Let me tell you when I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to get to the barbershop. It’s in the spot where they placed the Little Black Pearl workshop in the spot leaning toward the western end of the building. Well, you know he had a barbershop on 47th Street. Please tell me your memories of your dad’s barber shop, if you have any you can share. The Luster story is black history, Chicago history. Without further ado, let’s get into this interview!Īfrobella - Jory, I am fascinated by history in general, particularly black beauty history. I reached out to Jory Luster, President of the venerable family-owned company, for answers and perspective on their place in black beauty history, and the evolution of their hair care industry. It seemed like a perfect time to do a long-form interview to discover and celebrate the legacy of this internationally famous haircare brand. in 1957. This year, the Luster company is celebrating its 60 th anniversary, and the famous Pink Oil turns 50 – a landmark moment for any brand. A large contingency of Lusters work for the family brand. I soon learned that the Lusters are a HUGE family here, with deep roots in the Windy City. Second of all, I came to realize that LUSTER was in fact a family name, not just a description of what the hair products promised for hair. An aerosol production plant is located in suburban Blue Island, Illinois.” Their products are sold internationally, all made right here in the Chicago area: “ Our main facility – corporate offices, plant and warehouse – is situated on 17 acres in Chicago’s Stockyard Industrial Park. According to their official site, “ Luster Products’ brands include You Be-Natural, Pink Brand, S-Curl, PCJ, and YOU.” They make products for men, women, children and the stylist market. When I first moved to Chicago, I became familiar with the Luster name in an entirely different way and learned a few things.įirst of all, Luster makes many more products than just the world famous Pink Oil. I grew up knowing that the Luster brand made hair products intended for me. Pink was a family staple for us, all the way in Trinidad. In my mind’s eye, I can still see the familiar baby-pink bottle on the counter at my first hairstylist and on my mom’s dressing table. For me, I believe that product was Luster’s Pink Oil. Think back to the very first black hair product you may have ever heard of – the first product you knew was intentionally made for our specific hair needs. Black Beauty History is an ongoing series here at Afrobella – click here to read some previous installments.

Jack black hair products wiki