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The month of March is all about women. The pioneers, leaders and trailblazers who deserve to be celebrated for their past and continuing contributions for women today. For all my ladies rocking their natural curls, we have many wonderful women to thank for their innovation, dedication and hustle to perfect the art of natural hair. Natural hair is a revolution and has secured its place on the shelves of Sally Beauty, Target, Wal-Mart and Sephora alike as more people find new ways to make embracing the natural, more easily. When you’re running those creams, serums, oils and gels through your crown and making your way out the door this month, there’s a few boss women I want you to keep in mind.
Monique Rodriguez, Mielle Organics
In 2014, Monique Rodriguez brought Mielle Organics onto the scene which now has reached 87 countries around the world and has expanded to hair oils, shampoos, conditioners and vitamins. Rodriguez first love was helping people as a registered nurse by day, but by night she was creating hair products in her kitchen which she would share with friends, family and post online via YouTube. Her hair struggle, like so many of us came from the lack of available products on the market for restoring her healthy curls after heat damage from straightening. As she grew in popularity, Rodriguez hit gold with her first mass distributed product, an Advanced Hair Formula used to support healthy hair, skin, nails and immune system. One of the largest factors to Rodriguez’s brand growth was her desire to be authentic with her social media audience and be open to feedback which she attributes to the upward success.
Miko and Titi Branch, Miss Jessie’s
Double the women, double the power. Siblings Miko Branch and the late Titi Branch are co-founders of Miss Jessie’s products for curly hair. Originally named after their grandmother, Miss Jessie’s came onto the market in 2004 in Brooklyn when the sisters took their hair salon, Curve, and used the experience to create hair products. Their Curly Pudding that customer’s deemed “curl magic” expanded to their Curly Meringue and Pillow Soft Curls products that were distributed at Ricky’s, a New York beauty emporium. The sisters took pride in building their business from the ground up without investors, loans or degrees, Miko wrote in her memoir that “What we had was a seed of an idea and a solid foundation of family and influences to learn from and observe.” As Miss Jessie’s grew and expanded the sisters were forced to deal with the hardships including overworking and Titi’s passing from depression in 2014. Miko Branch carries on the family company and advocates for self-love and self-care when mentoring young entrepreneurs.
Shelley Davis, Kinky-Curly
Kinky-Curly founder Shelley Davis is one of the original natural hair care pioneers who brought her astounding brand to shelves in 2003. Creating Kinky-Curly happened by chance after misplaced luggage inspired a family member to create a homemade brew of herbs and plants that left Davis’ hair better and healthier than it had ever been. Her job at a major television network allowed her the free time to research ingredients and enroll in an online cosmetic chemistry course to bring Kinky-Curly to life. The brand emerged as a leading provider for natural hair care and flew off the shelves due to word of mouth advertising. Davis told The Network Journal that when the company’s growth required better organization to balance consumer needs, they “solved this problem by utilizing the many online apps available for small businesses – apps such as Mad Mimi to handle our email newsletters and Evernote and Basecamp to manage and organize information.” Kinky-Curly’s cult following inspired expansion to custards, hair spritz, brushes, and a children’s line.
As the natural hair game evolves and transforms in the coming generation, we can always look to the women who paved the way to embrace our natural beauty and build a legacy worth remembering. Trailblazing does not come from shortcuts and easy roads, it is built as these four women show by using your passion, culture and knowledge to forge your own path. Real women just like you and me revolutionized the beauty game for the better.
Who else do you feel helped change the natural hair game?
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Mayonnaise, honey, rubber cement, chewing gum, candle wax, and even toothpaste–all of these things have been rumored to help start locs. One of the top choices is actually a product that was intended for use on hair: hair gel. Hair gel is often used to begin the locking process and then maintain them throughout the journey. This is, however, a risk in striving for your healthiest locs possible.
Dreadlocks.com says “Many products on the market that mention they work for dreadlocks are actually intended to add shine and fragrance and to make [locs] look neater but don’t acually help the dreading process at all. The majority of these shine waxes are made with petroleum as the primary ingredient.” While petroleum-based products are OK for re-twisting every 4 to 6 weeks, it is not recommended using one in the beginning of the locking phase.
Most hair gels contain ingredients that tend to work against a healthy locking journey
According to Curl Chemist Tonya, most hair gels work by containing these holding agents:
- PVP (poly N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone”> forms clear films and is water soluble. It absorbs water readily, which in humid weather makes it sticky or tacky to the touch, can cause frizz, and give a dull appearance to the hair. In dry weather, it can become brittle and flaky.
- PVA (polyvinyl acetate”> resists absorption of water in high humidity but is not substantive to hair.
- Polyquaternium-4: is a film-former on the hair and has been found to be substantive to hair. It is very stiff due to its molecular structure and causes flaky build-up.
- Polyquaternium-11: is copolymer of VP/DMAEMA is less susceptible to humidity. It is not water soluble–this can lead to some build-up over time that resists washes.
5 reasons NOT to use gel on locs
Dryness
They are drying to your scalp and prevent your hair from growing. Hair gel is typically made with the kind of alcohols and other synthetic ingredients that not only clog pores, but dry your scalp. Look into shampoos made with peppermint, eucalyptus, or tea tree extracts if you notice your scalp feeling itchier after starting the locking process. These ingredients in shampoos will also blast out the dirt from your pores, encouraging growth at a faster rate.
Buildup
All of the product and elemental build-up (that gel draws to your scalp”> causes you to have to wash your locs more frequently. Depending on the individual, this may or may not negatively impact the form and hold of what you’ve taken so long to create.
Flaking
Hair gel causes small white flakes, especially when used frequently for hair styling purposes. In locs, the flakes are tough to wash completely out and can be a painstakingly long process, according to Lockology.
Stiffness
If you want locs that actually move, don’t use a gel. When used for twisting, the hair becomes unnaturally hard and stiff. Over time, hair gel dries out the hair. Most people use gel to make the outer layer of their locs appear smoother, but using a butter or cream is the gentlest option for healthy locs.
Breakage
Breakage happens when using a drying hair gel on a regular basis. As mentioned previously, do research and invest in a good quality loc butter for re-twisting and maintaining smooth, fuzz-free locs that don’t have randoms sticking out all over the place (AKA breaking strands”>.
Try one of these safer alternatives for re-twisting:
- Darcy’s Botanicals Avocado & Wild Plum Twisting Cream (Glycerin Free”> contains soothing organic aloe juice, invigorating nettle leaf, wild plum, and lemon peel for amazing nutrition to the hair and scalp.
- MyHoneyChild Honey Love Loc is made with natural holding agent raw honey, moisturizing coconut butter, and aloe vera jelly for smoothness.
- Original Moxie Lux Locks Styling Pomade includes Ucuuba butter, high in the necessary fatty acids and vitamins for a healthy scalp, along with castor and olive oils to seal in moisture and promote hair growth.
Which product do you use on your locs to re-twist?
