Category: black-experience/black-history/celebration-of-black-culture/natural-hair-beauty

JACKSONVILLE, Fl. — Leading hair care brand Creme of Nature joins Americans across the country celebrating the accomplishments of Black people in beauty and the arts, sciences, business, law, technology, medicine, sports and beyond. In recognition of Black History Month and as an extension of the brand’s “I Am Super Natural” campaign, Creme of Nature is releasing a new video paying homage to natural hair.

“This video is the epitome of what our ‘I Am Super Natural’ campaign is about – reflecting how we see ourselves both in the mirror and in society: bold, powerful, brilliant, phenomenal, vibrant and colorful,” said Teneya Gholston, Creme of Nature’s Director of Marketing. “We are about educating and empowering women across the country to embrace their bold and authentic selves.”

The video features a powerful spoken word piece performed by Teeanna Munro, a high school teacher and poet from Canada. Munro reminds us in her poetry that just a generation ago, wearing natural hair was deemed “unprofessional” and “unseemly” in the workplace. “No place for that bib-i-ti-bop bounce/that’s got that base/takes up space and demands to be seen/in it’s very being,” Munro says, as we see images of women across generations who, today, have turned their natural hair into their life’s work:

Blogger Dayna Bolden is a wife and mother who turned her passion for fashion and beauty into a thriving business as a social media influencer and business consultant.

Mildred Bean is a beauty and fashion influencer that is showing women that age is nothing but a number when it comes to healthy natural hair.

“See I’m a high school teacher/So I let my babies know that/The way our roots refuse to obey the supposed laws of gravity/Is a distinct feature to who we naturally are/It’s written in the curly strands of our DNA/Never meant to blend in/We are people of unconformity, creativity,” she delivers, as we see displays of that creativity in different forms of art:

Brittany Fox is a fast-rising DJ in the Atlanta area whose signature natural hairstyles with bright colors and rich fullness help her to standout even more in the DJ booth.

Ingrid Silva is a Ballet Dancer from Dance Theatre of Harlem. She started out dancing in a program based in a dozen of Rio’s favelas that provides classical ballet training to kids and teens who could otherwise not afford dance classes.

Murjoni Merriweather is a young standout sculptor attending arts school who has a passion for African Art. In the video, we see various angles of Merriweather creating a custom natural hair sculpture.

Creme of Nature recently launched three new products to ensure that every Super Natural woman has everything she needs to keep her kinks, coils, and curls looking great and healthy: Creme of Nature with Argan Oil from Morocco Maximum-Hold Styling Snot Gel, Creme of Nature with Argan Oil from Morocco Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Rinse and Creme of Nature with Argan Oil from Morocco Moisture & Shine Curl Activator Creme.

During this month of February, Creme of Nature is engaging and educating women during different events, giveaways, television spots, new product launches and more to celebrate the Super Natural woman. Creme of Nature is also building a community of Super Natural women on social media. With the hashtag #IAmSuperNatural, women can find hair inspiration and support from other Super Natural women. No matter your hair type or your favorite hair style, Creme of Nature has everything a Super Natural woman needs to slay her hair.

For more than four decades, Creme of Nature has created a plethora of remarkable hair products to help women achieve their best hair. Creme of Nature is the first multicultural brand to offer hair care and styling products with Argan Oil with its Creme of Nature with Argan Oil from Morocco product line of more than 25 hair care and styling units that provide intense conditioning and nourishment. Creme of Nature has the best hair care products for great style and healthy hair.

We invite you to join the Creme of Nature family. For more information about Creme of Nature, please visit cremeofnature.com, or follow us on Instagram (@cremeofnature), Facebook (facebook.com/cremeofnature), YouTube (youtube.com/user/CremeNatureOfficial), Snapchat (cremeofnature) and Twitter(@cremeofnature). For more information about the Super Natural campaign, please visit www.cremeofnature.com.

