key thing some are concerned with is which specific demographics Cantu caters to.

Cantu’s products can be categorized not just by function and ingredients. But also by gender, age and also hair type.

The brand’s line of hair products is made to cover all bases when it comes to the demographics of people with textured hair it provides for.

Whether your hair is very curly, coily, wavy or straightened out, you will find products that work for you.

Their main collection is most popular with black women. But they also have collections for children and black men.

In these collections you will also find shampoos, conditioners, gels and all sorts of products for haircare.

And these collections are further sectioned by ingredients and function so you can really get the best out of the products.

The brand’s skincare products are also varied and they cater to all demographics of black people.

Cantu skin therapy products include body butters made from ingredients such as cocoa butter, coconut oil, tea tree oil and more.

They also have products like lotions and moisturizers made of a range of natural ingredients.

For a variety of black people, Cantu really covers its bases.

What Are The Benefits Of Cantu Products?

Now we know all about Cantu’s history, range of products and the demographics they cater to. But some may still wonder what benefits come from their products.

Cantu’s products are made from many natural and organic ingredients. And this makes their products very beneficial.

The brand uses ingredients like essential oils. Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, black castor oil and more.

These ingredients are incredibly useful for moisturizing hair and some for moisturizing skin.

With hair, the oils really penetrate textured hair to give it the moisture it needs to fight breakage. And the oils also help the hair grow and thicken.

With skin, the moisture the oils provide really softens it. While also ensuring the skin isn’t fragile.

And with the moisture the skin is exposed to, it is protected from cracking.

The butters such as cocoa butter and avocado butter also aid in this.

Cantu products are also very affordable. In fact, they are some of the most affordable products on the market.

Because these products are so affordable, they are very accessible to so many people who could use them.

And with the range that the Cantu collections have, this is really a great brand to many people.

Because they can get quality, organic products of all kinds for a reasonable price.

Is Cantu Black Owned?

So now we have covered Cantu’s history, products, benefits and leadership information. Knowing this, we can answer the main question of whether or not it is black owned.

Cantu’s current CEO is who can be classified as the owner of the company. As well as the parent company that produces Cantu products.

Alex Tosolini, who is the CEO of Cantu as well its parent company is a white man. So from that view, Cantu is not a black owned company.

Some may also wonder about the race of Cantu’s original founder as this can determine if the company ever had the status of being black owned.

But Rick Cantu who founded the company is also not black, so Cantu was never a black owned company.

Nonetheless, the company has done a lot of work in the industry of black hair and skincare.

Through Cantu, many have found products they really love and have felt empowered in their natural hair. This is especially true for many black women.

So much as Cantu is not technically black owned, it is a company that has become very dear to the black community world over.

And the brand has served the community consistently for a while now.

Is Cantu Black Owned? Conclusion

Cantu is a fascinating brand with a rich history behind it and its leaders.

Learning about Cantu’s history definitely puts more perspective on the work the brand does. And so does knowing more about the mission behind their products.

Hopefully, this article has answered any questions you had. From the company’s history, to whether or not it is black owned and more.