Heres to the lack of representation of Afrotextured Hair.
Written by Marion Muthoni.
The increasing rise in people abandoning relaxers and texturizers has become one of the biggest achievements in the natural hair game especially in the 21st century. However, there are still some stereotypes that need to be broken for us to be able to move forward. By this, we mean that afro textured hair has had a reputation of being ugly, messy, unattractive and even unmanageable. Think about it, not many people were willing to show off their kinks and sadly it is evident on the red carpet with our celebrities.
Lord knows how many times we have heard, “can’t you just go to the salon and get your hair done? Is that your real hair? Can’t you keep it neat and slicked down? Why haven't you slicked your edges? ” In all honesty, we have always had to look like what the society deems acceptable or attractive to its standards, which is biased because we live in a world full of culture, colour and versatility. It takes a lot of nerve for someone to say that you showed up at the red carpet looking like you are from picking cotton just because you are rocking faux locs on the red carpet.
Lets talk Afro-textured products;
To say we are misrepresented in the products that fit our hair is by far an understatement. This type of misrepresentation has been there since the 1900s when Madame CJ Walker and Anna Turbo Malone created the first hair straightening line to curb the “nappy hair syndrome.” Truth is, since then it has been a real struggle to get the right products that are naturally occurring and complement our hair perfectly.
For most black natural hair products, the price is way too much, the unavailability of products and even the fact that the products are not as par is also a major issue. In a recent 2020 study by the silent spring institute, revealed that 80% of black hair products tested, contained endocrine disrupting chemicals that can cause asthma, fibroids, infertility and even cancer. The products tested ranged from leave-in conditioners, anti-frizz products, and hot oil treatments to relaxers. The most worrying part of all it was revealed that 84% of the chemicals found were not even listed on the products.
We need exotic products for exotic hair.
Afro-textured hair is simply choosy and only works with the purest most natural products that are available. For those who still think black hair does not grow or cannot thrive naturally, they have not tried things like ambunu and chebe powders from Chad. Just to clarify, these powders have been used by the women of Chad to grow out their hair exponentially. The best part about these powders is that they not only add shine, strength and length, but they are also as natural as they come.
This goes to show that most of our brands want to make a quick buck but have no consideration for their customers. These products are completely safe to use and have absolutely no side effects and can be used by everyone.
Here are some of the benefits of using chebe powder in your hair regimen;
- It is a great deep conditioner.
- It contains alkaloids that are great for regulating the pH in hair and scalp.
- A great moisturizer.
- Contains anti-inflammatory properties that help keep the scalp clean.
In conclusion,
The lack of proper products and even representation in the market does not mean that the products are not there, know your hair well enough to know what it needs and flaunt the most versatile and easiest to style hair type. Truthfully, our type of hair has endless possibilities of what it can become and is simply deserving of love, care and attention. It is time for us to show the world just how comfortable a crown should fit.