ICON'S OF THE BEAUTY SPACE: Recent Episodes
Peter Mudahy
I am Peter Mudahy, many will know me as the CEO of Pak Cosmetics (Paks') Europe's largest multicultural beauty supply business, in the United Kingdom. Others will know me as a popular figure within the haircare and beauty industry, having worked for big brands like Revlon, L'Oreal, Redken and Crazy Colour. My career spans over 40 years and I have been privileged to work alongside and some pretty impressive innovators and Icon's of the beauty space. I wanted to use my influence to share there amazing stories. Please enjoy and follow me @peterpaks or @pakcosmetics on your socials.
In this edition, I catch up with beauty icon Herman Mashaba, founder of South Africa's haircare brand Black Like Me. 20 years to the month, Herman Mashaba made history as the first Black South African to start a business in South Africa and launch products in the UK.
Black Like Me started as a local haircare manufacture in a rural township of South Africa, at the time, Black people were restricted by the regime, from owning businesses in South African.
1993 Herman's facilities was destroyed by fire, but that only encouraged Black Like Me to flight on.
In 1997 Mashaba sold part of his haircare business to USA Colgate having innovated a series of products which dominated the black haircare market in South Africa starting with the curly perm.
2002 in joint venture with British brand Crazy Colour, Black Like Me launched its product here in the UK.
In 2016 Mashaba was asked to run as a candidate for Mayor of Johannesburg , he wins and enters the world of international politics leaving his wife to continue the Black Like Me legacy.
While on a research and product development trip to the USA with Pak Cosmetics and Mazuri Olive Oil hair products, I was able to catch up with Muhammed Akhtar who revolutionised the afro hairdressing industry with the invention of the No-Lye Hair Relaxer product in the 1980's. and is responsible for manufacturing a large number of the top afro hair brands that are made in the USA including ORS, Mixed Roots and Mazuri Olive Oil.
In October of 2021 a podcast aired in the UK that shocked the Black Community in the UK.
The Podcast had taken clips of this interview with afro haircare veteran Peter Mudahy, who is also the CEO of Pak Cosmetic (Pak's as the business is known locally): Europe's largest retail supplier of 'black' hair and beauty products and published a manipulated story.
For years, a small part of the black haircare community have wondered how, Pak Cosmetics a non-black family business based in the UK have managed to be iconic. Maintaining price points and continuous supply, supporting lost of independent makers of afro haircare and skincare, wellness products.
Listen now!
Learn, how Peter Mudahy and Pak Cosmetics developed an iconic multi-million pound business selling afro hair and beauty product to Sainsburys, ASDA and Tesco in the UK, across Europe and Africa.
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@peterpaks