Black hair care has never had so many product choices as there are today.
Whether you are an old-school press (flat iron/ heat brush) and curl, or die-hard keeping it naturalist, or a fly-twisted sistah, there are so many choices.
Determined to have a say in our hair preferences by what means we style and what ingredients were acceptable, we began feeling more secure years back, when we saw the African lady logo on the back of hair care products. This seal ensured us that a product was manufactured by our own community. We trusted that people who actually knew our hair had more than a financial stake in their products.
Then came the explosion of products with people demanding the freedom to embrace a more natural and chemical-free, do-no-harm style. Hair health became the ultimate goal, as well as re-familiarizing ourselves with our hair’s natural qualities. Tee-totaling it from chemical straighteners and relaxers was for self-definition, self-determination and self-preservation. Chemical straighteners were an expensive futility that could not only damage the hair and scalp, but could cause serious medical issues and expose one to cancer risk.
Although our first efforts were to part from harsher chemicals such as lye, we realized there was no acceptable compromise. Avoiding troubles of rejection and pressures in the workplace and the convenience of wash-and-go hair, were no longer worth the risk to our health.
Fast forward to the post-pressing comb and pomade world of yesteryear to flat iron and heat-free styles and the Crown Act passed to ensure persons of other ethnicities namely Black Americans, would not be penalized in the labor force, in high school or professional sports teams for wearing our hair in its natural super curly state or traditional natural styles whether braided, twisted or afros. I am seeing more hair butters, and whipped wonders of all sorts that focus on natural styles that do not involve heating elements.
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These more modern products are a godsend to some, but are a bit too sticky-sweet for others. They are progress, but many aspects of our hair care challenges have yet to be answered
Wanting something other than the ‘wet look’, leaves few choices outside of an afro, which could result in dying and hair breakage for some. Truthfully, some of us want our hair strands to flow and abide by the old Uncle Ben’s Rice philosophy where each strand is separate from the rest. It is possible and easier to achieve in today’s world, but we cannot seem to overcome the futility of the processing of the style (although it is much shorter than in the past) being longer than the length of time the style is maintained.
Acrylates help to protect the hair and afford some style staying power, but they are in everything from hand soap to shampoo, to lotions, bath gels and the list goes on. But are they safe? Is there enough transparency or information about exposure or over-exposure?
Speaking of transparency, after our decades of struggling to make safe advances in hair care– the right to have safe products that harm neither our bodies nor our hair, a long-standing manufacturer of shampoos and conditioners with a boastful line of products seems to have thrown a wrench in it all. What seemed to be valuing advanced, considerate products with ingredients that our community relishes has turned into an about-face. A hair product in their line, that purports to protect the hair from heat styling, contains an ingredient harmful to hair and skin.
This light-to-the-touch, fluffy creme is not unpleasant to the touch, but is a deceptive throwback that despite containing shea butter, jojoba and almond oil, did not ditch the petroleum (although in a small amount). I tried the product seeking a fix for my ‘curls-just-wanna-be-curls’ hair, which curls up about five minutes after flat ironing.
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Admittedly, I keep the heat setting no higher than 370 degrees and can get a silky texture without dehydrating my hair permanently. Sadly, it does not stay that way for even one-half hour. So enter Cantu’s, “Grow Strong Strengthening Cream.” I tried it on my just-washed hair while still damp, but thankfully only on the lower one-third. As I attempted to comb through the ends, it seemed impossible, even with a pick, which is unusual for my hair. I decided they did not add enough almond oil to the formula and added some to my hair, after which I could easily comb through it as usual.
When I had finished my hair, which I twisted just to tame for air drying, I noticed the back of my hands looked dry and felt rough and crackly. I reached for lotion, which did not help. They felt rough. I placed some almond oil on them, then was curious about other ingredients in this product. As I struggled to read the small print, I noticed an ingredient I had not earlier when searching the label in the store. There was sodium hydroxide listed. Sodium hydroxide. Lye. In a leave-in hair product. In a product that purports to protect your hair from heat damage. By using an ingredient that is corrosive?!
This was a betrayal of the trust of the Black community. It was quietly included on a product label that people with good eyesight could barely read (which should be against laws that protect consumers). It was also a slap in the face because their line of products appears to show some regard for the health of our hair. Now I truly wonder. This is like a malicious computer virus. It is like malware– but for hair care. Slipped in under one’s nose. Why? Because perhaps they feel we trust completely, blindly?
I quickly washed the product out of my hair and thankfully had neutralizing shampoo from when I would bleach artsy items using peroxide and used neutralizing shampoo to stop the bleaching process. I washed my hair with the neutralizing shampoo twice. I have not used lye products for 30 years. If it had not been for the damage to my skin, I may have never known the product was caustic. I am thankful that I did not apply it to the entire strand. Who knew? The larger question is why?
If you are aware of the risks and demands of your patrons, why would you put lye in a product such as this one, where no one expects it? Why do so in a time when nobody but nobody wants or trusts lye in a hair product? Why now especially while there are class action suits because chemical straighteners are associated with uterine cancers? Is this a malicious act? It is time to reconsider who we can really trust.