What was it like for you growing up with textured hair?
As a young girl, I always struggled with wearing my hair naturally. I could never find the right products that would actually work. On top of that, there was always this stigma around natural hair- that it was messy, an everyday look, but never elegant, chic, or classy.
In middle school I promised myself I’d change that and in college, I finally got the opportunity to start the business of my dreams, CURLē. A company that did more than offer haircare, but one that empowered curlies around the world to feel confident and elegant in their natural in ALL contexts with customized hair products for curls and coils.
I took one of my biggest insecurities growing up and decided to try my best to never allow anyone to feel the same insecurity I did- not knowing how to do my hair, and not feeling confident rocking my crown.
What made you decide to embrace your naturally curly hair?
For me, embracing my hair was more than just changing my hairstyle or not wearing braids anymore – it was embracing myself and my roots. In the tenth grade, I decided to transition to wearing my hair natural, teaching myself everything I could through YouTube, and then graduated to textbooks online – I really did read about curls for fun. And then when I started getting good at doing my hair, I started to teach the people around me, slowly becoming the curly hair expert that I am today.
What has been the most empowering moment of your natural hair journey so far?
The most empowering moments of my natural hair journey have been moments when the people around me started to embrace natural hair. My favorite moment was when my little sister asked me to do her hair for the first time. I remember she used to hate curly hair, as a little girl she would always complain about how frizzy and ugly it was, that she wanted straight her, but then one day she asked me to do her hair and she’s been a dedicated curly ever since.
How do you protect your curls at night?
A must-have for my night routine is a silk or satin pillow and a silk or satin scrunchie to pineapple my curls. I like to use the CURLē satin scrunchie because it’s huge! If my hair’s not in a pineapple, I like a good bonnet or silk wrap to keep my curls popping longer
Who is your curl crush?
Elaine Welteroth is my absolute curl crush! She embodies pure elegance and beauty while embracing her curls and I loveeee to see it, especially on TV- represent!
What’s your curly girl essential you can’t live without?
Three things I absolutely cannot live without is a Denman brush, a scalp massager, and a great styling cream!!!
What is your current hair regimen? Any favorite products you’d like to share?
I like to keep my routine pretty simple so I make sure to deep condition once a week to maintain my hair health and then I just use a styling cream for my wash and go. I am absolutely in love with the CURLē deep conditioner and styling cream that I basically haven’t used anything else for the past two years.
What has been the most challenging moment of your natural hair journey so far?
My most challenging moment was overcoming all of the internal biases that were so deeply ingrained into me by society. The thought that I could rock my hair elegantly at a business meeting or wedding or any fashionable event was always so difficult for me to really embrace. Sometimes I catch myself wanting to straighten my hair to get a more elegant look and I always have to check myself to really dig deeper and understand why it is that I used to feel more elegant in sleek hair than my beautiful curls.
Are there any techniques or methods that have made a huge impact on your hair health?
One of the biggest things that I learned when researching hair was that there are so many products on the market, many of which are popular that contain cancer-causing agents. When I realized this, I started to really look into the ingredients of the products that I was using and understanding that not all products are made for my hair type, texture, and porosity and that was a huge game-changer on my hair health.
What’s your advice to women who are still struggling with loving their natural texture?
My biggest advice to women who are struggling with loving their natural texture is to try new things and fantasize about your curls.
The beauty of natural hair is that not a single person on this planet has the same exact texture as you, it’s what makes you unique and beautifully you- embrace that and run with it!
Learn more about your curls and get products that are made for your hair porosity, type, and texture; enjoy the journey and appreciate progress.