With the emergence of the natural hair movement and the infiltration of black beauty icons in mainstream media, came the proliferation of black-owned business with a purpose. Ones that used all natural ingredients, employed each other and sought to create solutions to their own beauty conundrums, and, in the process founded businesses. Such acts are worth celebrating and supporting. I recently had the opportunity to review a few of these brands so I’m sharing what I love most about each with you! Remember, if we don’t support black-owned businesses, who will?

Without further adieu, here’s my review of 3 black-owned natural hair and beauty brands that you should know!

Camille Rose Naturals

Camille Rose Naturals

Moisture! Moisture! Moisture! is all I have to say. Hands down, this brand makes the most moisturizing hair products I have come across in my natural hair journey. And they smell soooo good, too. I love everything from the packaging to the easy-to-travel jars that encase the yummy butters. The Almond Jai Twisting Butter and the Aloe Whipped Butter Gel are two of my favorites. They triple as leave-in’s, sealants and stylers for twist-outs, bantu’s or braids. Almond milk, honey and macadamia nut oil are just a few of the ingredients that contribute to their mega moisturizing benefits. My hair is super soft and maintains its length when I use these on freshly-washed hair. A little goes a long way, belles. For wash-n-go’s, I love the Curl Love Moisture Milk. It’s a lightweight version of the butters that you can apply daily when refreshing your ‘fro. It smells of luscious nutty vanilla and is formulated with rice milk and a slew of penetrating oils. The biggest plus? It does not build up … AT ALL! My all time favorite in this line has to be the Algae Renew Deep Conditioning Mask. One 10-minute application of the 65 vitamins and minerals packed in this potion and my dry hair is soft as silk with renewed strength and sheen. Last, but not least, my everyday sealing staple is the Ajani Growth and Shine Balm. Honey, mango and castor oil lock in moisture without leaving my hair greasy.

Amber’s fluffy frohawk using just the Almost Jai Twisting butter as a styler.

Camille Rose Naturals is a 100% MOMpreneur owned and operated company founded in 2010 by Janell Stephens. The name Camille Rose was created to pay homage to Janell’s late grandmother, “the one who taught her how to be a woman that has the poise and ability to wear many hats.” Camille Rose Naturals is dedicated to “developing and marketing hand-made hair, skin and body care products for modern natural hair sophisticates who care about their total health, beauty and wellness.” Products can be found online, in select beauty stores and in Target.

Check out my fluffy frohawk using just the Almost Jai Twisting butter as a styler.

b.a.s.k.

Want your hair strong and smelling good? I recommend b.a.s.k. Their Silk and Honey Latte Detangling Hair Milk is the definition of slip. It is intended to be applied to dry hair for finger detangling prior to washing. I was skeptical at first in its ability to tame and detangle my unruly fro with absolutely zero water spritzes. I was pleasantly surprised to watch my fingers glide through knots with ease. The nectarine vanilla smell is a total bonus to the benefit of entering the shower without a bee’s nest of knots. I got a fabulous protein power punch with the Vanilla Whiskey Repairative Hair Soak. You’ll be surprised by how soft your hair is afterward. If your hair is colored and breaking more than usual, I highly recommend this treatment. The Palm Tapioca Deluxe Hair Cream is a must-have buttercream for type 4 hair. It’s made of premium Cocoa Butter, Cupuacu Butter and Ucuuba Butter and literally sinks into strands better than any buttercream I’ve ever used. The consistency is crazy thick, so a little goes a long way. If you don’t fall in love with b.a.s.k.’ product names, you will with the potent smells of nectarine, vanilla and dessert pudding.

Amber using The Palm Tapioca Deluxe Hair Cream

b.a.s.k. – which stands for “Beauty Assortment for the Sun-Kissed” – provides a line of artisanal, gourmet-themed spa products that range from moisturizing bath treatments to rich, nourishing skin and hair delectables catering to multicultural women. Founded and launched by Rashida Jefferson in Summer 2011 – b.a.s.k. is the result of Rashida’s love for spa pamperings, destination travels, and many years of making her own DIY customized beauty potions using premium ingredients found in her local gourmet food shop. Products can be found online, in select beauty stores and specialty spas.

