Resa Luster-Mac and her family are leading the forefront of the beauty world as one of the few fully Black-owned hair care companies. Since she was a child, she watched her grandfather and later her dad build a brand that has celebrated nearly 70 years of keeping black hair soft, curly, and moist urized. Fred Luster Sr., a Chicago barber, grew tired of being unable to find products to serve his Black customers and opted to make his own. He went from selling out of the back of his truck to selling out of warehouses, and now products are flying off the shelves in retail stores around the world. And thanks to a new popular Netflix series, the Luster family is being discovered in a whole new way. Resa Luster-Mac, granddaughter of Fred Luster Sr., is leading her family into the next generation using social media as a tool to keep her black-owned family business alive. (Photo: @resalustermac/Instagram) Today, the Chicago-based company remains a leading name in beauty products created specifically for us and by us since the late 1950s. Luster’s Pink Products, Inc. was founded in 1957, with Fred Luster serving as president and his wife, Blondell Luster, as chairman of the board. Black Hair Care Experts Share Insight on How African-Americans Can Gain Control of Black Hair Industry‘So Petty’: ‘Shark Tank’ Judge Attempts to Save Face After Black Couples’ Ruthless Rejection, Now They’ve Built a $40 Million Haircare Empire Resa Luster-Mac often recalls stories about her grandfather, Fred Luster Sr., who had his children — including her father, Jory Luster — helping in the family barbershop on 47th Street from a young age. Luster-Mac currently works alongside her other family members, serving as the company’s chief marketing executive. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Resa B. Luster-Mac (@resabluster) One of the company’s earliest success stories was Luster’s Style Cream, a men’s hair straightening product. Another popular product is the Pink Oil Moisturizer Hair Lotion, formulated to promote healthy black hair hair growth for all hair types. Luster’s Pink also created relaxers for women who were told they “could not get a job if they showed up with their hair curled, or locs, or coarse.” Resa said, “It was unacceptable, unfortunately, at the time. But as women of color, with the Crown Act and all of that being in state, we are now embracing our hair.” She recalled earlier memories of a college professor who once told her, “Whatever you do, don’t worry about your hair curly for an interview.’ And I was like, what?” After earning a degree in marketing and public relations, Resa went on to help lead her family’s hair care company, Luster Products, Inc. And now 70 years later, Luster’s Pink is still leading in black hair care. The brand, now more than ever, uses social media to stay in touch with fans with advice on hair care, confidence, and everything back excellence. Social media is also where followers draw comparisons between the famous Luster family and Tyler Perry’s “Black In Beauty,” a series about a wealthy, dysfunctional family behind a powerful haircare and cosmetics empire. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Crystle Stewart (@crystlestewart) Luster-Mac noted that Perry’s portrayal closely mirrors her family’s real-life structure in some ways. In reality, her father serves as CEO while her uncle, a chemist, is also an owner. She said that the company originally had three owners, including her aunt, who has since retired. Still, Luster fans say Perry took a few creative liberties with the characters. @resabluster I watched Beauty in Black and couldn’t help but notice the parallels… A Black, family-owned haircare empire. Generational legacy. Power, business, and family dynamics that felt very familiar. My family has been building Luster Products since 1957, long before “Black-owned beauty empires” were trending storylines. So watching this unfold on screen made me pause. Art imitates life… and sometimes life feels seen. No accusations, just a moment that made me say, “Wait a minute…” @TylerPerry @TylerPerryStudios if you ever want the real backstory, we’re right here at Lusterland ♬ Everything Is Everything (Instrumental) – Lauryn Hill “The characters are a little mixed up,” Luster-Mac admitted, pointing to one family member who married into the business but was portrayed differently on screen. She said people often tell her she looks like the show’s main character, Mallory, played by Crystle Stewart, who married into the family business. “They’re like, ‘You’re Mallory,’ and I’m like, ‘No, but I’m the CEO’s daughter,” declares Resa. She began her journey as an intern and worked her way up from assistant brand manager to brand manager at large and now chief marketing officer. Her family’s company has remained in business for nearly 70 years by being conservative and not living above its means. But selling the company to a white counterpart, even in times of struggle, was never the plan. “My grandfather he never wanted to sell the company. He wanted to remain a 100% family on black-owned business,” says Resa. “He came from Mississippi in a farm [after] his family was ran out of there. And he just felt like he thought too many things [were] taken away from people like his family.” She says one night someone came to her grandparents’ home and said, “You have to get off this land or you guys won’t be here tonight.” Without warning, the family packed up the farm life they knew and headed for the big city in Chicago. Following Fred’s passing in 1991, his son, Jory Luster Sr., became president and CEO of Luster Products. Products are sold in more hair and department stores nearby. Resa Luster-Mac is currently married to Ross Mac, a Wharton-trained financial educator and media personality. The couple were high school sweethearts who reconnected in 2014 and later tied the knot in 2020. EXCLUSIVE: Meet Resa Luster-Mac, the Third-Generation Heir Keeping Black-Owned Luster’s Pink Brand In the Family After Nearly 70 Years ...read more read less