Breast Cancer Awareness Month and hair care are not an unrelated pair. Thank God It’s Natural (tgin®) Founder, Chris-Tia Donaldson, for one, was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36, fighting off the disease for six years until she passed in 2021. “Breast cancer did not run in her family,” Donaldson’s niece and CEO of tgin®, Aris Singleton tells ESSENCE. “So, while she was building tgin, she founded the tgin Foundation,” as a support system for other warriors in the fight.
“We focus on supporting uninsured women undergoing treatment for breast cancer to highlight the impact of health disparities on survivor outcomes and stress the importance of early detection for women under the age of 40,” Singleton says. To do so, tgin celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month (the month of October) by donating 50 percent of the proceeds from the Green Tea Super Moist Leave in Conditioner—providing women with easier access to breast health services, like transportation and out-of-pocket costs.
“Green tea was and still is one of our best sellers,” she says of the products which have been put up for donation every year since the start of the foundation. It’s a fitting collection for the cause as green tea, when consumed, promotes higher energy and detoxification support. Although more evidence is needed, early studies also suggest green tea might reduce the risk of some cancers, according to Cancer Research UK. Meanwhile, for the hair, the leave-in conditioner’s blend of green tea, shea butter, and honey delivers lightweight moisture and antioxidants to dry, brittle strands.
According to Breast Cancer Now, many people will lose either some or all of their hair as a result of treatment for breast cancer and, for some, it is the most distressing part. Although hair often grows back six to eight weeks after treatments, including chemotherapy, “we look at women’s beauty and women’s health holistically,” she says. “When you go to the doctor and get that breast screening, you’re taking care of yourself.”
For Black women, beauty is more than just a salon appointment. “When you are at the doctor, you know your body. You’ve lived with your body for X amount of years,” she says. “Don’t just sit back and let a health provider tell you ‘well, you’re fine or this isn’t fine.’ You have to fight and advocate for yourself.” In other words, this could mean doing some research or getting a second (or even third or fourth) opinion if your gut says so.
However, tgin’s commitment to fighting breast cancer is not limited to conditioner sales. “Every year we host the tgin Foundation’s ‘Cocktails for the Cure’ in October,” Singleton says, as an annual gala to raise awareness and donations for a BCA bus. “The bus is used for educational purposes where we can go around to those underserved communities and educate women year round.” Keeping the legacy of Chris-Tia Donaldson alive, “October is when [breast cancer] is in the spotlight, but this is every month for us.”