Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Are Transforming the Kids’ Haircare Game

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Power couple, yes, but actress Gabrielle Union and former pro basketball star Dwyane Wade are also power parents to Kaavia (followers will know the adorable 4-year-old as #shadybaby), who is the inspiration behind the family’s baby-care brand, Proudly. “When Kaav was born, she had very unique skin needs, but the skincare options available weren’t really centering the needs of melanated skin—and a lot of the highly reviewed options weren’t EWG-verified, so we worried about their ingredients,” Union says. The couple assembled a product-formulation dream team (a Black chemist, a Black dermatologist, and a Black pediatrician) to help them make what they wanted. Everything from gentle wipes and a calming spray to a diaper cream and body butter are EWG-verified. “We created the brand of our dreams all because of Kaav’s gnarly diaper rash,” Union says.

The company is also something to be proud of: “We offer thriving wages, maternity leave, and gender-affirming care,” says Union. Now they’re rolling out a new four-product collection of haircare for children with diverse hair textures. We had the chance to ask America’s mom and dad more about Proudly, plus a few other big beauty questions.

What was the aha moment for creating hair products for kids?

“As soon as we launched skin, most of the comments were, ‘When are you going to get into haircare? Because those all-in-one kid formulas are not for us,’” Wade shares. He and Union heard everyone loud and clear and started testing different options on their village. “We started with adults; between our family members we have hair textures ranging from 3B [medium to tight spirals] to 4C [tight coils],” Union says. “Then we expanded to getting feedback from Kaav and her little toddler crew, and then families outside our network.”

The result: a tear-free, hypoallergenic, made-for-little-scalps shampoo, two conditioners (a medium option for waves and loose curls, and a heavy one for tighter coils), and a detangler. All the formulas contain glycerin and rosemary extract to nourish a sensitive scalp and marshmallow root to provide slip, so you can easily glide through tangles.

Does Kaavia have a favorite product?

“She loves using the shampoo by herself. The conditioners are more of a mom and dad step because you have to have patience for that, and I don’t know how many toddlers you know with patience,” Union says. Kaavia, like many kiddos, has multiple hair patterns, so her parents put the medium conditioner on some parts in the front and the heavy one on the remainder of her coils.

Have you found that hair has been a way to bond with your kids?

“I actually tried to do my kids’ hair thinking that it would be. I thought, I grew up with siblings. I got this; I know what I'm doing. Turns out I didn’t,” Wade says. “But that’s the coolest part of this process; now I know my daughter’s curl types and the right things to put in her hair.” Adds Union, “Our family—we have multiple generations within 10 minutes of us, so both grandmothers, cousins, and her village of aunties—loves being around when Kaav’s getting her hair done. It allows us to be close to our little miracle, and it’s a really special, fun time. And it also allows Kaav to assert her independence and use her voice. If Mommy is detangling too quickly or not listening, she’s learning how to articulate her feelings about that. She has a lot of opinions about her hair and how she wants to wear it and which accessories she’d like.”

What are your hair memories from your own childhood?

“I remember my hair feeling like a burden. Getting it done was a necessary evil because you had to ‘tame’ it to be presentable. I thought my life would be different if I had straight hair, so I got my first relaxer at 8 or 9, and then I was addicted. I thought that the longer I left it on, the straighter my hair would be, so even though it was burning, I wouldn’t say anything,” Union shares. “We had the hot comb on the stove, and every aunt who came over had an opinion about the dangly barrettes or that our cornrows were too grown—it was always something. Now, one generation later, Kaav loves getting her hair done. I’m glad that I was able to take my not-so-great experience and change it not only for our daughter but, hopefully, kids everywhere.”

Have you both always loved beauty?

“A lot of men don’t care about their appearance compared to women. But my father was very into beauty and self-care,” Wade says. “So to me, it’s second nature. I take just as long as my wife to get ready. I’m into the routines.” Union agrees, adding, “I grew up with a beautiful mother and my sisters, and my sister’s friends—they walk into a room and everyone looks. I wanted that desperately, so I tried a lot of beauty products. Perhaps Sun In was not my finest hour. And when I felt like it wasn't working fast enough, I dunked my bangs—really the whole front of my head—into a bowl of hydrogen peroxide. That took years to get over! But now I know that beauty comes from within. That’s what Proudly is trying to show; beauty comes from your village, your culture, and your community. What matters is that you have what you need to feel beautiful and still look like you.”

What’s one way you’re teaching that self-love to Kaavia?

“At the end of Kaav’s bath, we do affirmations. Sometimes we do rap lyrics: On my momma, on my hood, I look fly, I look good. Hopefully we’re sending her off to dreamland feeling good about herself, and we wake her up the same way,” Union says.

What makes you happiest about your beauty routine today?

“That it’s evolved. The more I love myself, the more I’ve allowed my routine to shrink to key products,” Union says. “The time I spent on all those promised miracles is now centered on joy with my family, and things that make me feel way more beautiful than a billion-dollar cream.”

Softening Shampoo

Moisturizing Medium Conditioner

Nourishing Heavy Conditioner

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