What do you think of my Palm Tapioca bantu knot-out?

COCOTIQUE

Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you that I prefer a box of beauty products over a box of chocolates any day. The mantra kind of still applies. With any gift box, “you never know whatcha gonna get.” With COCOTIQUE, unlike a chocolate box, you’ll find more than just two consumable favorites. In December, I received a box packed with beauty products that I could actually use – ones that seemed to be tailor-made just for me. Beneath the ultra-chic gold wrapper (which made me feel like a QUEEN) were a Black Opal Color Splurge Patent Lips gloss in (COLOR), Cover FX Anti-Age Smoothing Eye Primer, Curls Coconut Sublime Conditioner, Phyto Specific Moisturizing Styling Cream, Su-Kari Peach Body Butter, and even something for the Mr. – VitaMan Face Moisturizer and Shampoo. The products were definitely high end, and the complete mix of solutions for my face, hair and husband were much appreciated. The Su-Kari Peach Body Butter sample definitely led to a full-size purchase. I had never even heard of the line before. That’s the beauty in beauty boxes – new discoveries and beauty possibilities!

The Psychology of Style

COCOTIQUE Box

COCOTIQUE is a deluxe beauty box subscription service for women of color and diverse ethnicities. Dana Hill, Founder and CEO, created COCOTIQUE to simplify the search and discovery process and save you time and money. Who wouldn’t rather someone else do the shopping for them? $20 a month gets you 5-6 sample-sized beauty products from niche brands. If you love them, you can purchase the full size directly from the COCOTIQUE site. Oh, and don’t forget to read their online magazine for inspiration from their COCOBelle’s of the month and learn about their beauty and fashion COCOObsessions.

What’s your favorite black-owned natural hair or beauty brand?

Disclosure: The lovely ladies at COCOTIQUE, Camille Rose Naturals and b.a.s.k. gifted me with the products mentioned in this article. All opinions expressed are my own, as usual.

Mocha, caramel, almond—black women’s skin comes in many decadent shades. All of which call for proper sn care and pampering. While it has been said that black doesn’t crack, having a great skin care routine is a must if we want to ensure that our skin withstands the test of time. Today, I’ll share everything black women need to know to achieve and maintain beautiful skin.

A good skin care regimen should have six basic components: cleansing, toning, nourishing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and protecting. Each component lays the foundation for the next and work together to provide everything your skin needs to thrive.

Cleanse.

Beautiful skin begins with proper cleansing. Makeup, dirt, and pollution can clog our pores and cause our skin to age and become dull. Properly cleansing the skin rids it of debris and impurities.

When cleansing your skin, it is necessary to use a product that works best with your skin type. For normal to oily skin, I recommend Cetaphil’s Daily facial cleanser and for the ladies with dry skin Cerave Hydrating Skin Cleanser works wonders.

You can work in the cleanser of your choice with your fingers or you can use a brush like the Clarasonic Mia or Olay Pro-X Facial Brush to give your skin a deep cleansing. Lastly, always cleanse your skin in the morning and before bed. Never, ever go to bed with makeup no matter how tired you are. Every night you sleep in your makeup ages your face 15 days.

Nourishing your skin with masque is a must.

Tone.

After your face has been properly cleansed, it’s time to move on to the toner. There is a ton of confusion surrounding what toners are, and what they are used for. Simply put, toners are used to restore your skin to the proper pH balance after it has been cleansed. The best pH for the skin 5.5. Apply the toner of your choice to your face with a cotton ball and allow to fully dry before moving to the next step.

Nourish.

Nourishing your skin is an absolutely must. A great masque will help you do just that. Not only does it help to remove dirt and impurities trapped in your pores, but it also provides vitamins and nutrients that help your skin look its absolute best.

