Beyoncé’s Cécred hair oil is going half off at Ulta, making it a perfect time to try it
TheGrio...
On Saturday, Aug. 29, Ulta will mark Cécred’s Nourishing Hair Oil down by 50% as part of its 21+ Day of Beauty sale.
From concert tickets that rivaled my car payment to stylish, one-of-a-kind merch, or even weave for a chunky braid style circa 2017, Beyoncé has convinced me to part with my money on more than one occasion through the years. A $45 bottle of hair oil, however, made me pause for some deliberation.
As part of its upcoming “21+ Days of Beauty” sale, on Sat. Aug. 29, Ulta is cutting the price of Cécred’s Nourishing Hair Oil in half, along with several other top products from top brands, making this a particularly good moment to revisit the question many of us slow adopters to the brand had on the onset of the launch: Is the stuff actually worth it?
Launched in February 2024, Cécred arrived with a core product lineup focused on strengthening and repairing, including a clarifying shampoo and scalp scrub, a hydrating shampoo, a moisturizing deep conditioner, a fermented rice and rose protein ritual, a moisture-sealing lotion, and, of course, the nourishing hair oil. The products arrived in the luxury category, with prices ranging from $98 to $32 for full-size, and that hair oil, smelling of the brand’s signature rich and sensual “Temple Oud” scent and promising to seal in moisture while offering your hair a natural shine without silicone fillers, fell smack dab in the middle.
While many of us have wondered over the last two years, as the brand has expanded to include even more hair-enriching items, such as viral edge drops priced at $98, whether they could stand up to some of our longest-running haircare staples, the brand, of course, has taken off. There are growing loyal fans of the hair oil in particular.
A quick poll of my own contact list found several more fans in my midst than I realized, including one hair care aficionado based in Laurel, Md., who said she used the product on her edges, saw a difference, and has continued to use it to break up gel and other buildup with much success. One added bonus she’s found, it doubles as a statement piece on her bathroom vanity.
Another who resides in Northern Virginia revealed that her stylist has used the product on her hair a few times, and while it smells luxurious and gives her hair a nice shine, she hasn’t felt compelled to run out and buy her own bottle.
A quick search across social media yields similar mixed reviews. One TikTok user based in New York City, Rose Marie Cunningham, held up her empty bottle to the camera during an honest review.
“It’s empty so that’s a good sign,” she began before launching into the pros and cons.
On her pros list, she praised the product for being lightweight, adding that “It’s not going to destroy your bonnet and your pillowcase.”
“Plus it seals in moisture pretty well,” she explained.
For her cons, she admitted that it didn’t really hold up for her against New York City’s brick winters.
“I did not find this oil to be the best oil for this New York City winter, which is why I haven’t restocked it,” she confessed. “But overall, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this oil. I rate it a 9 out of 10.”
Meanwhile, another user on the same platform, Bianca Chantel, shared that she was once again in need of a restock of the item.
“Y’all this is another bottle down of another Cecred hair oil,” she stressed while showing her near-empty bottle to the camera. “Like, I would not be finishing bottles like this if it was terrible stuff. Like, again, this is why I’m stocking up.”
There are just as many praising the shiny gold serum, whether they have 4c or 4a hair, as there are those who are neutral. No one seems to have outright despised it. There are actually all sorts of videos and posts breaking this product down from chemists, if you want to get scientific about all 13 of the oils and plant based ingredients it’s derived from, to hair stylists, if you want a professional opinion, to beauty content creators, and beyond.
While Cécred was launched with the same level of skepticism that any new celebrity beauty or haircare brand brings, Beyoncé’s was launched with her professional cosmetologist mom, Ms. Tina Knowles, by her side and has since received the seal of approval from many professionals. That being said, hair is unique; how we style it and what we need from it are very different for each person. There’s really only one way to know for sure if something is going to work for you and your hair needs. Is that adding Cécred’s Nourishing Hair Oil to my arsenal? For $22.50, I may be inclined to find out.