She Became a Millionaire From Hair Care—And You Can Too!
Feb 17, 2025
Fun STEM Activities for Kids: Celebrating Black History Month!
This February, we’re spotlighting amazing Black inventors like Madam C.J. Walker, the first Black woman millionaire, who created innovative hair care products.
Madam C.J. Walker saw that people didn’t have the right products to take care of their hair, so she decided to create her own! Her hair care products became so popular that she started a big company and became the first Black woman to make millions of dollars. Even more, she helped other women start their own businesses too.
STEM Activity: Make Homemade Shampoo
Learn about the science of hair care with this simple DIY shampoo experiment!
- Materials: Coconut oil, baking soda, essential oils, and water.
- Instructions:
- Mix coconut oil and baking soda to create a cleaning base.
- Add water and a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
- Test it out and see how it works to clean hair!
How This Uses STEM:
- Science: Understand how different ingredients work together to clean hair.
- Engineering: Experiment with the right proportions of ingredients to get the perfect shampoo.
- Technology: Compare how hair care products have evolved since Madam Walker’s time.
- Math: Measure and mix precise amounts of each ingredient.
Madam C.J. Walker’s story reminds us that innovation comes from solving problems in everyday life.