Jordin Sparks is venturing into the natural hair care industry.
On Monday, the Grammy-nominated singer became the new ambassador of the natural hair care brand Cantu Beauty.
The partnership started after Sparks met Dametria Kinsley, the brand’s global vice president of marketing, at a music festival in New Orleans last summer.
“When I met Dametria, it was in New Orleans at Essence Fest. It was just kind of an instant connection” Sparks told WWD. “She’s a very powerful, strong, encouraging woman and I want to be around people who are like that.”
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Jordin Sparks
COURTESY OF CANTU AND JORDIN SPARKS
Just last month, as a part of her newfound partnership with Cantu, Sparks virtually surprised 11 young women who were awarded a spot in the Cantu Glow Global Fellowship, a four-month hands-on experience in the beauty industry with the global nonprofit Women Empowering Nations.
Beyond being a fan of the brand’s products — Sparks’ personal favorites are Cantu’s hydrating conditioning treatments and styling gels, she said — the singer said she felt aligned with the brand’s many initiatives that empower young women around the world.
“I love that Cantu is more than beauty products. It’s a company that wants to uplift the next generation of young women in our communities. If I ever partner with people, I want to make sure that we’re doing stuff that’s more than a product, you know? I want to make sure that as we’re working together we’re also trying to do things that help others as well,” the singer explained.
Jordin Sparks
COURTESY OF CANTU AND JORDIN SPARKS
This month, the fellowship wrapped up with a capstone and group travel seminar to Accra, Ghana, where the young women were immersed in four areas within the beauty industry: consumer, concept, commercial and campaign. The seminar gave them the opportunity to experience a beauty campaign from concept to shelf.
“We’re so honored to have Jordin Sparks join the Cantu Crew as our brand ambassador,” said Kinsley in a statement. “She has been a pillar in Black and brown communities for years through her own philanthropic efforts and we’re excited to join forces to extend additional resources to women all around the world.”
In speaking about hair care, Sparks revealed that her personal hair journey has undergone many different phases.
“My journey, like anyone who is learning how to do their hair and what works best for them, has been a roller coaster. Some products would work and then a couple of months later, they wouldn’t, because your hair changes and it goes through a whole bunch of different things,” Sparks said.
“I remember the phases I went through, the ponytail on top of my head every day, my hair down with a headband to keep the hair out of my face, then wearing my hair down, then wearing it to the side… You find things that work for you in those moments. I’m grateful for my hair journey, to be honest.”
Recently, the singer, who just competed on Season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars,” has been experimenting with new hairstyles that fit her busy schedule.
“I had braids in right before I did ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ then I took those out because I didn’t want to be whipping myself in my face and eyes while I was dancing. So I’ve had to pull my hair back a lot in a slick bun, mostly because I had rehearsals and it was the easiest thing to do while I was on that show,” Sparks said.
Sparks is a Grammy-nominated, multiplatinum singer and songwriter. Along with hair care, she released her new single this month, titled “Stop This Feeling.”