For more than a decade, Whitney White aka @naptural85 has selflessly shared her passion for natural hair that has inspired millions of women around the world to embrace their natural crown. In 2015, she decided it was time to share her love for natural, homemade and safe hair products on a larger scale so she created her own line, Melanin Haircare.
Since it’s initial launch, it has continued to be named one of the best hair lines on the market and this year snagged a couple Best of the Best Awards including, Best New Collection and Best Cream for the Twist-Elongating Style Cream.
Not to mention, Whitney was voted Best Blogger for Coily hair. Can you say #winning?
Keep reading to learn more about what her natural journey has taught her, advice for new naturals and her holy grails from Melanin Haircare.
Describe your hair in 3 words:
Robust, Evolving, Radiating
What has your natural hair journey taught you about yourself?
Because my hair is an extension of me, my hair journey will keep evolving along with my life experiences and age. But so far, I’ve learned how to be bold in my self-expression. Not meaning loud or attention-seeking, but to be unafraid to present myself truly to the world, regardless of outside feedback.
I’ve learned patience as well. Caring for my hair has become almost like a meditative process for me within my hectic lifestyle. I’m able to focus on self-care, and it tends to be the time in my week when I’m able to think most clearly without interruption.
I’ve also learned how to let go. I recently cut my waist-length natural hair into a short bob. It was so therapeutic because I had been wanting to make this change for so long but kept telling myself that I couldn’t. Letting that hair go, and finally being able to match my outside appearance to how my spirit was feeling on the inside was like a rebirth for me. I finally feel aligned– body, mind, and spirit, which I feel is so important to your self-esteem and a healthy mindset.
What tips and/or techniques have you learned throughout your hair journey that keep your curls at their best?
The most important tip is to listen to your hair. You’ve really got to pay attention to what your hair and scalp specifically need and when. Sometimes your hair may be lacking moisture and you should re-treat. Sometimes your hair may experience some wear and tear and need a trim to tidy up and stop the damage from spreading. Sometimes your hair and scalp may become over-handled and need a protective style to give it a break from the pulling and fastening. It’s so important to pay attention to how your hair and scalp feel so that you can keep it healthy and thriving.
What are your holy grails & what makes these products stand out?
I’m a huge fan of my DIY hair products and have been leaning on my homemade mixtures for years! I love them so much that I created my hair care line, Melanin Haircare, based off of my own personal recipes, enhanced for additional nourishment and moisture, that I’ve been using to grow my hair healthy and strong throughout my journey.
My holy grails are most-definitely The Melanin Haircare Signature Trio, the perfect LOC/LCO pack containing our Multi-Use Softening Leave In Conditioner, our Twist-Elongating Style Cream, and our Multi-Use Pure Oil Blend! They work so beautifully together for the perfect amount of nourishment, structure, lasting moisture, and softness, but are also each amazing on their own. I love that I can use them in so many different ways, really reducing the amount of hair products I have in my pantry. The nourishing and plentiful natural ingredients are my favorite part of the formulations. They keep my hair structure thriving, healthy and strong, which affords me the confidence and freedom to experiment more with my hair, knowing that it will grow back quickly should I want to change it again.
What advice do you have for new naturals?
My advice for new naturals is to have fun, enjoy every stage of your hair, gather a lot of information – there’s so much free info online! And while you’re gathering information, be open to failing and discovery. Everyone’s hair is different! You won’t know what your specific hair and scalp needs will be until you experiment, and with experimentation you cannot avoid failure… and that’s okay! Learning about caring for your natural hair texture is literally learning a new part of you that you haven’t explored yet. So be kind to yourself, stay positive, and most-importantly have a blast! Discovering new parts of yourself is a blessing and a step towards complete self-love, remember that! XO!