A masque should be used 1-2 per week and should be applied after your cleanser and followed by a toner.

Exfoliate.

Exfoliation is an important part of any skin care regimen. Did you know that our bodies shed up to 50,000 skin cells per minute? Yes! You read that right— 50,000 per minute! And sometimes those dead cells need a little help sloughing off. Exfoliation not only helps to remove those dead cells, but is also great for getting rid hyperpigmentation and evening your complexion. Experts suggest exfoliating your skin 1-2 per week using a product that will remove cells gently.

Contrary to popular belief, exfoliation should proceed cleansing and toning. This way, all of the dead cells are removed and your skin is ready to be cleansed and pampered without any restrictions.

Moisturize.

Moisturizing your skin is one of the most important components in your skin care regimen. When choosing a moisturizer, pick one that is oil-free and non-comedogenic (this means that it will not clog your pores). A great moisturizer should have vitamin A as well as Vitamin B5. These vitamins increase the firmness of your skin and also work to keep its moisture levels up. Skin should be moisturized two times per day—upon waking up and just before bed.

Protect.

One of the biggest enemies to beautiful skin is damage that is caused by UVA and UVB rays from the sun. No matter what the season, we must protect our skin by wearing sunscreen daily. You can choose to wear a moisturizer with SPF 15 in it, but that’s not enough. Opt for a SPF that is between 30 and 50 and has broad-spectrum sun protection to ensure that your skin is properly protected from the sun’s harmful rays.

These six components combined form a great skin care routine that will keep your skin looking amazing for many years to come.

“Beautiful” – adjective – pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically. Of a very high standard; excellent.

The very term is subjective in nature. Anyone can interpret its meaning and categorize what and who qualifies. The unfortunate thing is that, for most women, this interpretation and the publicized standard of what it takes to make the cut is largely controlled by the media.

This creates quite a plight for women looking to emulate what may be genetically unattainable. Women of color, plus-sized women, vertically-challenged women and those with facial features not at the forefront of any brand’s makeup campaign have been subject to decades of images that are consistently contrary to how they look.

“How does the offering of unrealizable imagery impact the masses?” one might ask.

Consider the fact that more than just women completely secure with themselves are exposed. Think about the 12-year-old girl with skinny legs, braids and glasses who (of course) wants to be “beautiful” (or at least called it) waiting in the grocery store line with her mother staring at the magazines next to the candy. Does anyone look like her or what she may grow to be? Probably not.

The consequential possibilities of this reality are endless: low self-esteem, a distorted self-image, envy, jealously, resentment, obsession, a feeling of inadequacy, and, worst of all – an overindulgence in the investment of her outer appearance. With so little control over the publishing world, how can we shield young women from society’s standard of beauty?

Amber Williams

Simple. Redefine it.

In actuality, what it means to be beautiful is up to you – and it definitely goes beyond mere aesthetics. We should teach little girls and ourselves that beauty is a theory, for which we have the power to construct from scratch. Looking in the mirror should be an esteem-building exercise, rather than a comparative, flaw-finding one. Isn’t it beautiful that no one on earth has the same fingerprint as us? Or that the curvature in our chins or the sharpness of our cheekbones is uniquely ours? Even twins have their own distinctive features. Individuality and differentiation in itself is beauty. What we see and celebrate, not what we think others see or what we know others to value, is what’s most important. The mind, spirit and soul are not to be ignored in our construction. The way someone treats others, views the world, shines a light and uplifts the next woman equally contributes to her beauty.

The beauty in redefining “beautiful” is that we can all qualify. We can all be so confident in our own excellence that not a single crack in the mirror or comment from another can make us find flaw with our photoshop-free reflection. And we’re totally worth it, don’t you think?

Try telling my girls and me that we aren’t beautiful. We chuckle.

“It’s just hair.”

