What happened to the days of simplicity? Remember when you needed only a shampoo, a conditioner, and a way to dry your hair? Do not get me wrong, my relaxer days may have been simpler but they were not better, and even though my bathroom looks like a mini beauty supply store, I feel more in control of my hair than ever before. A whole new norm awakens and many who take this newfangled road find themselves bombarded with new products, techniques, trials, and tribulations. It can be a tad overwhelming for many, so they search the web to find out what they need to keep their hair healthy and happy.
As if that was not enough, I fear we are seeing a warping of our sacred technique turning into dollars for some companies. Hey, I am not trying to stop anyone’s hustle and the increase in female entrepreneurs is always going to get my vote, but I wonder if something is amiss. I remember when the words co-wash, seal, and pre-poo were just terms we used to take care of our hair. They were not products but rather methods we used to care for our tresses. If shampoo was too harsh you either did a pre-poo with an oil or washed your hair with a botanical conditioner. Now there are actual products with these terms in the name or directions.
I had viable solutions to these problems and there were no real needs for a manufactures to create a product specifically for these everyday routines I do with my own products. I never considered needing a pre-poo product in a pretty 8 oz. jar that is triple the price of a bottle of olive oil that will lasts me longer. There is a low likelihood that I would pick up an expensive bottle with the word sealer on it to seal my ends when jojoba oil works just find.
The bottom line is when did our natural and curl-friendly techniques turn into products and have I bought into the hype? Are all these items truly necessary? Yes, some actually are as I cannot imagine washing my tresses without my tried and true As I Am Cleansing CoWash, but for many a botanical conditioner works just fine. Somewhere down the line of the newly naturals becoming a massive market, we seem to have fallen for the advertising and felt we needed a product with specific wording. Some are true advances but others are just advertising at its best.
Again, not trampling on the hustle but hair care companies want our business, and if they hear a term too often then it slowly becomes incorporated into the label to catch your attention. If a technique is truly just a technique then do you really need a product telling you that it can be used for that technique? Do you really need a product saying it is a pre-poo for you to use it as, you know…pre-poo? All I am saying is some of these techniques are just that, while others are actual products that work amazingly well and make your life simpler. If that is the case then by all means use it, but the next time you stroll through a hair care aisle ask yourself…
Technique or product? Do I need this or am I enticed by the wording?
