9:1 You're doing Natural Haircare Wrong and Why You Need a Natural Hair Care Pro!
According to the International Journal of Women Dermatology, Black women spend 9x more on ethnic products than non-Black consumers. This translates to a global natural hair care product market of 8.7 billion dollars. The ratio breakdown is 9:1 which means you have too many products in your house for your hair and in most cases the products don’t address your specific hair needs. This level of consumer behavior is continuously fed by the lack of natural haircare professionals due to inconsistent licensing regulations from state to state.
Which attribute to the evolution of the Product Junkie (PJ). At one time the PJ’s focus was mainly on products. Now with the incorporated influence of social media haircare gurus and wizards, they have taken center stage. With old remedies and urban legend folklore, these magicians have the answers to your haircare solutions through product purchase and use. This influx has been a counter to the Hair Care Professional who specializes in Natural Haircare for coily afro tresses. The main goal of a trained professional is to provide intentional hair wellness options to sustain the integrity and health of the clients hair.
This process begins during the consultation, where the professional determines the state of your hair, and is able to educate you on the care regimen, styles, and products best suited for your hairs individual needs.
Many natural hair consumers have had some level of association with natural hair care all of their lives. Due to this experience many have never had a professional to care for their hair, just their family members or themselves. Which can have both positive and negative impact on product consumption and knowledge. The positive is self-awareness and recognizing a personal need. The negative is poor haircare practices passed down generation to generation and the lack of science based education from a licensed professional specializing in their hair type and texture.
In conclusion it is great to research and find what works best for your hair on your own. However the knowledge and expertise of a trained professional encourage intentional product purchases while producing less waste. Seeking the support and recommendations of a professional should be top-tier hair care goals.
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Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10846769/#:~:text=Black%20haircare%20is%20an%20estimated,products%20than%20non%2DBlack%20consumers
Mintel Natural Hair Care Report:
https://store.mintel.com/us/report/us-black-haircare-market-report/
Grand View Research: Natural Hair Care Product Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report:
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/natural-hair-care-products-market
18 Ways to Know if You’re a Product Junkie:
This is so true! I think most of us have gone through a product junkie phase before we knew better. You made an interesting point about having family members do one another's hair and passing down practices that may not be the best. It seems that just having the same hair texture as a family member makes people believe they are experts at doing it. Then they experiment with styles and chemicals and end up at the salon paying a professional to fix their mistakes. More people with natural hair should find a professional to guide them and offer advice.
ReplyDeleteYou make a strong point about product junkies; I am guilty of being one! I feel like I am missing out if I don't try all the new products being given out at the salon I work for, but more than half of the products I try are not even for my hair type. I agree with you that influencers on social media have taken center stage, and they do not always know what's best. We need to leave product education to the trained professionals who provide intentional hair wellness options to sustain the integrity and health of the client's hair.
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