I used to watch the Herbal Essences commercials in jealousy. There were all of these women of European decent flinging their hair in the shower and acting as if it was the most orgasmic experience on God’s green Earth. I’d look in the mirror to see tresses that didn’t pass my ear and think: “When are they going to make products for me?” Not realizing, that “their” aisle was “my” aisle. Haircare, like skincare, depends on the type of hair, not ethnicity of the person. Yes, there are African-American women whose hair craves moisture and deep conditioning, but there are also African-American women whose hair is oily and requires more cleansing than conditioning – a trait usually attributed to white women or women with a looser curl pattern.
I realized the Herbal Essences brand includes products for all hair textures, specifically, a conditioning product that “naturalistas” rave about called “Herbal Essences, Hello Hydration” that doesn’t contain – gasp – sulfates or silicone, which can damage the hair.
The hair products one needs is dependent upon the hair texture, usually categorized between 2a – 4c, and the porosity of the hair. I decided to create a list of ingredients and products to look for in the haircare aisle of your local grocery store that will work for you.
[Image: Shutterstock]
- Oils & Butter: Traveling down “their aisle” made me realize that there are numerous products containing the oils our hair craves, like argan, olive, coconut, macadamia, and castor oils. Look for products that list the oil as one of the first few ingredients. Oils are humectants and will condition your tresses.
- H2O: moisture, moisture, moisture. Moisture is extremely important to hair textures 3b – 4c, but it also depends on the porosity of your hair. When water is listed as one of the first ingredients you can be sure your hair will sustain its elasticity and vibrancy – in most cases.
- Protein: a healthy mix of protein and conditioning in your haircare is essential to reduce breakage and split ends, regardless of ethnicity and texture. Look for products that will promote protein health.
- Sealants: It’s incredibly important to have products that will protect or seal your hair from heat and weather damage. Look for serums, oils, and glosses that offer protection.
- Cleansers: This is incredibly important for removing product build-up and dead skin from your scalp. While drier textures may want to use this less often than others, it’s still incredibly important to maintaining a healthy scalp. You have to nurture your scalp because it is from whence hair grows.
*It’s incredibly important to look for less chemically-generated ingredients and embrace holistic and natural ingredients.*
With more education of one’s health and hair, the more we realize that the “separate but equal” aisles for haircare is completely unnecessary. The ingredients needed for healthy hair are cross-cultural – moisturizers, cleansers, conditioners, protein, sealants, and humectants. Texture and porosity dictate the RATIO of the ingredients we need to promote healthy hair. It’s about ratio NOT RACE. And the sooner we realize that, the less race focused and the more holistic haircare will become.
[Image: Shutterstock]
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