This is what people say who try to convince themselves that their hair doesn’t somehow speak for them. As if its style, color and texture don’t speak volumes about their personality, creativity, or disposition in general. While I reject the notion that hair completely defines a person, I strongly believe that it says something about one’s state of mind and perhaps about society as a whole.

Take the natural hair movement, for example.

Over the past few years, more and more black women have chosen not to straighten their hair, opting to expose their God-given textures instead. Suddenly, it became accepted and encouraged (envied, even) to rock a ‘fro in public, at church and at work. Being or going “natural” turned into one of the most talked about symbols of authentic beauty in the black community, reaching a true tipping point in adoption.

This curly hair craze is more than just a popular style – it is a movement – one that continues to prompt a dialogue on self-esteem, self-image, beauty standards, child rearing, relationships, religion, career advancement and just about every other social issue you could imagine. Not since the 1960s have black women took so much pride in the unadulterated versions of themselves and used it as ammunition to say something – without having to speak at all.

Today, the movement only continues to grow as natural beauty belles across the country unabashedly expose their waves, curls, kicks and coils to the world. So while some may subscribe to the “It’s just hair” notion, the majority of us don’t. In fact, a cultural shift in behavior is never a “just.” It is always a clear cut statement. And although our reasons and messages are varied, as are our backgrounds and perspectives, one thing is clear:

The natural hair movement is here to stay – demanding recognition but not requiring approval – it dares you to call it anything … but … beautiful.

What statement does your hairstyle make?

About five years ago, something extremely refreshing happened. Seemingly out of nowhere, Black women were trading in their relaxers, to embrace their natural hair. Pretty soon it was the topic of most conversations in the Black community. African American women discussed who was going natural, who decided to big chop, and who was transitioning. Blogs were created to cater to the natural hair community. Women began to share their hair journeys in chatrooms and via YouTube. Major hair brands caught wind of the underground natural hair movement, and began to manufacturer products catering to our diverse curls. It wasn’t long before I joined the natural hair community.

Natural Hair

For 3 years I twisted, braided, conditioned, oiled, loved, and hated my natural hair. For the first time in my life I felt beautiful. No more hiding under perms and weaves. I gave the world all of me, naturally. The response was beautiful, and although it was a struggle at times, I was so proud of my decision to accept and nourish the hair I was born with.

I recently permed my hair. At first I was reticent about my decision, seemingly oblivious to the “Did you perm your hair” questions on my social networks. I secretly felt like a sell-out, but I knew the decision was made simply because I yearned for a sleeker style that natural hair wouldn’t allow me to achieve. It wasn’t until a friend of mine who has natural hair told me “Having natural hair isn’t a cult. Be you.” That’s when it dawned on me.

It wasn’t just a natural hair movement taking place. No. Something bigger was occurring. A new era in beauty for Black women had arrived. Tired of waiting for the world to recognize our beauty, we began to embrace ALL of us. This movement goes beyond hair. Whether you’re a Black woman who chooses to wear your natural hair, or a long Pocahontas weave, this movement is about being confident, truly loving yourself, and truly loving each other. Don’t take my words. Just look around.

Procter & Gamble’s “My Black is Beautiful” campaign is committed to celebrating & connecting with African American women. Beverly Bonds created “Black Girls Rocks” as a way to empower young African American women through the arts. Since then it has become a movement, and even an anthem for Black women everywhere, casually using the hashtag #BlackGirlsRock on social media networks as affirmation of our flyness. Black women from all walks of life with different skin tones, and a variety of hair textures, are celebrating themselves, and allowing the world to catch up if it chooses to do so. It’s so evident that it’s a new day.

Our hair, skin, eyes, noses, lips, hips, and legs, are just a glimpse into the beauty that lies within. This new era of beauty among Black women celebrates the mind. It celebrates our beautiful spirits, our beautiful struggles, and our beautiful hopes. It consists of Black women uplifting one another, loving one another, and appreciating each other’s beauty. It’s here, and it isn’t going anywhere.