Credit to Blake Vickers at the Richmond Register
Berea College’s Black Cultural Center broke new ground for the commonwealth on Saturday, as the ribbon was cut for a special beauty supply vending machine.
The vending machine is a first of its kind and offers products for all textures of hair – curly, straight, afro, or in between.
It was brought to the school through a partnership with Lexington’s You’ve Got Curls Hair Loss Center.
Created and operated by hair stylist Melanie Day, the center hopes to add more vending machines to other schools.
Berea College is the first participant in the newly created In Living Curls College Beauty Supply program.
The vending machine is a particularly helpful addition on campus for many students of color, as beauty care products specializing in the needs of various ethnicities can be difficult to come by.
Products included in the vending machine include KITSCH Hair Accessories, Decca Plus and 3-D Mink Lashes, Dr. Bronner’s Soap, satin bonnets, durags, hair extensions, and more.
The price of the hair products range anywhere from $5 to $15.
“The whole purpose is that items are versatile and can be used for more than one thing. So you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck... As things change seasonally, we’ll have staple items,” Day said as she guided students on how to use the machine.
Surveys will be used to gauge student feedback on the vending machine and what products are popular. Day noted that the beauty products used in the machine and the You’ve Got Curls Hair Loss Center in Lexington are useful for everyone.
“I love diversity, so I want this to be a place where people can come and feel comfortable and talk about experiences with their hair. I have clients of all races, all backgrounds, all hair textures,” Day said.